İran’da Muharrem Ayı Aşura Törenlerinde (Taziye) Kullanılan Litürjik Bir Malzeme: Hz. Hüseyin’in Sancağını Temsilen “Alem”

The Karbalā Case, which is remembered with deep sorrow and pain in every society of the Islamicworld, has unfortunately resulted in the martyrdom of many people, especially al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b.Abī Ṭālib and his family. The Karbalā Case is commemorated every year on Ashura day in Muharramwith specific rituals. This study focuses on a “Standard” that was determined inside the (Imamzadeh)Hazrat Ḥalīma and Amine Mosque, in Qazvin, Iran. This sacred object needs investigation for itsarrangement and brought to mind the search for similar object in Turkey. This object is arrangedupon placing a number of realms on a metal assembly and carrying them on a metal stick. Thereare inscriptions on each of the standards that make up the great standard. Symbolic meanings wereconveyed by placing animal figures such as lions holding swords in their hands, dragon, rooster,deer, coach, goat, peacock. These standards reach up to a width of 4 m. according to the multiplicityof the standards in which they occur and have a magnificent appearance as they are decorated withmaterials such as fabrics and feathers during rituals. This study revealed that these standards andsimilar ones that we are dealing with are used in āshūrā rituals in Iran and therefore their number isquite high. According to the findings, the standards stand in places that are attributed to Imamzadehand similar sanctity, groups (decks) in charge of carrying the standard in āshūrā rituals take the standardfrom this place and carry it during the ceremonial marches, and the public visits the standard forhealing purposes. The historical background that makes up liturgical use of the standard shows thatstandard-bearer Hz. Abbas, who was carrying the banner of Hz. Hussein in the Karbalā Case, wasmartyred and the banner representing Hz. Hussein fell. It is possible to say that standard carried inthe āshūrā rituals was used to carry the banner again which fell to the ground and thus was used toexpress the immortality of the Hz. Hussein. It is understood that it is a liturgical object representingHz. Hussein with the support of the expressions in the inscriptions and the symbolic meanings of theanimal figures on the standard and along with other symbolic objects such as kasim otai or nahil usedin rituals, it appears to have an important place in the ritual. Furthermore, it is understood from thestandard found in the museum collections that the standards were made in the XVIth century whenthe āshūrā rituals began to be performed regularly. According to the findings, the use of the standardsis seen in geographies such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Azerbaijan where the Shia viewprevails and this practice is not common in the Alevi-Bektashi faith in Turkey. Only in Iğdır region,the use of the hand-shaped (Pençe-i Alî Aba) standard in āshūrā rituals appears as a region-specificritual. Thus, the use of standard, is another differences seen in the month of Muharram rituals inAlevi-Bektashi belief in Turkey’s geography is dominated by the Shiite faith.