According to the Public Relations Office of IICT, Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad Javad Roodgar, a faculty member in the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality at the institute, discussed the cultural and educational impacts of Ashura on public culture in an interview with Shabestan News Agency.
He stated: “Ashura is a manifestation of pure Prophetic and Alawite Islam, based on the principle that it represents an Islam that is ‘Muhammadan in origin and Husseinian in perpetuity.’”
This academic highlighted: “In essence, Ashura can be interpreted historically and analytically with a philosophical perspective. In other words, it can be viewed through a philosophical and historical lens, focusing on the timeless legacy of Karbala and Imam Hussein’s (AS) movement.”
He continued: “With such an approach, which is both philosophical and historical, Ashura holds significant importance in the realm of Islamic culture, as pure and clear Islam was conveyed to the Islamic community and the final Ummah through Ashura.”
Hujjat al-Islam Roodgar further emphasized: “The movement of Ashura was a public endeavor to elucidate the truths of pure and authentic Islam. Just as Imam Hussein (AS) referred to two pivotal roles in his responses to the letters from the people of Kufa and in some of his sermons—namely revival and reform.”
He pointed out: “Imam Hussein (AS) in his divine and political will to Muhammad Hanfiya said:
نِّی لَمْ أَخْرُجْ أَشِرًا وَلاَبَطِرًا وَلاَمُفْسِدًا وَلاَظَالِمًا وَإنَّمَا خَرَجْتُ لِطَلَبِ الاْءصْلاَحِ فِی أُمَّه جَدِّی مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللَهُ عَلَیْهِ وَءَالِهِ؛ أُرِیدُ أَنْ ءَامُرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَنْهَی عَنِ الْمُنْکَرِ، وَأَسِیرَ بِسِیرَه جَدِّی وَسِیرَه أَبِی عَلِیِّ بْنِ أَبِی طَالِبٍ علیه السلام
‘I have not risen out of arrogance, pride, corruption, or oppression; rather, I have risen to seek reform in the Ummah of my grandfather Muhammad (PBUH) and his family. I want to enjoin good, forbid evil, and follow the path of my grandfather and the path of my father Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).’ This indicates a reform of the Ummah of the Prophet according to the prophetic and Alawite logic and style.” Referring to the mission of Sayyid al-Shuhada (Imam Hussein) from the Ashura uprising, he said: “Imam Hussein (AS) also addressed the revival of traditions in response to one of the letters.”
He added: “He said that the traditions had become dead and innovations had become alive. By innovations, he meant everything that was not part of the religion but had entered it, and by traditions, he meant what was part of the religion but had been marginalized and removed.”
Hujjat al-Islam Roodgar stated: “Imam Hussein (AS) considered one aspect of his revivalist efforts to be the restoration of the prophetic traditions to their true place in Islam alongside the Quran and the divine book, and the removal of innovations that had entered Islam. As a result, Ashura has a prominent role in Islamic culture and, accordingly, has always had a significant and effective impact on the public culture of the Islamic community.”
He explained: “Throughout history, public culture may encounter errors and missteps, and periodically, during Muharram, Ashura, and Arbaeen, and their related observances, there is a renewal and purification of public culture from incorrect cultural elements.” This scholar concluded: “Indeed, Ashura can continuously play this important role, constantly reforming public culture that has been afflicted by some deficiencies and distortions.” He added: “The values that have been forgotten or diminished in the religious community are reintroduced into public culture by Ashura, while it combats and removes the counter-values that have entered public culture because the Ashura movement is a sacred, divine, and monotheistic movement.”
Ashura Engages Minds, Hearts, and Culture
Hujjat al-Islam Roodgar noted: “Ashura engages both minds and hearts and influences culture; it is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying and has efficacy for both intellectuals and the general public. Hence, the Ashura culture has a direct and indirect impact on the public culture of society.”
He said: “The Ashura culture will significantly influence both the fundamental religious principles such as monotheism, justice, prophecy, leadership, and the afterlife, as well as the branches of religion including prayer, fasting, almsgiving, khums, pilgrimage, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and showing loyalty and disavowal. This is because Ashura’s monotheism, justice, prophecy, leadership, and afterlife differ from those concepts distorted and altered in many minds.”
A member of the faculty in the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality at the Research Institute for Wisdom and Religious Studies added: “In fact, pure Islam can be understood and received through this perspective, thus relating to both the principles and branches of religion. For instance, we perceive prayer during Ashura and Ashura culture differently. We see that Imam Hussein (AS), in the heat of battle on Ashura, performed the prayer—even the fear prayer—on time and in congregation despite the harsh conditions.”
He continued: “Even in those conditions, some were assigned to guard and were martyred there. In the visitation text of Imam Hussein (AS), we find the expression:
أَشْهَدُ أَنَّکَ قَدْ أَقَمْتَ الصَّلاَةَ وَ آتَیْتَ الزَّکَاةَ وَ أَمَرْتَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ نَهَیْتَ عَنِ الْمُنْکَرِ
‘I bear witness that you established the prayer, paid the zakat, commanded what is good, and forbade what is evil.'”
Hujjat al-Islam Roodgar mentioned: “In his will to Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah, he stated: ‘I have risen only to reform the Ummah of my grandfather. I want to enjoin good and forbid evil and act according to the method of my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).'”
He emphasized: “Enjoining good and forbidding evil have a very broad scope and are not limited to specific and minor cases; they apply to many major issues across various fields and levels.”
A faculty member in the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality at the Research Institute for Wisdom and Religious Studies noted: “Therefore, Ashura will have a significant role in religious culture and also from an ethical perspective. The qualities we see in the companions and supporters of Imam Hussein (AS)—such as self-sacrifice, dedication, striving, night worship, courage, and the elimination of moral vices while embracing moral virtues and divine and Islamic ethics—are prominent in many of Imam Hussein’s (AS) companions.” He said: “These qualities were particularly distinguished among Imam Hussein’s (AS) companions. Their ethical vigilance and practices were fully manifested in the events of Karbala, and all companions, whether from Banu Hashim or non-Banu Hashim, or special or general companions, exhibited these moral qualities.”
Hujjat al-Islam Roodgar emphasized: “If we examine these qualities individually, present them accurately in sermons and speeches, or discuss them in occasions and ceremonies, they will have a significant impact on improving social and public ethics. Therefore, Ashura culture will be highly effective and influential in both religious and ethical aspects of societal life.”
