Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn

"Ali Asgar" redirects here. For villages in Iran, see Ali Asgar, Iran. For the Indian actor, see Ali Asgar (actor).

Abdullah Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn or simply Ali Asghar (d. 10 Muharram 61 AH (10 October 680 CE)) was the youngest child of Husayn ibn Ali (grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam) and Rubab (daughter of the chief of the Kinda Imra al-Qays tribe). The six month old Ali Asghar was killed during the Battle of Karbala and is commemorated in Shiism as the "personified quintessence of the innocent victim".[1]

Life

Abdullah "Ali al-Asghar" ("Youngest Ali") ibn Husayn (10 Rajab 60 AH – 10 Muharram 61 AH) was born in Medina to Husayn ibn Ali and Rubab. He was the youngest of Husayn's three sons; the other two were Ali ibn Husayn, the fourth Shia Imam, and Ali Akbar ibn Husayn. His sisters were Sakina (Rukayya), Sakinah (Fatema Kubra) and Fatema Sughra.

Karbala

Rubab and her two children, Sakina and Ali Asghar, accompanied Husayn to Karbala. In hagiography about the Battle, Husayn's camp at one time was cut off from water supplies and so Husayn went to Yazid's besieging forces to plead water for the women and children in his camp. Husayn had brought along Ali Asghar for mercy, but Yazid's soldiers then killed Ali by an arrow to his throat.[1] Shia tradition relates that Ali Asghar was killed by Harmala with a three-headed arrow. It was recorded that the 6 month old baby moved his neck to protect the 3 headed spear from hitting his father. It has also been stated that it took Hurmala three attempts to shoot the arrow. He said he kept seeing the mother of Ali Asghar in front of his eyes. At Karbala, Ali Asghar was only six months old before he died. He is honored by Shia as the youngest person killed at the Battle of Karbala.

Commemoration

Iranian children wearing keffiyehs in a Shia ritual for remembrance of Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn

Ali al-Asghar is buried along with his brother Ali al-Akbar and his father Husayn in Karbala, Iraq, which is now the most visited shrine in the world.[2] Ali Asghar and his death are commemorated in various ways, including iconographic depictions, hagiography recitations (rowzeh), poetry (nowheh), replicas of Ali Asghar's cradle and grave, and dolls representing him.[1]

During nowheh, women perform self-flagellating rituals (sineh-sarpay or aza-sarpay) in which they move around (sineh-dowr) a cradle replica and hit their chests with their hands.[1]

In Muharram ceremonies and commemorations, Ali al-Asghar is represented as an innocent child suffering unbearable thirst. His death is mourned at length in rawza-khani (recital of the Rawdat ash-Shuhada "The Paradise of the Martyrs") literature and in early ta'ziya (passion play) traditions, a complete majles was dedicated to Ali al-Asghar, with the infant's cradle a conspicuous element on the stage. Ali al-Asghar is also represented in Muharram processions and mourned in folklore.

Holiday

In the Hosseini infancy conference, babies wear green or white cloth like cloth of Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn

Each first Friday of Muharram in Iran and other countries, mothers and their babies receive Alavi's green gown and scarf and the forehead band of Ya Sahebazzaman upon their arrival. They will then mourn Ali Asghar's infant death at Karbala. In 2003, the first ceremony was held in Tehran. Other cities of Iran and other countries have been holding the ceremony ever since.[3][4]

Countries

The ceremony is held in these countries:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Flaskerud, Ingvild (2010). "Ali Asghar". Visualizing Belief and Piety in Iranian Shiism. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 134–139. ISBN 978-1-4411-4907-7.
  2. ↑ Journeys of Tears, published by the Wessex Jamaat
  3. ↑ "remembrance of Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn in ceremony of the Global Day of 'Ali Al-Asghar' mehrnews". Retrieved 2014.
  4. ↑ "ceremony of the Global Day of 'Ali Al-Asghar' .Global Convent for Respect Ali-e-Asghar honour". Retrieved 2014.

External links

Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn at Find a Grave

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