By: Sayyeda Abeeda tuz Zahra Moosavi Advocate
Historic ‘azaao Tawerej’ procession is taken out on Ashura (10 Muharram) noon after Zohrain (noon) prayers from Tawerej chanting. Then it reaches at the holy shrine of Al-Imam Al-Hussayn (p), then at the holy mausoleum of Al-Abbas (p) and then Al-Mokhayyam Al-Hussayni (Hussayni camps).
This Hussayni mourning procession has long history, and it is attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees every year and they while performing latam on chests and heads curse on killers of Sebt-or Rasul Al-Imam Al-Hussayn (p).
Azaao Tawerej begins on foot from Tawerej city which is situated at a distance of 20 kilometers from the holy city of Karbala.
Religious scholars and clerics from Aal-i-Qazvini and dignitaries of Tawerej city from Aal-i-Amber, Bani Hasan tribes, Aal-i-Fatlah and Ad-Daom clans stood to help people of city for azaao Tawerej.
It is talk of the town about this historic Hussayni procession that once Al-Imam Al-Mehdi Al-Hojjah (p), the last infallible descendant of holy Prophet (p), was seen in this procession.
According to details, once late Al-Allamah Sayyed Mehdi Bahr-ol Olum (علّامہ سید محمد مہدی بحر العلوم) went to the holy city of Karbala on Moharram 10 –Ashura – along with a number of his pupils and companions. He stood on the boundries of the holy city to welcome the Tawerej procession. The participants of the procession were bare-footed and –headed, and they were severely beating their heads and chests in grief of Al-Imam Al-Hussayn (p) to this extent that from wherever this procession passed, it turned that place in deep grief and sorrow.
And when the procession neared that place where Al-Allamah Mehdi Bahr-ol Olum was standing, those around him were surprised to see that he acted what he never did before. He at once threw his imamah (turban), took off his shirt, began weeping bitterly, went into the procession and he was beating his chest and head in severe grief unconsciously chanting ‘wa Hussaynaa wa Hussaynaa’.
His companions were in great surprise that what happened to him at once, therefore they surrounded from lest any unseen event happen to him or trampled under feet amid waves of this great procession. He remained in that condition till the culmination of the procession. After this his face became weak and he had no power even to stand up. Then those around him asked: O our Sayyed! What happened to you that you at once acted unconsciously what you did never before?
He looked at them and his tears began rolling down from his cheeks. He said: when the procession neared to me I saw Maula Saheb-ol Amr (may Allah hasten his reappearance) bare-headed and –footed, he was beating his chest and head and was weeping with others. I could not bore that scene and went into the procession to perform latam (chest, head beating) with the Imam (p).
