ShareKUWAIT: Upon the sighting of the Muharram crescent according to the Islamic calendar, husseiniyas begin to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. Shiite Muslims start wearing black and perform mourning rituals for Imam Hussein, the son of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). As people visit husseiniyas for condolences, Kuwait Times spoke to volunteers known as “servants of Imam Hussein” to understand the reason behind their service.
“I have been serving at husseiniyas since I was 12 years old. I learned to serve Imam Hussein’s mourners from my father and my grandfather’s house because they originally had a husseiniya. I serve the visitors for the sake of the ninth of his progeny, Imam Mahdi, and in obedience to the teachings of Ahlulbayt - the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as we were taught to be helpful to everyone without discrimination or preference among people. Servers do this in emulation of Imam Hussein and his good path,” Ayoub Mustafa, a servant of Imam Hussein, said. “We share this reward and mourning with the mourners who visit husseiniyas to express their sorrow to the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” he added.
“I have served Imam Hussein since my early childhood, and in this service, I am serving his twelfth descendant, the ninth of Imam Hussein’s progeny, the awaited Imam Mahdi from the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We console Imam Mahdi for his grief over his grandfather Imam Hussein,” said Zainab, a servant of Imam Hussein.
“My service often involves organizing and facilitating the movement of visitors in the husseiniya, ensuring that seating arrangements guarantee comfort for everyone during their visit. I also distribute food, candles and other traditional items related to each of the 10 days of Muharram. I learned to serve at husseiniyas from my friends, as one of them had a husseiniya, and we would go to help her family with preparations. Since then, we have continued to serve,” she explained.
“Volunteering to serve at husseiniyas cannot be compensated or equalized with any other type of volunteering because it makes me feel connected to Ahlulbayt - the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). I feel that through my service, I am consoling the Prophet of God (PBUH) and his beloved family for their loss of Imam Hussein,” said Abdulaziz, another servant of Imam Hussein.
“Therefore, you see the servants offering their service to the awaited Mahdi, who is present among us from the family of the Prophet (PBUH) in this time. We do not see the family of the Messenger of God (PBUH) with our physical eyes, but we certainly see them with our insight, and this motivates us to serve the mourners who come to the husseiniyas to share in the grief of the awaited Imam Mahdi for his grandfather Imam Hussein. This is the main reason behind serving at husseiniyas. Serving the visitors of the husseiniyas is the least we can do,” he pointed out.
