Iran - Andrew Burke [34]
SUFISM
A mystical aspect of Islam that is particularly close to Iranian hearts, tassawof (mysticism) is a discovery made by Iranians within Islam, and derived from the Quranic verses. According to Sufis, God must be felt as a light that shines in the believer’s heart and the heart must be pure enough to receive the light. The two are the same, but separated: man’s soul is in exile from the Creator and longs to return ‘home’ to lose himself again in Him. Sufism has various orders and throughout Iran you can find khaneqas (prayer and meditation houses) where people go to worship. Sufism in no way conflicts with Shiism or Sunnism.
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Ayatollah Khomeini was a published Sufi poet.
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Some of Iran’s greatest thinkers, poets and scholars have had Sufi mystic tendencies, including Sohrevardi, Ghazali, Attar, Rumi, Hafez and Sa’di Click here.
Other Religions
Throughout history Iranians have shown tolerance towards other people’s religious beliefs (with the exception of Baha’is), and since the adoption of Islam they have been particularly tolerant of Christians and Jews, who are ‘People of the Book’. Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are all officially recognised and exempt from military service, and have guaranteed seats in the Majlis (parliament). The Islamic theocracy is happy to tolerate, if not indulge, most of these minorities, though that tolerance falls far short of encouragement – minorities are free to convert to Islam, but conversion from Islam to another faith is punishable by death.
ZOROASTRIANISM
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THE 12 IMAMS
Shiism has several sub-branches but the Twelvers are by far the largest group, and make up the vast majority in Iran. Twelvers believe that following the death of Mohammed the rightful spiritual leadership of the Islamic faith passed to 12 successive descendants of the prophet. These were known as imams (‘leaders’ or more loosely, ‘saints’) and apart from Ali, the first imam, they weren’t recognised by the caliphate.
The most devout Shia Muslims might celebrate the death days of all 12 imams, but in Iran the majority concentrate on the first, Ali, the third, Hossein, and the eighth, Reza – the only one of the 12 who is buried in Iran, in the lavish Haram-e Razavi in Mashhad.
The defining episode in the schism between Sunni and Shia is the death of the third imam, Hossein. On the first day of the month of Moharram in 661 Imam Hossein and 72 followers set up camp at Karbala, in present-day Iraq. They were besieged for nine days, and on the 10th Hossein and most of his followers were killed. Hossein’s martyrdom is commemorated in a 10-day anniversary that culminates on Ashura – the final day. It’s during Ashura that the Iranian culture of martyrdom is most evident. It’s not unusual to see men walking through the streets flailing themselves with chains, and others crying genuine tears for their lost hero.
Almost as important is the 12th Imam, known as the Mahdi or Valiasr (Leader of Our Time). Mahdi is the Hidden Imam, believed to have disappeared into a cave under a mosque at Samarra in 874 AD. He is believed to live on in occultation, continuing as Valiasr, the leader of the Shia in the present time. It is believed Mahdi will eventually return when, with the prophet Jesus by his side, he will guide the world to peace and righteousness. The Shia militia of Muqtadr al Sadr in Iraq, known as the Mehdi Army, is named after the 12th Imam.
Shias believe only the imams can interpret the Quran and the clergy act as their representatives until the Hidden Imam returns. Ayatollah Khomeini was given the honorary title imam after his death, and when you hear people talking about ‘the Imam’ today it’s usually a reference to him.
Exactly how much the martyrdom of the 12 Imams, allegedly at the hands of Sunni supporters of the caliphate, is responsible for modern Iranian cultural traits is impossible to