The Standard of the Faithful

The Islamic Month of Muharram is a very intense period for Muslims and people from various communities who have immense faith in the tragedy and message of  Karbala.

KARBALA:

Muslims of all background participate in a series of rituals observing the martyrdom of Imam Hussain a.s. the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and his 72 companions at the Battle of Karbala in 680A.D.

It happened because Imam Hussain refused to give allegiance to Yazid (self proclaimed Caliph of the Muslims).

Mourning rituals honouring the memory of Imam Hussain and his companions are observed in various Imambargah,Ashurkhana or Hussaniya constructed throughout the globe.

Alam along with other mourning symbols form an important part of these rituals.

As Yousuf N.Lalljee claims Alam is symbolic of the”Holy Standard of Truth carried by Imam Hussain a.s.”

WORD:

In both Arabic and Persian the word Alam conveys various senses related to a distinctive sign or mark such as a flag or signpost.

It literally means a banner or a nishan .

It has two portions the Alam or Nishan made of gold,silver or other metals ,and the Patka (sash of cloth ,generally silken ), decorated with embroidered borders in gold and silver.

During Prophet Muhammad’s time such flags represented tribes or groups and were known by several names including an Alam.

PURPOSE:

Their chief purpose seems to be martial ,providing a marker or group identity during times of war .

From it’s largely martial origins the Alam developed into a symbol to convey Shia religious identity.

Shia identify Alam with the Alam (standard)carried by Hazrat Abbas (half brother of Imam Hussain a.s.).He was the brave standard bearer  during the epic Battle of Karbala.

Some Alams are highly revered for the power of their blessings.

MATERIAL AND MOTIFS USED:

Alams can be made in a variety of metals and materials including ,brass ,copper ,silver and gold .

Various types of Quranic Ayats ,Holy names of Prophet Muhammad’s family and various other symbols are embossed ,carved and chissled in it’s shape.

In India making of Alam (or banner)is not restricted to a particular community infact many Hindus for generations have  also been making Alams.There is one particular shop in Old Lucknow (Yahiya Ganj) named Lal Alam Waale.

Mr. Gopalji Raju runs the shop,he is the fourth generation working.Gopalji is teaching his son to draw designs on Alam .

I’ve been fortunate to have met him and buy from his collection of Alams for a shrine in Delhi and preserved his business card not knowing that one day  I’ll share his skills with the world.

My next article will try to explore the hidden meanings into the shape and various symbols which form the Alam throughout the  Shia Islamic world.

INDIA:

The Indian Sub-continent has been dotted with Shrines and Dargah dedicated in memory of Karbala martyrs.

Lucknow and Hyderabad cities are two main centres of Azadari (Muharram)traditions in India ,mainly because the Nawabs of Awadh and  the Nizam’s down South supported and patronised Muharram rituals.

LUCKNOW:

Alams came to North India , through Persian mystic and missionary Sayyid Mohammad Ashraf Jahangir Simmani who arrived in India about 1380 .

The Nawabs of Awadh all throughout their reign and power ,promoted their lives and funds in the promotion of Muharram rituals.

Dargah Hazrat Abbas  situated in Rustam Nagar ,Lucknow is  one of the most popular and revered shrine in the city.

The sacrosanct Alam of Hazrat Abbas was brought from Karbala by a devout Muslim who installed it in the shrine.

Various Kings and Queens of Awadh have patronised in the development and maintenance of the Holy  Shrine.

Infact Wajid Ali Shah (last king of Awadh)is believed to have offered his crown and sword to the Dargah when he was banished to Calcutta after annexation of Awadh in 1856.

HYDERABAD:

In South India it is most likely that they were introduced along with other mourning rites,by Shia immigrants during the Bahmani period (1347-1422)

By the time Qutub Shah dynasty began in Golconda ,Shia rituals were well established and Alams were in regular use.

Infact the Alam is a distinctive feature in architecture from that period,with the Qutub Shah rulers incorporating the image of metal work crest into the facades of most public buildings.

The best known examples are found on Charminar 

Charminar or “four minarets”,was constructed in 1591 .It is itself shaped in the form of another highly revered Shia symbol the Tomb replica (Zari or Taziya).

During this same period pilgrims brought relics from Karbala and other Holy places that were kept in various Ashurkhana across the city.

BIBI KA ALAM:

It is  considered the oldest Alam in Hyderabad Deccan.It is also known as Bibi ka Alawa.

There is a relic enclosed in this Alam.The relic is a  piece of the wooden plank on which Bibi Fatima (daughter of Prophet Muhammad)was given her final ablution by her husband before burial.

Six green pouches in the shape of earings containing precious gems are suspended on either side of the Alam.

Every year it is taken out in a procession on the day of Ashura.

IRAN:

With the advent of Safavid dynasty and the establishment of Twelver Shi’ism as the state religion, Alam banners came to be used extensively in Muharram ceremonies and other rituals.

SAFAVID ALAM:

The most striking feature of a Safavid Alam banner is the “extraordinary length ” of their staff ,their crest were relatively small and mostly made of metal.

ALAMAT:

Alam (plural alamat) spelled alama is a stylised battle standard ,it is used to symbolise the standard of Hussain at the Battle of Karbala.

Metal banners made today in Iran are employed only in religious ceremonies,the most important of which are the processions on Ashura.

In it’s most common shape an Alama has three different parts .

Staff provided with a horizontal metallic bar,which gives an appearance of a Cross.

A Spearhead blade is fixed on top of the central staff ,flanked by metal buds on either side.Small spearhead blade fixed on the crossbar usually flank the central one.

Adorned with feather the Alam or Alama  is adorned with animal representations like (peacocks,doves , hybrid,lions ,deers)etc.

Every neighborhood and mosque has it’s own Alama (standard) which are carried in turn by the strongest member using a special harness,one person at a time as they can weigh several hundred kilos.

KARBALA AND IT’S RELEVANCE TODAY:

A popular saying attributed to son of Imam Hussain,Imam  Zayn al -Abidin  (the Fourth Shia Imam)is that ,” Every Day is Ashura ,every Land is Karbala”,meaning that injustice is everywhere and at all times and must be fought against.

The lamentations on the tragedy of Karbala form the axis of Shia Islam .

The tragedy that the family of Prophet Muhammad endured in Karbala and in it’s aftermath still ignites hope in the heart of humanity that patience and endurance  has power to overthrow the throne of a tyrant  and overpower the false propaganda and beliefs.

It seems more relevant today and especially in today’s time ,where the world is in  total chaos ,the high and mighty in power are oppressing people and the common man continues to suffer.

If  we don’t address or even acknowledge these atrocities  and oppression and  continue to be silent we are, as though a part of  the oppressor himself.

I end my article with a small but relevant couplet by Maulana Muhammad Ali ‘ Jauhar'(1878-1931)

Qatl -i Hussain asl  mein marg-i Yazid hai

Islam Zinda hota hai har Karbala ke Baad.

Not Hussain but the slayer Yazid was in disdain

Who imagined he had scored as Hussain lay slain

Not realising Karbala made it doubly sure

That Hussains and Islam will rise again and again.

Acknowledgement:

While returning from my native village Mustafabad in Uttar Pradesh after attending Ashura (tenth day of Muharram)this  year I got a small WhatsApp message from a dear niece Sukaina asking me about the significance and meaning of motifs on two Alams which are now part of Metropolitan Museum of Art  ,New York  USA and Houston’s Fine Art Museum USA.

It was this message that triggered in me a wave of questions and thoughts about searching for their hidden meanings .

It motivated me to write on the significance of Alam and it’s origin .My next article would try to explore another aspect of Alam ( it’s motifs and their meanings).