Experiencing al-Husayn's suffering: Gamahzani in the shi'i mourning tradition

Abstract

Qamahzani (or qamazani, qama-zani, i.e., mortifying oneself with a sharp object) is one of the most controversial components of the Shi'i mourning culture. This ceremony aims to share and experience al-Imam al-Husayn's pain, and it has been performed by various Shi'i communities for the last centuries. Historical data show that qamahzani has been practiced in Iran since the Safavid period and spread to other countries with large Shi'i populations, such as Syria and Iraq, during the Qajar period. Travel books that describe mourning in Iran during the Safavid period provide essential data about the first examples of qamahzani, its transformation, and its place in popular religiosity. In addition, since the Safavid era, Shi'i scholars have adopted different attitudes toward qamahzani, and this ritual has been the subject of politics as well as piety. This article aims to understand the historical course of qamahzani as well as its relationship with religion and politics and, indirectly, to question the power of high religious discourse to shape popular religiosity.