As part of our ongoing development of more meaningful observations of Muharram, Mahfil-Ali have organised an integrated and dramatic delivery of the Maqtal of Imam Hussein and Ma’tam, entitled Conversations of Karbala.
We hope that the delivery of the most poignant aspects of Imam Hussain’s journey through a series of conversations will help our audience better relate to and encourage further creative observations of this pivotal episode in our history.
Great effort has been made to keep true to authentic sources, as well as tapping into different forms of observation across the Shii world.
The great Shia scholars have given us guidance on authentic narrations and have written on the tahrifat or misrepresentations when it comes to the commemoration of the story of Imam Hussein.
Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhiri says “when tahrif occurs in things that relate to the people’s morality and religion, it is dangerous, and this danger is incalculable when it occurs in documents and matters that constitute the foundations of human life.
The event of Karbala’ is, inevitably, an event possessing great social meaning for us, and it has a direct impact on our morality and character.
It is an event that prompts our people, without anyone compelling them, to devote millions of man-hours to listening to the related episodes and to spend millions of tumans for this purpose. This event must be retold exactly as it occurred and without the least amount of interpolation. For if the smallest amount of interpolation takes place at our hands in this event, that would distort it, and instead of benefiting from it we would definitely suffer harm”.
He further says that “Shaykh Mufid, may God be pleased with him, wrote the Irshad and how sound is his narration! If we were to refer to the Irshad of Shaykh Mufid we would not stand in need of any other source”. (‘Ashura: Misrepresentations and Distortions)
We have used Kitab al Irshad as our main source for the conversations.
A lot of time has been put in to rehearsals to ensure the delivery lives up to the message portrayed. Also there has been a lot of effort put in by many to ensure that the text has been simplified into simple English as well as adding stage directions and comments for the performers.
We do hope it enhances your Muharram experience this year and we are always open to suggestions and comments that help us on our collective journey towards fulfilling our duties towards Allah and inshallah we can improve this concept over the future years.
