The Turbah of Imam Hussain (as)

The event of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a) was one of those events that played a dominant role in the formation of a collective Imami Shi’a identity at the beginning of the second century Hijri. Anything attributed to Imam Husayn (a) would be deemed dear, as a memorial and identity symbol by the community. Amongst the symbols that kept the name, memory, and status of Imam Husayn (a) revived was the soil and clay (turbah) from around the vicinity of his grave.

In this presentation, we will look at how the Imams (a) introduced the soil from the grave of Imam Husayn (a) to the community as an object of veneration with curative properties. We will also briefly touch upon the role of the soil as an object to prostrate on in Salat.