The Concept of Martyrdom in Twelver Shi'ism: Ideas and Development

Abstract

Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 and, later, the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) created unprecedented zeal and enthusiasm for martyrdom among the Shī‘a. As Imām Ḥusayn’s martyrdom in Karbalā (680 CE) more and more was read into the revolutionary taste, the concept of martyrdom then transformed into an empowering tool for the Shī‘a. The Islamic Republic’s leaders understood the importance of cultivating the culture of martyrdom among the youth; as it was that culture that helped to topple the Shah’s regime and pushed Iraq’s forces out of Iran’s borders. Thus, martyrs of the revolution and the war were praised as national heroes who sacrificed everything for the sake of the revolution and the Islamic state under the leadership of the charismatic Ayatollah Khomeini. The Shī‘a understanding of martyrdom developed more with the recent Syrian crisis and the war on ISIS and other Salafī groups in the region. The new martyrs, known as martyred shrine defenders, go beyond national heroes and act as the protectors of the legacy of the Prophet’s family. Unlike the martyrs of the revolution and the Iran-Iraq war who were known as wronged martyrs (as they were in a fight against superior military powers), the shrine defenders have the upper hand; they somehow act as the awaited al-Mahdī and what he is supposed to do at the end of the time, that is, avenging the blood of Ḥusayn and other wronged martyrs of the Shī‘a. In this dissertation, I will examine the development in the perception of the concept of martyrdom in Twelver Shī‘īsm by focusing on modern Iran. For a better understanding of the concept of martyrdom, I will start with speculations on the formation of the concept of martyrdom in early Judaism and Christianity before turning my attention to martyrdom in Islam.