The mourning rituals of the first 10 days of Muharram reach their apex on Ashura, and end with the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan that recalls the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and the sufferings of his family members in the aftermath of the battle of Karbala. This majlis [gathering] is held in Imambargahs across the world after Maghrib prayers.

However, it is also true that the Shaam-i-Gharibaan [Night of Mourners] has become a household phenomenon, with people of all backgrounds listening to the majlis, thanks to Pakistan Television’s (PTV) decades-old tradition of broadcasting it on Ashura.

It has become such an established tradition that many private TV channels in the country today have a dedicated time slot for the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan on the 10th of Muharram.

Tracing the history of the Shaam-i-Gharibaan, although the mourning rituals to mark the event are as old as the battle of Karbala, historically, the ritual of the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Ghariban started in Lucknow in the first half of the previous century. Lucknow Radio also broadcast the Shaam-i-Gharibaan majlis.

Following Partition, Radio Pakistan also broadcast the majlis every year, starting in the 1950s. Allama Rasheed Turabi (1908-73) was the first orator who addressed the Shaam-i-Gharibaan on radio. The famous salaam and marsiya reciter, Nasir Jahan, also recited the Salaam-i-Aakhir [The Last Salaam], written by Syed Aal-i-Raza, for radio. Today, Salaam-i-Aakhir has achieved iconic status, thanks in large part due its use on radio and television.

The role of Radio Pakistan and PTV in making the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan an annual event over the decades can neither be overlooked or underestimated

After the advent of television, PTV started broadcasting the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan. The first majlis was broadcast in the 1960s by state television. Maulana Mustafa Jauhar addressed the first majlis, while the Salaam-i-Aakhir, again recited by Nasir Jahan, was also a part of the transmission.

Later on, the Salaam-i-Aakhir and the noha, Ghabraye gi Zainab [Zainab Will Be Anxious], written by Hindu poet Chunnu Lal Dilgeer Lucknowi, also recited by Nasir Jahan, became an integral part of the Salaam-i-Aakhir transmission. Today, Asad Jahan continues to recite both the Salaam-i-Aakhir and Ghabraye gi Zainab in the style of his late father.

Over the decades, numerous scholars of repute have addressed the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan on PTV. These include Maulana Mustafa Jauhar, Allama Rasheed Turabi, Allama Aquil Turabi, Allama Naseer-ul-Ijtihadi, Allama Talib Jauhari, Allama Abbas Haider Abdi, Allama Irfan Haider Abdi and Allama Nasim Abbas. A few of Allama Rasheed Turabi’s memorable TV majalis can still be found on YouTube.

Over the decades, numerous scholars of repute have addressed the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan on PTV. These include Maulana Mustafa Jauhar, Allama Rasheed Turabi, Allama Aquil Turabi, Allama Naseer-ul-Ijtihadi, Allama Talib Jauhari, Allama Abbas Haider Abdi, Allama Irfan Haider Abdi and Allama Nasim Abbas. A few of Allama Rasheed Turabi’s memorable TV majalis can still be found on YouTube.

After the demise of Turabi Sahib, the famous orator and religious scholar Allama Naseer-ul-Ijtihadi started to address the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan on PTV. Allama Talib Jauhari took over responsibility after the death of Naseer-ul-Ijtihadi.

Jauhari Sahib was famous not only for his great oratory and scholarly status but also for his philosophical views and poetry. But it was the recitation at Shaam-i-Gharibaan which awarded him enormous respect and admiration among people from all walks of life, especially as Jauhari Sahib used to support his arguments by quoting from the Holy Quran.

People of all backgrounds would be glued to their TV sets to watch him recite the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan, bringing the day of Ashura to a sombre close. Allama Talib Jauhari died in 2020, but he is still remembered as the ‘Khateeb-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan’ [Reciter of Shaam-i-Gharibaan].

Dr Muhammad Raza Kazimi, a prominent historian and literary critic, referring to the details and history of the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Ghariban says: “It is within my personal knowledge that the first Shaam-i-Ghariban majlis on PTV was recorded in the Nazimabad residence of Nadir Reza Kazimi.”

This majlis on PTV was recorded at the request of Allama Rashid Turabi, he says, adding that, after the demise of Turabi Sahib, his son and a scholar in his own right, Allama Aquil Turabi, started to address the Shaam-i-Ghariban majlis on radio, while Allama Naseer-ul-Ijtihadi did the same on PTV.

It was after this era ended that Allama Talib Jauhari appeared on state TV to address the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Gharibaan.

After the advent of private TV channels in Pakistan, the tradition of the Majlis-i-Shaam-i-Ghariban has continued. But the trailblazing role of Radio Pakistan and PTV in making this annual event a household one cannot be overlooked.

Published in Dawn, ICON, August 13th, 2023