Since Tuesday, I have attended two mourning services held in multipurpose halls in the Sa’adat Abad district, in north-west Tehran, not far from the southern edge of the notorious Evin Prison.
The concept of a multipurpose hall reflects a changing society. A wedding reception may be taking place in one hall while, next door, family and friends gather to mourn the deceased.
What astonished me on both occasions was the complete absence of the familiar Shi’a Islamic rituals and eulogies. One of the deceased was a young man in his twenties; the other was a woman in her eighties.
At neither ceremony was there a clergyman reciting verses from the Qur’an or inviting the audience to chant Ṣalawāt - the invocation, “O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family.” In its communal function, it bears some resemblance to expressions such as “Hallelujah”, “Lord, have mercy” (Kyrie eleison), or “Amen” in Christian traditions.
Even more striking was the appearance of the mourners. Most of the women were elegantly dressed, easily outnumbering the handful of men present. The halls were filled with the fragrance of expensive perfumes.
