Explaining sociological culture of the martyrdom

Introduction Investigating the text and resources related to religious literature and social sciences and deep investigating about martyrdom in scientific theories , sects , religions and schools views states that martyrdom is considered like one of the Shiites sections and special values and also as a beyond to religion and a aspect of human nature and also as spiritual exaltation aspect that doesn't belong to a specified nation or sect ; so martyrdom is known not just as a political phenomenon But also as a social , humanitarian , and my ethical one related to all levels of life .

News ID: 116944

Date: 05 July 2008 - 11:17

Introduction
Investigating the text and resources related to religious literature and social sciences and deep investigating about martyrdom in scientific theories , sects , religions and schools views states that martyrdom is considered like one of the Shiites sections and special values and also as a beyond to religion and a aspect of human nature and also as spiritual exaltation aspect that doesn't belong to a specified nation or sect ; so martyrdom is known not just as a political phenomenon But also as a social , humanitarian , and my ethical one related to all levels of life .

From scientific and social theories views , martyrdom is also is known not just as a affection _ feelingly item , but also as a wise manner as so Max said and belongs to The reasonable deeds tending to a value ; there for , martyrdom is just not as a consuming , temporary need or behavior but also is known as a behavioral system and functional reasonable-merit multilateral model that can be as the basic behavior in social subsystems like family, educational, training, economical, law, political and so on … and shapes the new society social structures and new general conscience integrity basis ; because a new society needs the general conscience , means that it needs common values acting as the connecting and uniting basis of components and results social correlation . Martyrdom is stated in all religions and schools as a beyond-time and place phenomenon, but in Islamic culture is as wide as the rich Islamic culture incidence and extent among Moslems specially the Shiites. studding the Islamic history , Qur’an , Islamic texts and passing various historical eras and stages from the time of prophet Mohammad , the event of karballa , the immaculate Imams and the other eras to the revolution of Iran , we can understand martyrdom subject and its way of facing and encountering in the Islamic culture texts .
From the sociological perspective this topic is definite as a social-personal Action and martyrdom culture will be definite as the resultant of this action to society and as a social matter and phenomenon and needs to be investigated scientifically and sociologically as the other social subject due to the mutual and interchange connection of factors and variables that result martyrdom , and martyrdom-wanting and martyrdom culture ; based on this thing , investigating and explaining of martyrdom meaning by sociological principles is very important and is the main goal of this article .

State
Our society knows martyrdom and its related definition well ; But has been exposed to extortion and obscurity as well , and its common perception has related a temporary benefit to that , and some rind of being familiar, extemporizes feeling has been the cause to not studding that once so to not knowing of that exactly . In another hand, studding this topic is an easy and comfortable one, means that, it's easy due to existing references in Islamic, mythical source and also due to the reason that our society has comprehended that within some special conditions; but somehow, in the other hand, it is easy due to its connection with the true comprehension and nature (inner). Further, there are not so many scientific and collegial studies in this topic, and the most studies are as mottoes and have been done during occasions and festivals. Mean while martyrdoms a social-religious subject is playing an important role in the social phenomena as phenomena and also has its main meaning in its real head stokes war and crazed (jihad) in Islamic culture continuously. The Iranian great Islamic revolution and its 8-year war were the events meant martyrdom either in theory and performing and nowadays with 28 years passed the day of revolution, The Islamic of Iran society is fixing its pillars and proceeds its evolution presenting thousand martyrs and because appearing the revolution and stability of new social system existed by that, is indebted to the bloods that the defend their school; homeland and sacrificed themselves to them, So the subject of martyrdom was entered to social .arenas and using its own meaning and their composing bases .And now the martyrdom culture acting beyond-time, place and happening in a special way in the Islamic culture and specially in the Islamic of Iran ;Society ,touchable and scientifically having a rich support in resources and religious texts that attracts any researchers , scholar attention based on these, explaining of martyrdom and the martyrdom culture are the main aim of this article .
Investigating these two topic is the answer to finding the connecting ring of them and the answer to this question that why and how martyrdom is like a culture now .The social explaining of there two, is the tow topic of martyrdom and its culture . The term ”?martyr”? is came as the meaning of witness and died in the way for God. If one chooses a death having these two characteristics, will be called as martyr in Islam:
1- Be dead in the way for God. 2- His death is warily. Other wise no death is considered as martyrdom in Islam. If somebody climes the death for God like the left or his death be aware, but not for God, It is not the martyr in Islam definition , it is similar to the warriors death against despotism and colonization, although there are respectable .But is not considered as to be martyred in Islam . Hence being dead for God warily is known as to be martyred. For all human around all over the globe, the persons that have been dead in the way to relief, freedom and well-being of the others from oppression, cruelty, ignorance and tyranny are the respectable ones and are important for them. There always will be some kind of respect when they been remembered and all nations have special commemoration and customs for them and existing the buildings of lost soldiers remembrance are to show this way of respect for them in many countries .There is a structure in new Delhi called “the India gate showing”? .The dead men and women in the way of independence to be as a great symbol of independence and freedom fighters against the Britain colonization for future generations. There is a special and specified word for being dead in the way of freedom among all cultures that martyr Motaharry considered as settling the real humanitarian values. In English language, the words martyr and martyrdom are equal to martyr and martyrdom respectively. These mentioned show that all people wanting a death in the way of high goals and devote their life to the other relief are respectable and appreciable. The main condition for being considered as martyr in Islam -as already mentioned- is aware death and being dead for God. The martyrs have a high respect and values in Islam and have their sustenance by their go
If martyr is killed in the fields, wont need to ablution. Since he interred among the other martyrs, will be as one of the three elected by God will be as intercessor for other people. There fore martyrdom in Islam means: The death that human choose because of possible, certain or suspicious dangers only for a holy aim (goal) that the great Qur’an considered that as diving for God. Martyr has the specialties, characteristics and tempers that are capable to be dead for God and their tempers effects will influence the society and will be remind and if the others make them as their own behavioral models, will be fortunate, that this behavioral model definite the martyrdom culture. In the martyrdom culture subject as well as material and spiritual culture, the physical aspects such as martyr’s shrine and grave, their remind stuff and signs and the martyrs museum, their voluminous sings, beliefs, and values are being discussed . Hence, the martyrdom culture is the martyr's characters, the way of affecting their characters and their effect on society. In general, the martyrdom culture is all remained sings of martyrs considering their spiritual ones such as: beliefs, tempers, goals, behaviors, and the other spiritual aspects of martyrs to by inspired by the great Qur’an and the immaculate. Their material sings consist of: The clean grave of martyr, his personal stuff, the list of streets, the ceremonies related to them the written sings and any touchable and observable thing that remind of martyrs.
The martyrdom culture and its general characteristics, since martyrdom is a culture, so it is related and match to the other meanings and aspects of culture. Due to this martyrdom culture will be investigated by some aspects of culture in this article.
1- Cultures common but individually. The connoisseurs of this topic in humanity definition, about the cultural phenomena, believed that there are all aspect of culture in the whole universe, meanwhile, each society has reserved its own culture and contains that. Any society has its own language in all big and small dimensions, like person, Arabic, English, and etc. The other example is about religious and spiritual beliefs of a society. There is a phenomenon called religious and spiritual beliefs in the whole world mean while each society has its own religious and customs. Since this phenomenon is valuable and related to beliefs often any religion follower, knows his beliefs and faith true. When we face Islamic culture among re-radiate's notes, that means Islamic education, if we accept that culture is a conversely matter, Islamic culture is the one that considered by Islam. But also, There is a word like ”?martyr”? in the other cultures and has some similarities such as : Preferring the other’s welfare on yours, resistance and patience, inadaptability, to enemies, to be at the level of meanness, to not submitting the animal living, to not scaring of death .
2- Culture is fixed but changeable. The cultural phenomena are always changing; but their kind and shapes are deferent in this process and have various weakness and intensity .But some phenomena such as wearing (garment) and fashion way always change and people don’t pay attention to them. Language is another example that changes more slowly and meanwhile this instrument will be changed with time passing due to facing with sciences, techniques, cultures and civilizations, but we don’t feel this change considerably. If we take a look between 50 to 100 years ego in history and compare today language with, that times, we realize that there is a big deference at speeches, words and etc. Although martyrdom has not changed from its main contents during history, means that at any time and anywhere anybody killed aware and for God, is martyr but the whole deaths as well as explaining commenting and analyzing them are different and facing evolution. It is true that Hamzeh has been martyred in Ohod, Imam Hussein in Karballa, and Modarress during the imperial era of Pahlavi, Ebrahim Hemmat and Mehdy Bakery during the war between Iran and Iraq are all martyrs, but their way of martyrdom, desires and wishes were different. Meanwhile their martyrdom was all for Islam exaltation, but the motto “independence, freedom, and the Islamic republic”? was the motto that martyr Bakery and all of the great martyrs of the Islamic revolution wished that. Imam Ali, Proffessor Motaharry and Aiatollah Dastgheib were all martyred by terror by three different way ; one bye sword , the other by bullet and the third by explosion .
3-culture is compulsory but optional.
A seeking active and living culture influences human as far as it seem to be compulsory; it means that he has to accept the surrounding culture in society. We speak by our socialized language, wear own similar clothes in society, meanwhile culture is less imposed. Because culture is optional will be continued from a generation to another along with the other factor (being compulsive) meanwhile, human will change the society culture by innovation in it (being optional).
The martyrdom culture will exist in society and the future children will learn the martyrs names and remember them and our future history will appreciate the revolution and war generation, as well as the other prolonged generation lived along with Imam Hussein name and memory; meanwhile this culture can not be imposed and also its choice and acceptance is quite optional for human.
The various performance of martyrdom culture:
Here are some various performances of martyrdom culture:
Life devotion to preserve values, in a society where respecting to values is a principle and is important for society ,If that important values be in danger, In some levels of history, people know their life less important than these values and will be prepared to devote their life for preserving and survival of society and its values. The Shiites and the other Muslims believe that homeland is one of the most important and sacred values, so it such to religion, homeland and chastity by resorting to martyrdom; because the faithful people can not tolerate aliens invasion on their lands and won’t rest.
Emile Durkheim, the French sociologist describes the voluntary death for survival and living of society as the other –wanting suicide.

The other sorts of suicide will be happened due to cutting out or separation of a person from society or due to crisis or crashing society bases down; But this kind of suicide related to the time that the one’s connection with society is not ruined and he is not separated from the system and even has a strong connection with that system. The society norm are not eliminated and they still are legitimate as well; But There is a danger threatening society and sacrifice is essential Self-sacrifice is that one bring about the death of himself not to kill himself to save the system , In the other hand prefer the society survival on him self.
Although the best and faithful men will be killed by martyrdom meaning , the ones who could be as resources of good manners in society and this matter will hurt society , But from the other hand , They give stability and a renewed life to society , Because they devoted their life to defend the values.
Giving self confident to the society members; To give that to the people that have been suffered humiliation and invasion , Because the cause of scorn never observe any mythical, religious , morality and humanity criteria . And the only weapon in the right flank of people hand is martyrdom; on the other hand, martyrdom provides self confident for people in some levels of history.
Making a common goal and identity among the members of a society:
The Imam’s components of martyrdom, to take steps in God way and aware death’s necessary, makes a common goal and identity for a society individuals and can be as model and strategy for the generation and nations under oppression and cruelty.
The society correlation factor: Ashura , mourning , lamentation , Hussein , Zeinab Karballah , …..are the definitions that cause correlation between The Shiites during history and are as a strong motive for affection unity , and concord during The Shiites fighting, making the oppression fighting and social just moral to frighten tyrant and
Opponents against social equality and justice believe that until the martyrdom’s torch is blazing in society, independence and territorial integrity will be protected against aliens.

This is the factor of happiness and motion of the nation being caught lethargically. One of wishes of seid Jmaladin Assad Abaddy was to find an aggressive man who will brings back the spirit of aggressiveness toward the colonizers in the east and among Muslim people.
The ending discussion and conclusion:
The meaning of culture is used as rural culture , urban culture eating culture , dressing culture greeting culture, African culture , tribal culture , poverty culture , classes culture , mechanical culture (industrial ) , traditional culture , ancient culture , Iranian culture Islamic culture , or as shapes such as cultureless , cultured , Anti – culture , culture like , cultural and the other samples such as technical , social literary , morality and belief that are often equal and close to the definitions such as education , knowledge , customs , techniques, methods , principles, art , civilization , and Rules , that finally no one (of these definitions) are against the sociology and anthropology rules; since any definition is not separated from the meaning of culture consisting all heirs , taught , behavior and human experiences , in the titles of books , articles and discussion nowadays.
According to the vast realm of these definitions nowadays, any research and study in all aspects of humanity sciences, needs to know all cultural levels and changes. In this aspect, the sociologists investigate social basis and systems, political changes, economical interchanges, and belief characteristics of society and to program based on them.
With this description and based on the above understanding of cultures and other social aspects and the meanings, come from them in the realm of social phenomena, the meaning of martyrdom is as such as well ; as if the term (Islamic culture) has been prevalent in the compilations of clergymen and religions scientists and is about know ledges, visions, principles and secondary things of the religion, theatrical and taught things in the Islamic beliefs by the names as published in textbooks and equal to the term « Persian knowledge» that imply ideology in Islamic culture more.

Based an it, the martyrdom culture looks at beliefs, values and principles taken from religious sources and knowledge that imply and improve the values such as self-sacrifice, been killed in the way of God aware, braveness, homeland society and its values, therefore it will provide the vast realm of martyrdom and its phenomena (now is seen differently in various cultures) and its connection with other social aspect and phenomena such as war. Crusade (jihad),….. and as one item, it will provide its social head stock creating cultural and social needs to make that appeared, terminologically and theatrically that is explained as a social matter from sociological view.
As told, the sociologist like Durkheim, Webber and based on the interaction theory told in this article, have investigated them and have studied that as the social phenomena and aspect.
Durkheim knows the interactions between people and the regulations ruled on society and human relations by morality values and forces, valued on individual and believes when the one knows the society values as himself, his social correlation with society and its value be high, do the other- wanting suicide. IN this kind, human are prepared to sacrifice or even to devote their life, Based on the Max Webber’s view, martyrdom –wanting behavior is more a reasonable behavior tending to values, as if it is understood from the meaning of commitment, prophecy and duty. He often describes martyrdom as a reasonable deed based on values. The one’s motive doing this noble deed is their duty and interest to values they are committed to do them. This commitment may be social, religious, or moral; so the doers does not just pursuit their goal and benefits according to their principles and beliefs, but they want to do their duty.
In the inter action view, human also trade national goods and social goods such as affection , and social approved as well , and this question always is asked that what benefit I gain ? Or can I get something? George Homenez that human tries more to achieve thing that are most important for them. In this view, the other –wanting motive is stated like the ones putting their life soul into danger and sacrifice themselves to save the other’s life.
Sekidmmor says about this that: “the other –wanting ones pursue some kind of spiritual satisfaction .In the martyrdom subject, the society values are connected and harmonized with certain and belief individual’s values and this is about Trade with God in here.”?

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