Understanding the Lived Experiences of Participants in ‎Mourning Rituals: An Interpretive Phenomenological ‎Approach

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of ‎Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran (Corresponding Author). aabaszadeh@tabrizu.ac.ir.‎

2 PhD Candidate in Economic and Development Sociology, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, ‎University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

3 PhD in Economic and Development Sociology, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of ‎Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. ‎

Abstract

The mourning rituals of Muharram, as a ritual dimension of Islam, have long held special significance and legitimacy. Considering the changes brought by modern life in contemporary Iran, transformations in mourning rituals can also be observed. To better understand these changes, this study explores the phenomenological understanding of the lived experiences of participants in mourning rituals. Deep interviews were conducted with 21 participants in mourning gatherings (hey’at) in the city of Marand, using a purposive sampling method until theoretical saturation was reached. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach and the analysis method of Diekman et al., ten semantic clusters emerged, including: the role of worldly utility belief (cohesion and meaning-making functions of transcendent utility belief), religious socialization, commercialization of mourning rituals, hyper-reality in rituals, and misalignment between form and content. The findings indicate that, due to the prominence of worldly utility belief and participants’ shift toward personal needs and individual benefits, the commercialization of mourning rituals has increased, and signs of ritualization in mourning practices are observable.

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Main Subjects

Islam and Social Studies
Volume 13, Issue 49 - Serial Number 49
ExecutiveExpert
April 2025
Pages 181-215

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History

  • Receive Date: 03 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 13 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 21 October 2025

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