Turba (Shiism)

Turba with calligraphic inscription in honor of Fatima

Turba ( Arabic. تربة Turba ; Persian. مهر Mohr ) is a piece of soil or clay, often a clay tablet, used by Shiites for prayers when making prostrations. It symbolizes the earth ^[1] . Sometimes material for a turbo is brought from Karbela or Medina ^[2] .

Content

Values

The term turba can also mean the whole place where one prays or the material from which the world was created.

Criticism

Followers of the Sunni trend of Islam usually criticize the tradition of the use of the turba ( mohra ) by the Shiites.

Notes

↑ Orr, Francine . Sharing the Faith, Spreading the Word, Los Angeles Times (26 November 2001), p. E2. The appeal date is April 12, 2010.
↑ In 2009, Shiite pilgrims collected sand from the tomb of Fatima Zahra in Medina for use as a turbo. In predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, this practice does not cause an understanding of the authorities, nor does the prayer in the vicinity of the graves of persons worshiped by Shiites.

Links

[1] Orr, Francine . Sharing the Faith, Spreading the Word, Los Angeles Times (26 November 2001), p. E2. The appeal date is April 12, 2010.

[2] In 2009, Shiite pilgrims collected sand from the tomb of Fatima Zahra in Medina for use as a turbo. In predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, this practice does not cause an understanding of the authorities, nor does the prayer in the vicinity of the graves of persons worshiped by Shiites.