Here, anyone is the salvation of the other, and everyone is also a refuge in lonely days, and here everyone reminds us the God.

As the saying goes, a funeral is a camel that sleeps at everyone’s door (Comes to us all), but the complexity of this issue has placed enormous costs on the shoulders of families today. Funerals are held with lavish ceremonies these days, but for some time now, Tabrizis have been “paying off” these enormous costs with good deeds.

Marigolds

For a journalist and anyone who is a so-called writer, writing about the voice of swallows, the smell of daffodils, the dance of butterflies, and writing about hope, hope, hope, has always been like someone who wanders around a dark alley and suddenly has a flash of light shine on their face.

Some news is like this for me, exactly a light in the middle of the darkness! If I want to put it more clearly, for example, when the public relations number of the East Azerbaijan Atonement Headquarters comes on my phone, I am sure that I am going to hear good news, I am going to hear that a young man has been released to pursue his future, a father is freed to go hug his little daughter, a mother has been released from bars and is going to dedicate her motherly love to her children! I know that after this call I am going to smile, I am going to write that you people can make someone’s sad eyes happy, even if your own eyes are sad.

I was in the middle of a news story when the number of Mr. Aghaei, the public relations manager of the provincial Atonement Headquarters, appeared on my phone screen. I answered without hesitation! Hello, Mr. Aghaei, how are you? I know you want to give me some good news! Without hesitation, he got to the point; “Ms. Hamidi, we set a record in releasing prisoners! And that was with the death of a Tabrizi citizen.

The release of 75 prisoners in the funeral ceremony of a Tabrizi merchant

So, how many people were released? Mr. Aghaei was quickly giving out information about this news: “Hajj Hossein Zarrab, one of the investors in Tabriz and a pioneer in the country’s steel industry, who, as you may recall, passed away just a few days ago. This release of prisoners was due to the cost of his funeral, which was paid for with the participation of businessmen, investors, and their families and relatives.”

It is said that the deceased himself saw in the funeral ceremony of one of his close relatives that a whole wreath of flowers had brought for his ceremony, then he said in his daughter’s ear, “if something happens to me, don’t let them bring such wreaths and expensive flowers, what’s the point?” It won’t do me any good. Instead, free a prisoner. Place a father’s hand in his childrens’ instead. Let one of them be released from prison.

Mr. Aghaei was also explaining in detail: When I was talking to one of the friends of the deceased, who also participated in this freedom, he said that we wanted to do a good deed, both to be memorable and to make our friend’s soul happy, and to have an impact on society. Therefore, when we heard this will of Haji from his son-in-law, we said, “Well, what better way! Let’s all join hands and free the involuntary prisoners.”

In short, this will of the deceased led to everyone coming together and participating in the release of 75 involuntary prisoners. In other words, this is considered a record in the Atonement Headquarters, as 75 people were released from prison due to the loss of a loved one and according to his will.

The topic of freeing a prisoner for any occasion, including paying for funeral ceremonies and wreaths, weddings and marriages, and the birth of a child, etc., is a popular tradition in Tabriz and East Azarbaijan province. Any alley and street you pass, you will come across banners on which it is written that the family of this lost loved one has participated in the release of an involuntary prisoner.

These banners are not just banners, they are things that must be read that here, anyone is the salvation of the other, and everyone is also a refuge in lonely days, and here everyone reminds us the God.

According to the public relations manager of the Department of Atonement of East Azerbaijan Province, to date, more than 3,800 families have joined this good tradition in Tabriz and the province.

Written by Katayoun Hamidi