Resurrection table
A resurrection table (Riysan: طاولة القيامة,tawilat al-Qiyamah) is the name given to a table displaying seven types of symbolic items for the Festival of the Resurrection (Eid al-Qiyamah), the holiest Esoteric Shia holiday commemorating the proclamation of Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim as the Qa'im al-Qiyamah and promulgator of a new religion. Although widely practiced by virtually all Esoteric Shias nowadays, including the official institutions of the Shia Convocation, the tradition of displaying a resurrection table has no basis in Esoteric Shia teachings.
The custom originates in 15th-century Duchy of Srambi, now part of modern day Hindia Belandan province of Srambi, where Esoteric Shias were exposed to the Anjanian tradition of decorating tables with various produce and herbs for the anniversary of the Anjani Emperor's accession. As Esoteric Shi'ism spread to other parts of the Anjani Empire, Imperial Hyangist converts to the religion retained this tradition and would set up 'resurrection tables' on Eid al-Qiyamah. By the 16th-century, the custom was already commonplace amongst Esoteric Shia communities. Efforts by the Auxiliary Imamate to put an end to the tradition eventually failed, and the custom was adopted by the 10th Auxiliary Imam, Sayyid Muzaffar, who set up the first 'official' resurrection table at the Hazirat in Tanjudan.
In Esoteric Shia homes, the resurrection table is usually placed near the doorway or within the living room. In Hindia Belanda particularly, it is customary that an official resurrection table is set up at Buitenzorg Palace, the Governor-General's official residence in Buitenzorg. The setting up of the 'viceregal resurrection table,' as it is known in Hindia Belanda, is a high-profile event in the country's social calendar. A reception for the Festival is held at the palace.
Items
The following consists of the seven symbolic items:
- "Book of God" - The Lisan al-Hikma or other Esoteric Shia scripture.
- "A potted herb and an uprooted herb," usually herbs that are grown or can be found locally. It is customary for the 'uprooted herb' to have been the previous year's potted herb.
- "A potted crop plant" - usually a potted rice plant.
- "Likeness of the Qa'im" - a visual depiction of Al-Sayyid al-Mu'alim.
- "Sweets" - sweets are usually displayed on a platter. The traditional sweets for the Festival of the Resurrection consist of date cookies and date cake, which are consumed the next day at sunset during the feast. In Hindia Belanda, a slice of spekkoek is often displayed on the table.
- "A fruit" - at least one fruit is displayed on the table. Esoteric Shias often display different types of fruit.
- "An empty container" - usually a simple empty box, meant to symbolise the soul as a 'ready receptacle for the arrival of divine knowledge,' a reference to a verse in the Lisan al-Hikma.
The seven symbolic items are meant to as a reminder of the cycle of life for the believer. The 'Book of God' delineates the centrality of divine revelation in a believer's life. 'Potted and uprooted herbs' symbolise birth and death, respectively. 'A potted crop plant' serves as an exhortation to take good care of the environment, "lest thy sources of sustenance wither and with them thy life". Sweets are meant to symbolise the "sweetness of the Covenant of God," as mentioned in Lisan al-Hikma 1:8. The inclusion of fruits on a resurrection table is a reference to Lisan al-Hikma 2:12: "Peace be upon thee who hast tasted the sweetness of the choicest fruits borne by the Trees of Luminousness within the orchards of inner knowledge! Thou wilt, by the effulgence which shineth forth from the divine fruits, be led to the summit of Reunion and clothed with raiments of gladness. Under the canopy of Divine Majesty thou wilt glimpse the stars of oneness, discern unity from false multiplicity and, at last, cognise truth from falsehood." Finally, the empty container is a reference to the last verse of the first chapter of the Lisan al-Hikma: "May thy soul become as a ready receptacle for the arrival of Divine Knowledge, as living waters for the thirsty wayfarers, as a table laden with the choicest meal for the hungry, as favourable wind for the mariners, and, above all, may thy heart become as a star for the darkest of nights: luminous, perfect and true!"
Traditions
The resurrection table is set up before sunset on the Festival of the Resurrection. As the Esoteric Shia day begins at sunset and ends at the next sunset, the observance of the Festival of the Resurrection spans two Gregorian days. The items on the table remain displayed until the next sunset, at which point the sweets, fruits and uprooted herb are consumed or used as a symbolic ingredient for the communal meal which takes place on the second day.
After the resurrection table is set up, it is common for Esoteric Shias to recite passages from the Lisan al-Hikma that are relevant to the occasion. A popular passage often recited during the festival is Lisan al-Hikma 1:119-120:
"This, verily, is the last day of the world and the dawn of a new eternity. Men and women will not see the passing away of this world, nor the coming of another, save those whose hearts have been made pure through His Great Remembrance. For this is a Day of Resurrection, not of the souls nor of the corporeal temples of men and women, but of the primordial standard of the Cause of God, which ere now hath lain folded and hidden in the treasury of His truth since the setting of the former Sun, that ye may know that all men and women belong to one family and that God hath created us all from water, as He hath made mention of in the Book of Recitation".
History
Origins
Widespread adoption by Esoteric Shias
Colonial accounts
One of the earliest Lorecian accounts of the tradition can be found in SOME NOORD DUDER's travelogue
In popular culture
The Hindia Belandan Trash metal group Poison has a track titled The Resurrection Table. The naming of the track after the custom invited unusual criticism from Shia Convocation institutions in 2007.