Message #13041

[Ruhi_Rose]

Walaikum Salaam and hi sis!      Interesting !!  

You could be right that the term Daleem is derived from Dalcha or Dalya.  Most dishes cooked with lentils (dal in Urdu) derive the name "dalcha."  And "dalya" is the term given to foods with a semi-solid consistency, if I'm not mistaken.  These terms originate from Urdu as far as my knowledge goes.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

From whatever I've researched, the name Haleem given to the same dalcha or dalya-like dish is not derived from Daleem.  I think it's more independent.  I have heard that the Arabic word Haleem given to this dalcha-like dish comes from Arab countries and Iran, in addition to South Asia as well.  It has its variations in different societies.  The Arabs might cook it a bit differently from the Iranians and the Iranians might prepare it a little differently from the Pakistanis.  The Arabs also call it Harissa, a dish very similar to what we call Haleem.  But in all communities Haleem (or Harissa) is the name given to a slow-cooking dish with a thick paste-like consistency .. the basic ingredients being meat, lentils, barley and wheat seasoned with traditional spices which are different in every society.  But how or why the name "Haleem" was given to this particular kind of food is something not known to me.

I first thought that Haleem is only cooked in Muharram by Pakistani and Indian Shiia Muslims.  But my mother told me that Haleem is also a Muharram tradition in Iran.  In fact, I know of both Shiias and Sunnis who also cook Haleem in Ramadan.

According to a story which I've heard from some Pakistanis, cooking Haleem during 10th Muharram originated from Iraq.  It is said that when the Kufan Army left Kerbala with the surviving members of Imam Hussein's family as captives, the local tribes gathered and buried the shuhada.   Then they cooked a food of different grains with meat (similar to Haleem or Harissa) for themselves. That's how they say the tradition of preparing Haleem on 10th Muharram came about.  This might be true, but only Allah can confirm it.

Nowadays the animosity between Sunnis and Shiias has deepened so much that cooking Haleem during Muharram has become another point of contention in the Muslim community.  The hardline Salafists prohibit Muslims from cooking Haleem and claim that Muslims should be fasting on that day.  They don't even agree to the idea of eating Haleem during Iftar on Muharram 10th.  With them it's pure stubbornness giving them another lame excuse to fight.