What it means
صاحب عزا (sâheb-e azâ) is an Arabic-origin phrase used in Persian. صاحب (sâheb) comes from Arabic meaning “owner” or “holder,” and عزا (azâ) comes from Arabic عزاء meaning “mourning” or “condolence.” Together the phrase means the person or family who is hosting the mourning, that is, the bereaved family who has suffered the loss. In practice it refers to the immediate family of the deceased who receive guests during the mourning period. It is used interchangeably with خانواده عزادار (khânevâde-ye azâdâr) in many contexts, though صاحب عزا more precisely names the host role.
How to use it
- به صاحب عزا تسلیت بگویید. (be sâheb-e azâ tasliyat beguyid.) “Offer your condolences to the bereaved family.”
- صاحبان عزا در اتاق پذیرایی نشستهاند. (sâhebân-e azâ dar otâq-e pazirâyi neshastand.) “The chief mourners are seated in the reception room.”
- رسم است که همسایهها برای صاحب عزا غذا بیاورند. (rasm ast ke hamsâyehâ barâye sâheb-e azâ ghazâ biyâvarand.) “It is customary for neighbors to bring food for the bereaved family.”
- کسی که صاحب عزاست حق دارد در صدر مجلس بنشیند. (kasi ke sâheb-e azâst hagh dârad dar sadr-e majles benshinad.) “The one who is the chief mourner has the right to sit at the head of the gathering.”
Cultural note
In Iranian mourning culture, the صاحب عزا occupies a recognized social role with specific responsibilities: receiving guests, accepting condolences, and organizing the مراسم ختم (marâsem-e khatm, the funeral gathering). Guests greet the صاحب عزا first upon arriving and again upon leaving. Neighbors, extended family, and community members typically bring cooked food to relieve the bereaved family of domestic duties during the mourning days, a practice called غذا آوردن (ghazâ âvardan). Failing to call on the صاحب عزا after a death in a tight-knit community is considered a serious breach of social obligation.