What it means
تشییع (tashyi’) refers to the act of accompanying or escorting, and in Persian it is used almost exclusively for the funeral procession, the communal walk or convoy that accompanies the body of the deceased from the place of the funeral service to the graveyard. The word derives from the Arabic root ش-ی-ع (sh-y-‘), which carries the meaning of following or accompanying. In formal writing and official announcements, تشییع appears on its own; in everyday speech it is more commonly heard in the full compound تشییع جنازه.
How to use it
- تشییع فردا صبح برگزار میشه. (Tashyi’ fardâ sobh bargozâr mishe.) “The funeral procession will take place tomorrow morning.”
- تشییع پیکر مرحوم باشکوه بود. (Tashyi’-e peykar-e marhoom bâshokuh bud.) “The procession for the deceased was dignified.”
- همه اومدن تشییع. (Hame oomadan tashyi’.) “Everyone came for the procession.”
- مراسم تشییع ساعت ده شروع میشه. (Marâsem-e tashyi’ sâ’at dah shoru’ mishe.) “The procession ceremony starts at ten.”
Cultural note
In Iran, the تشییع is a communal obligation: friends, colleagues, and even acquaintances of the deceased are expected to attend. Crowds at the procession of a well-respected person are seen as a public measure of the person’s standing and the family’s honor. For public figures, تشییع ceremonies can draw enormous crowds and are often covered in the news. Islamic practice in Iran requires that the procession remain solemn and that participants walk in silence or recite prayers quietly.