What is Ashura and how is the Islamic event observed?
The Day of Ashura is an important Islamic event observed on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It holds significant religious and historical significance for both Sunni and Shia Muslims, but the way it is commemorated can differ based on their respective traditions and beliefs.
Significance: Moses and Hussein
The Day of Ashura was the day that Moses and the children of Israel managed to flee from Pharaoh. It was also the day that Hussein ibn Ali died in battle, in Karbala, Iraq, in A.D. 680.
When Prophet Muhammad died, his son-in-law Imam Ali was not successful in becoming the leader of the Islamic community. He was killed in A.D. 661, which allowed his opponent Muawiya to become caliph. When Caliph Muawiya was then succeeded by his son Yazid, Ali’s son Hussein refused to accept this succession as legitimate. Caliph Muawiya and Hussein then fought at Karbala, where Hussein and his followers were murdered.
Observances: Shia and Sunni
Sunni Muslims usually celebrate the fleeing of Moses, which is why they can generally fast on the day, as well as the day before and prior. It is believed to have been a day of fasting for Prophet Muhammad even before the commandment of fasting during the month of Ramadan. It is recommended to fast on both the 9th and 10th days of Muharram to distinguish from the Jewish tradition of fasting only on the 10th day. In some Muslim-majority countries, the day may be recognized as a public holiday, and people may engage in additional acts of worship, such as offering extra prayers or reciting Quranic verses.
Shia Muslims mourn the loss of Hussein and participate in events that reflect this loss. For Shia Muslims, the Day of Ashura is a day of great mourning and remembrance, primarily for the martyrdom of Hussein, who stood for justice and righteousness against oppressive forces.
Special congregational gatherings, known as Majlis, are held in mosques and Islamic centers where religious scholars or orators recite elegies and sermons that narrate the events of Karbala, expressing grief and solidarity with Hussein’s cause. Processions are organized in some communities, with participants dressed in black and carrying banners or symbolic replicas of the shrines in Karbala. Self-flagellation or chest-beating rituals (Tatbir) used to be more common in some Shia communities, but there has been a growing trend among scholars to discourage these practices due to their extreme nature.
Observances may vary across cultures and regions, with some communities adopting more subdued practices, while others may engage in more elaborate rituals.
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