When is Ashura 2016?

Ashura 2016 is on Wednesday, the 12th of October.

The day of Ashura (/ʌʃuːrʌ /) is the 10th day of Muharram(/Mohærræm/) which is the first month in the Islamic calendar. As the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Georgian calendar is a solar one, therefore each year, the day of Ashura falls in a different day in the Georgian calendar.

There is no day like Ashura. Day of Ashura marks the day in which thirty thousand people who consider themselves as the followers of the holy prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and who call themselves Muslims, gathered around the prophet’s grandson, Imam Husayn, shed his blood and all 72 of his companions and captured their women and children in more than 14 centuries ago in a land called Karbala.

Ashura

People mourning and crying for the Imam Hussain’s martyrdom on the day of Ashura in the holy shrine of lady Fatima Masumah in the city of Qom, Iran. The text written on the placard is “Oh! Husayn was killed”

Yazid was the one who had ordered to cut off Imam Husayn’s head if he refused to pay allegiance to him, but Yazid was not Muslim at all according to his saying and behaviors (Read more here) and thus Imam Husayn said if the society fell into the leadership of a man like Yazid, it would mean an end to Islam. He continued that verily, I have heard from my grandfather, the holy Prophet who said “Caliphate is forbidden for the household of Abi Sofyân.”

When the people of Kufa heard the news of not paying alligiance to Yazid by Imam Husayn, 18000 people had written to Imam Husayn and invited him to come in Kufah. Imam Husayn with all his family members including women and children traveled to Kufah but when Yazid block Imam Husayn’s way in a land of Karbala, no one helped Imam Husayn except a few people!

Although Imam Husayn knew about his martyrdom but he and all 72 of his companions sacrifice what they have to save Islam from utter distortion and destruction. Therefore, every year on the day of Ashura, millions of mourners across the world commemorate his martyrdom anniversary to memorize what Imam Husayn (PBUH) taught us. Imam Husayn taught us all how to stand up and resist oppression, monarchy and Yazids of the the present time. no matter what the quantity is.

Ashura

People dressed in black, mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain on the day of Ashura in Isfahan, Iran

Ashura

An infant boy during an Ashura procession in Iran

Ashura

An Ashura morning ceremony in the leader’s official house where the people can also participate

Ashura

The leader of Islamic republic of Iran, Imam Khamenei, in a mourning ceremony in his official house.

Ashura

Day of Ashura in Zanjan, Iran

Ashura

Noon prayer in congregation on the day of Ashura.

Ashura

Karbala and the holy shrine of Imam Husayn and his brother, Hazrat Abbas, on the day of Ashura

Some people donate their blood on the day of Tasua and Ashura to save other people lives as what Imam Husayn (PBUH) did. See more photos of donating blood at here.