Preparation for the month of Muharram and day of Ashura 2015
Today is the first day of Muharram 2015 . Muharram is the first month in the Islamic calendar, the month in which Imam Hussain along with all 72 of his companions were martyred on the day of Ashura in Karbala.
Muslim peoples and Imam Hussain’s lovers from different religions across the globe have prepared themselves for Muharram by dressing in black, hanging black flags on their house and shops’s walls and hoisting it on the holy shrines, streets, mosques and public places, holding ceremonies and etc.
Muharram 2015 – A flag which “O Hussain” is written on
Muharram 2015 -the holy shrine of Lady Masumah in Qom
Ashura and a Ten-day of mourning period for Imam Hussain?!
Imam Hussain who is the prophet Muhammad’s grandson was martyred on the tenth day of Muharram, day of Ashura, in Karbala but why do we have a ten-day of mourning period started from the first day of Muharram?!
Ashura
Recently, professor Panahiyan, an Iranian cleric who teaches at the universities and Howzah, answered this question as a note to a news channel that I tried to translate the main parts of it:
There might be some different reasons for mourning form the first day of Muharram. It might be because of what Imam Reza, the 8th beloved Imam of ours, said about his father, Imam Kazem (pbuh): “No one could have seen my father’s smile when the month of Muharram came. Sadness was increasing in his face day by day till the tenth of Muharram and when the tenth day of Muharram would dawn, it would be a day of grief and weeping for him.“[1]
Mourning for Imam Hussain (PBUH) -Muharram 2015
Mourning for Imam Hussain (PBUH) – Muharram 2015
Another reason might be that mourners can prepare themselves for the deep grief of Ashura by mourning form the beginning of Muharram because the grave tragedy of Ashura can be more tolerable after one week of mourning. The prophet Muhammad said that “surely , there exists in the hearts of the believers, with respect to the martyrdom of Husayn, a heat that never subsides.”[2] Thus, Every one who feels this heat, knows that entering to the day of Ashura without a previous mourning period is very painful.
Ashura
Ashura
For some people a ten-day of mourning period is an opportunity helping them to feel the great tragedy of Ashura.
Actually this mourning period might be a type of volunteering to help not mourning and it seems to us that mourners go into Imam Hussain’s tent from the first day of Muharram in order to help him and not to leave his leader alone. That’s why this period of ten days is like an epic while mourning on Ashura night has just a color of sadness and greif.
[1] (کَانَ أَبِی ع إِذَا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ الْمُحَرَّمِ… امالی صدوق/128)
[2] «إِنَّ لِقَتْلِ الْحُسَیْنِ حَرَارَةً فِی قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ لَا تَبْرُدُ أَبَداً»مستدرک الوسائل/10/318
More than 10 million people in Karbala for Ashura 2014
According to the news, despite all threats made by ISIL terrorists, more than 10 million pilgrims gathered in the holy city of Karbala to mark the day of Ashura in the year 2014.
Day of Ashura in Karbala
Every year millions of mourners and lovers of Imam Husayn across the globe flock to Karbala, a city in Iraq where the holy shrines of Imam Husayn and his companions are located, to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the prophet Muhammad’s grandson on the day of Ashura.
day of Ashura in Karbala
Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the 1st month in the Islamic calender. Imam Husayn who was the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), along with all 72 of his companions were martyred on this day in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
day of Ashura in Karbala
day of ashura in Karbala
On the day of Ashura, shops and businesses were closed as mourners began pouring onto the streets since dawn but free food and drinks offer to mourners and pilgrims in the streets and mosques by some other people for the love of Imam Husayn (PBUH). Some people distribute foods which is called Nazri food, among their neighbors home by home thus you usually do not need to prepare your own food on the day of Ashura and Tasua, the 9th day of Muharram.
In the year 2015, The day of Ashura will fall on Saturday, the 24th Oct. and many pilgrims are preparing yourselves to arrive at Karbala for this day.
Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura
Every year, millions of Shia Muslims commemorate the great tragedy of Karbala and mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH), and his companions on the day of Ashura.
Ashura
Ashura
Ashura
Ashura
Ashura-The supreme leader of Iran in a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussain (PBUH)
Ashura- The supreme leader of Iran in a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussain (PBUH)
Ashura-Where Is the Avenger?
The following images contains some verses of Nudba’ dua (prayer) which is recommended to read on Friday mornings and three other Eids. Nudba’ means to cry or wail and Dua means to call or to seek help. This dua, quoted from Imam Sadiq (PBUH), is for the Imam of the time, Imam #Mahdi.
The holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said about Imam Mahdi that he will rise at the time when people will be faced with severe conflict and the earth will be hit by a violent quake. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. He will fill the hearts of his followers with devotion and will spread justice everywhere.
Ashura
Where is the avenger of the blood of the martyr of #Karbala?
Ashura
Ashura in Iran
Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calender. The following photos show Iranian people commemorating this day in an area in Tehran, Iran.
Ashura in Iran
Ashura in Iran
Ashura
Every year on the day of Ashura, Millions of Muslims dressed in black, take to street to mourn the martyrdom anniversary of the prophet Muhammad’s grandson and his all companions.
This video shows one of the large gatherings and a mourning procession held by people in the north of Tehran on Ashura 2014.
A large gathering on the day of Ashura in the Martyr Tehrani Moqaddam square(Kaj square), Tehran, I.R.Iran
When is Ashura 2015?
Ashura in 2015 is on Saturday, the 24th Oct.
The day of Ashura (/ʌʃuːrʌ /) is the 10th day of Muharram(/Mohærræm/) which is the first month of Islamic calender.
Ashura marks the day in which prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Husayn, and all 72 of his companions were violently martyred more than 14 centuries ago in Karbala. They all sacrifice what they have to save Islam from utter distortion and destruction. Thus every year on the day of Ashura, millions of mourners commemorate their martyrdom anniversary to memorize what Imam Husayn (PBUH) taught us: He taught us all how to stand up and resist oppression, monarchy, Shimrs, Yazids and Ibn Ziads of the the present time, the current age.
Ashura in Iran
Ashura in Iran
Quote about Muharram
Reference: (1995) The Ashura Uprising in the Words and Messages of Imam Khomeini.Tehran, Iran:The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works
A Letter From The Leader to the Youth
Probably you have heard of an unexpected open letter from Iran supreme leader to the youth of Europe and North America. You can read the letter right from here by your own and connect it to a key event of Islam such as Ashura.
Some key sentences of the letter is provided as images:
Ashura and disseminating sadness and tears among people?!
Each year, on the tenth of Muharram, the first month in lunar calendar, Millions of people, dressed in black, take to the streets and mosques to mourn the martyrdom anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH), on a day known as Ashura.
Ashura in Karbala
The supreme leader of the Islamic republic of Iran made a speech about Ashura in 2008:
Tears on Ashura
“Why are you disseminating sadness, crying and tears among people?” They complain. This is not sadness and tears for the sake of sadness and tears. Read More…
Karbala in the words of the Prophet Muhammad
Congratulations to all believers in God for the birth anniversary of his last Messenger , the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his descendants).
“My son is buried in a land called Karbala, a monument which has always been an Islamic Dome as there God saved the companions of the Prophet Noah from the hurricane.”
-Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (Kamil Al-Ziarat; p.269)
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و آله:
“يُقْبَرُ ابْنِي بِأَرْضٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا كَرْبَلَاءُ هِيَ الْبُقْعَةُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ فِيهَا قُبَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ الَّتِي نَجَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَ نُوحٍ فِي الطُّوفَانِ”
کامل الزیارات، صفحه 269
Quote about Imam Hussain by Mahatma Gandhi
The epic created by Imam Hussain (Peace be upon him) is eternal. It continues to arouse human conscience and has not been limited to Muslims. It has inspired non-Muslims as well throughout the ages.
Mahatma Gandhi, who led the struggle for the independence of India from British rule, and who initiated the Non-Violent Movement, made the famous statement about Imam Hussain:
Ashura in Karbala
Day of Ashura in 2014 in Karbala, near the Holy shrine of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH):
Ashura
Ashura in the Holy shrine of Imam Hussain (PBUH) in Karbala, Iraq.
Ashura
Ashura
Ashura in Karbala
Prayer in Congregation on the day of Ashura in Karbala
Ashura
Ashura in Karbala
Nazri food offered to the mourners on the day of Ashura in karbala.
Ashura 