Day of Ashura 2016 in Iran

Ashura 2016 in Iran is commemorated by Shiite Muslim people in Iran and other countries.

Ashura is a day on which the prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Husayn and all 72 of his companions gave all he had to reform the Islamic community of the prophet Muhammad. They all were violently killed on the day of Ashura at Karbala and their women and children were all captured but they revived Islam by their blood till now.

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Shia muslim people marked the day of Ashura 2016 at the holy shrine of Lady Fatima Masumah in Qom, Iran

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Day of Ashura in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran in Iran

The Grand Bazaar is a great historical market in the capital city of Iran.  This market has several corridors with more than 10 kilometers in length.

On the day of Tasua and Ashura, the  The Grand Bazzar are closed and shopkeepers and other people attend in the mourning ceremony held inside the market’s corridors for the martyrdom anniversary of the holy prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH).

Day of Ashura

Day of Ashura

Ashura: Why Shia Muslims do not fast on the day of Ashura?

Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. Shia muslims consider Ashura a day of sorrow and grief as the holy prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain, and all 72 of his companions were martyred on this day in Karbala. Therefor it is recommended not to eat or drink on Ashura till noon to mimic the one with a great sorrow, but fasting on the day of Ashura is disapproved (Makruh) according to religious opinions (Fatwas) of Shia scholars such as Imam Khamenei.

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Although Ashura is a day of sorrow for Imam Hussain lovers but it was a celebration for the enemies of the prophet Muhammd’s grandson. They fast on this day and even built some mosques to show their happiness. That’s why Shia Imams recommend us not to fast on the day of Ashura:

Asking Imam Reza (the 8th Imam of Shiite Muslims) about fasting on the day of Ashura; Imam Reza replayed: “Do you ask about fasting of Marjanah’s son? The day of Ashura is a day in which Ziyad family’s wicked members fast for the happiness of Imam Hussain killing…” [1]

Shi’ite Muslims Donate Blood on Ashura + Photos

In Islam, saving human life and helping others against affliction are always enjoined. In the holy #Quran God says, “Whosoever saves a human life, saves the life of the whole mankind” [5: 32].

The holy prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (pbuh), is the one who gave his life to save the whole mankind. He saved Islam by his blood. He revive Islam, the last version of the religion sent by God to save the humanity.

Thus every year, Shi’ite Muslims across the globe donate blood on the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain(PBUH) and all 72 of his companions on the day of Ashura.

Ashura blood donation in Iran

In Iran, blood collection centers are open till midnight on Ashura day to collect blood from volunteers. According to a paper published in 2011 , more than 37,000 blood unites during Ashura day and the night before it were donated. This was 3.5 times more than average daily rate of blood donation in Iran.

Muslims people from other countries also deliberately participated in this movement on the day of Ashura. In Addition, there are some campaigns across the world for blood donation on Ashura day such as whoishussain.org.

Ashura blood donation in Iran

Arbaeen 2015: My Photos on the way to Karbala (2)

Thanks God, It was my 1st travel to Karbala and the 1st time walking on Arbaeen but interestingly everything on the way to Karbala was so familiar to me as I had seen most of them at the photos of the previous years.

It was kindness and love all over on the way to Karbala despite what Lady Zainab and Imam Hussain’s children saw on this way more than 14 centuries ago while they were captive…

Many thanks to Iraqi people who provided everything that pilgrims needed on this way.

Arbaeen 2015 – on the way to Karbala

Labbaik O’ Hussain(PBUH) written on a Shi’ite girl’s back pack

Arbaeen 2015 -on the way to Karbala

Flag of Canada on the way to Karbala

When is Arbaeen 2015?

The day of Arbaeen is the 40th day following Ashura and in the year of 2015, Arbaeen in Iraq will fall on Thursday, the 3rd of December. [Updated according to the news]

The Arbaeen ceremony is the largest peaceful gatherings in the world that is annually occurs 40 days after the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH), and his companions on the day of Ashura.

Arbaeen

In the last year, I was only a virtual visitor of Arbaeen epic, sitting behind my laptop and insert some photos of Imam Hussain’s pilgrims into my blog and so on, but this year I’m going to be among  millions of pilgrims on the way to Karbala despite

Shia Muslims mark Ashura 2015

Millions of Shia muslims across Iran as well as elsewhere in the world commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and third Shia Imam on the day of Ashura.

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The yellow head band contained an Arabic sentence means: “We are all your Abbas, O’ Zeinab!”

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Ashura 2015: Millions of Shia Muslims gather in Karbala

Today, the 24th of Oct., was the day of Ashura. Millions of Shia Muslims across the globe gathered in Karbala to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of  the holy prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain (PBUH) and all his companions.

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Huge crowds of pilgrims, dressed in black packed inside the Imam Al-Hussain’s holy shrine while most of them were in the streets outside, mourning for Imam Hussain (PBUH).

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The day before Ashura 2015: Tasua in pictures

Today is Tasua

The day before Ashura is called Tasua which is the 9th day of Muharram. Shia muslims and other people from different religions, try to commemorate this day more than the first eight days of Muharram as Tasua is attributed to mourn for Imam Hussain’s brother,  Hazrat Abbas (PBUH), although he was martyred on the day of Ashura  like the other Imam Hussain’s companions.

The holy shrine of Hazrat Abbas (PBUH) in Karbala, the 9th night of Muhharam 2015

As access to water had been closed for three days and nights in Karbala,  Hadrat Abbas was the one who

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 8^th 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

Day of ashura

For remembrance of Imam Hussain’s 6-month-old child, Ali al-Asghar, who was martyred on the day of Ashura in Karbala, many people dress up their infants like this in a special mourning ceremony on the 6th day of Muharram and also on the day of Ashura:

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ashura

day of Ashura

day of Ashura

day of ashura

Imam Husayn and his companions were all in thirst in the hot dessert of Karbala even his six month old infant, but the enemy shot a three-headed arrow to the infant’s throat and cut his head off instead of opening the gate of river or giving them a drop.

Husayn was martyred on Ashura day while he was thirsty

Drinking water is universally held to be one of the most basic of human rights and is vital to the survival of any living creatures, but Imam Husayn, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, was martyred along with all his companions on the day of Ashura in Karbala while they were all thirsty. The tents of his family were pitched just a walking distance from the banks of the river Euphrates and yet he and his camp – including his six month old baby – were not allowed a single drop.

Ashura

Access to water had been closed for three days and nights, but during this time, Hadrat Abbas, the brother of Imam Husayn, was able to get some water for children on one or two occasions, including the night of Ashura and That’s why Abbas had been received the nick name of Saqqa which means “water carrier”.

Ashura – Remember Imam Husayn (PBUH) when you are drinking water

On the day of Ashura, Hadrat Abbas went to get some water again. The number of men who guarded the river bank was four thousand.

The holy shrine of Imam husayn in Karbala

Imam Husayn gave his heart to God and God gave millions of hearts to Imam Husayn.

The text written on the curtain is “Peace be upon you o Aba-Abdillahe Al-Husayn”

Ashura Day

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.

These photos show a mourning procession held by people in one area in Tehran, Iran.

Ashura in Iran