What was the incident of muharram?

Muharram

 Muharram is one of the most important months for Muslims and marks the start of the Islamic New Year. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after Ramadan.

The tenth day of Muharram is known as Ashura. Better known as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shi'a Muslims mourn the tragedy of Husain ibn Ali s family.

Shiites mourn the martyrdom of Husain by abstaining from joyous events. Instead, Shia Muslims hold many events to offer condolences to Imam Hussain and to honor the martyrs through prayer, reading supplications, and holding charity events. Shias Muslims eat as little as possible on the Ashura; however, this is not seen as fasting. Alevi's fast ten or twelve days, each day for one of the Twelve Imams of Shia Islam, to commemorate and mourn the Imams, as if a very close relative has died. Some (excluding children, the elderly, or the sick) do not eat or drink, or avoid entertainment until zawal (afternoon) as a part of their mourning for Hussain.[2] In addition, there is an important Ziarat book, the Ziarat Ashura about Hussain. In Shi, ism, it is popular to read this ziarat on this date.

Bangladeshi Shia Muslims perform a ritual as they take part in a religious procession during the Ashura mourning period in Dhaka 

Why is Muharram celebrated?

The 10th day of Muharram, called Ashura, is an important day for Muslims. It marks the day (Noah) left the Ark and the day that Prophet Musa (Moses) was saved from the Pharaoh of Egypt by God, crossing the Red Sea with his people.

For those Muslims, this month represents a solemn, reflective day in Islamic history.

For them, Muharram commemorates the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein Ibn Ali. After questioning the legitimacy of the caliph Yazid, Hussein was murdered during the Battle of Karbala, which took place on the day of Ashura in the year AD 680.

Due to the brutality of the battle and the murder of the Prophet’s grandson during a month when fighting is forbidden, many Shia mourns and remember the bravery of the Prophet’s family.

How is it celebrated?

Many Muslims opt to fast on the day of Ashura, as well as on other days in the month of Muharram, to show thankfulness.

Shia Muslims also engage in mourning rituals. Some gather at mosques to cry over Hussein’s death and to remember the importance of what the Prophet’s family did for justice, while others perform public rituals that include chest-beating, self-flagellation with chains, and forehead-cutting.

Incidents that occurred during this month

Scenes in the Taziya procession at the Muharram

• 1 Muharram: Seizure of the Grand Mosque in 1400 AH (1979 AD).
• 2 Muharram: Husayn ibn Ali enters Karbala and establishes camp. Yazid's forces are present. 61 AH (680 AD).
• 5 Muharram: Death anniversary (urs) of Baba Farid, a Punjabi Sufi saint, in 665 AH (1266 AD). His urs is celebrated for six days during Muharram, in Pakpattan, Pakistan.
• 7 Muharram: Access to water was banned to Husayn ibn Ali by Yazid's orders. 61 AH (680 AD).
• 8 Muharram: Referred to as the Muharram Rebellion, the day on which Bengali Muslims in Sylhet lead one of the earliest anti-British uprisings in the subcontinent. 1197 AH (1782 AD).
• 10 Muharram: Referred to as the Day of Ashurah (lit. "the Tenth"), the day on which Husayn ibn Ali was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. Shia Muslims spend the day in mourning, while Sunni Muslims fast on this day, commemorating the rescue of the Israelites by Musa (Moses) from Pharaoh. Shia Muslims also mourn for the martyrs of Karbala.[11] Many Sufi Muslims fast for the same reason as the Sunnis mentioned above, but also for the martyred dead in Karbala.
• 15 Muharram: Birth of Muhammad Sirajuddin Naqshbandi in 1297 AH (1879 AD).
• 25 Muharram: Zayn al-‘Ābidīn, fourth Shia Imam was martyred by Marvanian in 95 AH (714 AD).[12]
• 28 Muharram: Death anniversary (urs) of Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, an Indian Sufi saint, in 808 AH (1405 AD).