Muharram

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Muharram falls on the 10th day in the month of Muharram. Muharram is the day to commemorate the martyr of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad ‘Hazrat Imam Hussein’, his son-in-law Ali, and Ali’s elder son Hassan. It happened that Mohammad died without appointing a successor to his newly found group. People were divided on whom to appoint, prophet’s family person or an elected person. The elected were called Caliphs. This divide resulted in two factions of Shia and Sunni. Shias are supporters of the family of the Mohammad and Sunnis supported the elected ones. Fourth Caliph was Ali. During the reign of Ali, King Yazid a cruel ruler tortured the grandson of Mohammad and his family to death in battle of Karbla. Shias observe this day as Muharram.

Shia Muslims all over the world observe the event for ten days. They wear black clothes, hold meetings and deliver speeches to remember the brutality given to Ali and Hussein. Majlis or assembly is arranged by the faction to narrate the event in detail. The 10th day is a grand procession with people carrying mausoleum of the Ali, Hussein and Hassan and shouting slogans ‘Ya Hussein Ya Ali’ in grief. People beat themselves with hands and lash them self with chains during the occasion. All these suffering is to feel the suffering that the people of Hussein were given. Fasting on the day is a controversial topic and hence it is done by some and not by many. The ‘Taziya’ is buried at some places and submerged in water at some places. In India main centre of Shia concentration are Luknow and Hyderabad cities.

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