Muharram 2022: This past week saw the arrival of the year 1444 according to the Islamic Calendar. The first month of the year is called Muharram. This is the month that Prophet Muhammad began his migration to the city of Yathrib, where he became the leader of the city, renamed Madinat al-Nabi or the “City of the Prophet”.
The Prophet’s migration is a crucial event in Muslim history, as the community went from being a persecuted minority in Makka to having sovereignty in the city of Madina.
The month of Muharram holds a special place in the hearts of members of the Shi’a sect of Islam. The month represents the sacrifice of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet and the son of Imam Ali— the fourth caliph of Islam for most Muslims, and for Shi’i Muslims, the first Imam of the community.
The first 10 days of the month are specifically important, where Shi’a Muslims across the globe mourn and remember the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 C.E.
The event took place around fifty years after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad. A caliph named Yazid, described as corrupt and power-hungry, demanded Hussein’s allegiance, but the Imam decided to stand up to Yazid, knowing that it would likely cost him his life.
Yazid tortured Hussein and his family and followers, denying them water and food. During the Battle of Karbala, Hussain and 72 of his close supporters and family members were surrounded by Yazid’s massive 30,000-strong troops. Hussein and his small band fought valiantly, but it was a bloodbath. He was the last to die on the 10th day of Muharram, also known as Ashura.
The story follows that Yazid’s army then took the remains of the Imam and his companions, and the surviving women and children, to Kufa, Iraq, in a procession in which the heads of the dead were put atop spears, and the survivors were put in shackles.
Imam Hussein continues to serve as a paragon of virtue and bravery in the face of oppression and tyranny. Shi’i Muslim communities add to this an intense period of mourning during Muharram, with processions and marches held in front of thousands commemorating the sacrifice.
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