What is Ashura?

What is Ashura? 

Ashura (Arabic: عاشُوْراء) means the tenth. Imam Hussain (p), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, is revered by Muslims as the “Master of Martyrs”. On the 10th day of the first Islamic month of Muharram, year 61 A.H. (10/10/680 AD), Imam Hussain (p) and his family and companions were surrounded in the desert of Karbala by an army of 30,000, starved of food and water, and then slain in the most heart-wrenching manner, for refusing to accept humiliation and pledging allegiance to the corrupt and tyrannical caliph, Yazid. Later, this day became known as the Day of Ashura. Since then, this tragedy has been commemorated by millions around the world every single year and continues to expand and inspire others. In the words of the British historian Edward Gibbon: “In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hussain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”

The Umayyads diligently worked towards covering up this massacre and diluting the reverberations Imam Hussain’s message and martyrdom carried. They declared this day a day of joy, celebrating the killing of Imam Hussain, the master of the youth of paradise. For many years, they worked towards establishing within the Muslim community a culture of cursing Ali ibn Abi Taleb (Imam Ali) and his children as well as celebrating on the day Imam Hussain was killed. Additionally, they fabricated hadiths and reports attributed to the Holy Prophet emphasizing celebrating and fasting on this day. Sadly, these distortions have seeped into the culture and practices of many Muslims today who fast and celebrate, not knowing the sanctity of whose blood was shed on this very day.