The Period of Mourning
Observed in the first month of the Islamic calendar, this is a period of mourning for Muslims. It commemorates the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala.
Muharram means "respected". It is the first month of the Islamic calendar. The first ten days of this month are observed as a period of mourning by Muslims, particularly by those belonging to the Shiah sect, in memory of the tragedy of 680 AD. Hazrat ImamHussain, the grandson of Muhammad the Prophet was killed in the battle of Karbala. This event, called Muharram, is named after the month in which it took place. The tenth day, called Ashura, is observed as the day for a public expression of their grief and is a public holiday in India.
During the pre-Islamic period in the Arabian penninsula, fighting was prohibited in four months of the year. These months, of which Muharram was one, were considered sacred. This period of inactivity was a necessity in the era of warring tribes. The tradition was maintained even after the advent of Islam, though provisions to accommodate and accept war in special situations, like a threat to the sovereignty of an empire, were introduced. The gory battle of Karbala was fought against this law and tradition of Islam.
The inhabitants on the banks of rivers Euphrates and Tigris were traditional rivals. Their animosity was contained to some extent by Muhammad. But when his son-in-law Hazrat Ali was the Caliph, the old enmityre surfaced. Hazrat Ali had two descendants, Hazrat Imam Hussain and Hazrat Imam Hassan. Hussain was the ruler of the part of the empire known today as Iran. The other part in modern Iraq was ruled by the Umayyads. Hussain was called upon by the Shiahs of Kufa, a small town in the Umayyad kingdom, to accept their allegiance and claim his place as the leader of the Islamic community. This was against the wishes of the ruler of Kufa, Yazid, who instructed his governor, Ibn-e-Ziad to take appropriate action. Meanwhile, in response to the call of the Shiahs, Hussain accompanied by his family members, headed for Kufa. When they reached Karbala, enroute to Kufa, the forces of the governor surrounded them and their 70 men. Hussain, his family and his troops were tortured and killed, and Hussain"s head was severed and presented to the king. They received no help from the Shiahs of Kufa. This happened on the tenth day of Muharram and it was called Ashura.
To commemorate this tragedy, the 40 days starting from the first day of Muharram to Chehalum, are observed as a period of mourning by the Shiahs. During this period, women foresake all adornments, even their bangles. All kinds of celebration like marriage are disallowed during this period. Shiah Muslims are celibate for these 40 days. The first 10 days however, are the most important and passionately observed as a period of mourning. During the first nine days of the month, majlish(enacted grief-stricken scenes from the battle of Karbala) are organised in Shiah mosques. Huge Shiah crowds wearing black assemble at imambaras, where plaintive verses in memory of Imam Hussain are recited. These nine days are also spent in making Taziahs.
On Ashura, the most important day, processions with Taziahs are taken outin commemeration of the sad event. The procession also includes a well-decorated horse, representing the horse of Imam Hussain. Emotional plays, enacting scenes from the battle of Karbala, are performed by bare-chested Shiah men. They strike their body with chains while some walk with bare feeton burning coals. Crying hai Hussain hum na rahe, meaning "Oh Hussain, we were not there", they express their anguish at their inability to have prevented him from being tortured. By beating themselves, the Shiahs relive the pain Hussain suffered and thus express their sorrow. They also distribute water, soft drinks and fruit juices to passers-by in an effort to quench the thirst of the six-month old son of Hazrat Imam Hussain and many others who are believed to have die dasking for water.
The Taziah processions from all over the town terminate at the Karbala of the city. Most old Indian habitations with a Muslim tradition have a specially marked place to represent the original Karbala.
The Taziahs are buried there. Sometimes they are dismantled so that they can be used again. Often they are immersed in a river. This is probably an adoption from the Hindu custom of immersing the idols of deities after aceremonial puja (see Durga Puja,Ganesha Utsav).
According to a popular belief among the Shiahs, the mud on the grave of Hazrat Imam Hussain turns blood red on Ashura.
Muharram is also a time for making vows. People pledge their promises to the Taziah of Hussain. They can do this in two ways. The first is by sending milk, a soft drink, dates or refined sugar to the craftsman who is making the Taziahs. The craftsman recites the Al- Fatiha breaks a coconut and distributes its water with the soft drink or milk in small cups to those present. The second method of making a vow is by performing an act of penance orself-torture before the Taziah. This is generally practiced by woman who volunteer to stand and watch over the Taziahs for a night or more. They go to the place where it is built, and accompany it through its route to the Karbala. This commitment is performed on the ninth night of the month of Muharram. Some people offer to roll on the ground for a certain distance in front of the Taziah as thanksgiving for favours that have been granted or forwish fulfillment. Though the 10 days of Muharram are a period of mourning for the Sunni sect too, they do not indulge in passion plays and nor do they cry out "Hussain Hussain" because their tradition stipulates grieving in silence.They keep a two-day roza on the ninth and tenth of the month, wear only black clothes and read the namaz and Al Fatiha five times a day.