Karbala Pilgrimage - Ashura       

Muslims across the world observe Muharram as the first month of the lunar Hijri calendar, which marks the start of the Islamic New Year and is one of the four most sacred months of the calendar where fighting is prohibited.

The Shia Muslims consider Muharram to be the period of mourning and remembering martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Husain. The period of mourning starts from the 1^st night of Muharram and continues for the next 2 months and 8 days. Nonetheless, the first ten days of Muharram have more significance & mark the deadly battle of Karbala, where Imam Husain Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was brutally assassinated together with his family and supporters thousands years back at the Battle of Karbala which took place in the year 61 AH/ 680 CE on the 10^th day of Muharram, that is denoted as Ashura.

Shia Muslims dress in black regarded as the color of mourning dresses on the first day of Muharram and attend majlis (assemblies) where the orators narrate incidents of the battle of Karbala, Hazrat Imam Husain and his people. People assemble at mosques and in special assembly halls that are known as Imambaragah or Hussainia where sorrowful and poetic recitations, such as marsiya, noha, latmiya and soaz are performed to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain. Speeches are delivered about the battle of Karbala and people are advised to learn from these lessons of courage, patience and perseverance.  

Shia Muslims considered Imam Husain as their spiritual leader since he was a direct descendent of Prophet Muhammad (grandson of the Prophet). Hence, Shias felt that Imam Husain should lead the community as Caliph (political and spiritual leader) as per the tradition. However, the present ruling Caliph, Mu’awiyah, son of one of the Prophet’s enemies refused to agree to Imam Husain as the next Caliph. On the death of Mu’awiyah, the Caliphate passed on to his son, Yazid who demanded Hassan (Husain’s elder brother) and Husain to pay homage (Bay’at) to him and accept him as their rightful leader.

To Yazid’s surprise, Imam Husain refused to swear allegiance to Yazid and decided to travel to Kufa in Iraq to lead his supporters there against the Caliphate. On this side, Yazid ordered his army to stop Husain from reaching Kufa. Both the forces met at Karbala where Husain, together with his entire family and followers, were surrounded Yazid’s large troops. On being countered in such a situation, Husain still refused to swear allegiance and as a result, 72 armed men, 18 family members and 54 supporters were trapped in the harsh desert without water or any other supplies. They did not receive any help from the Shias of Kufa who promised to do so while sending the message to Imam Husain.

When Husain refused to swear allegiance to Yazid, the second Umayyad Caliph, he and his army were brutally massacred while traveling from Medina to Kufa. The battle took place on the 10^th day of Muharram. The Shias consider this day as a sorrowful and grieving occasion. For them, the martyrdom of Imam Husain is a religious occasion.

As stated by Prophet Muhammad, the best fasts after the fasts of Ramadan are those of the month of Muharram. Though these fasts are not obligatory as those of Ramadan, one who fasts during Muharram out of his own will be awarded by Allah. The fasts can be observed for the first ten days of Muharram or on the 9^th & 10^th day of Muharram. The choice of fasting totally depends on an individual.

The date of Ashura is only decided after the moon of Muharram is sighted. Moreover, the Ashura date can also vary from country to country, depending upon whether the moon has been sighted in that particular country or not. The month of Muharram is likely to begin on the 04^th November this year.  Therefore, the date of Ashura is expected to fall on the 13^th November, 2013.

Muslims across the world observe this day with great religious significance and the death is mourned & grieved by the Shia Muslims worldwide who commemorate Ashura as the day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husain Ali and his followers. On this day, Shia Muslims take out large processions through the streets carrying banners and colorfully decorated taziyahs (bamboo and paper replicas of the martyrs) embellished with gilt and mica. They even carry colorful replicas of the mausoleum of Hazrat Imam Husain at Karbala. To express their grief on the death of Hazrat Imam Husain, they beat their chest with hands, known as matam chanting ‘Ya Husain’ weeping loudly and walk barefoot on the roads, while the drums are beaten in the background. 

By crying and listening to poems and sermons about the tragedy on the assassination of Husain and his family, Shia Muslims try to connect themselves with Husain’s suffering and martyrdom. Some even flagellate or whip themselves with small knives or sharp tools attached to chains drawing out blood to feel the pain that Husain Ali and others had been through. The taziyehs, at the end of the day, are taken to the local burial ground, known as Karbala and buried.

Many Shia Muslims make pilgrimages on the day of Ashura to the Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine at Karbala in Iraq. This shrine is traditionally known to bear the tomb of Imam Husain.

On this 13 day trip, you will have the opportunity to visit most of the historically places & shrines associated with the martyrs of Karbala and observe Ashura in the sanctified domain of Mashhad al- Husayn and other notables.