Jump to content

Ashura

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 86.56.172.99 (talk) at 21:47, 27 January 2007 (→significance of Ashura for [[Shi'a]]). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Day of Ashura
Official nameArabic: عاشوراء (‘Āshūrā’)
Also calledHosay, Tabuik
Observed bySunnis, Shi'a Muslims
TypeIslamic and national
SignificanceShi'a: marks the martrydom of Husayn ibn Ali, Sunni: Liberation of Moses and Israelites from Pharaoh
ObservancesMourn and derive messages from Husayn's Sacrifice; Sunni: Prayer, Fasting
Date10 Muharram
2025 datedate missing (please add)
Related toRemembrance of Muharram, which encompasses the first ten days of Muharram and Ashura
For the mythical demon in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, see Asura
For the Canaanite and Ugaritic mother-goddess, see Asherah.

The Day of Ashura (عاشوراء Template:ArTranslit, also Aashoora and other spellings) is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram but not the Islamic month.

This day is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (AD 680).

Furthermore Sunni Muslims believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of Israelites from Egypt. According to the Muslim tradition, Muhammad (SAW) fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.[1][2]

The word ashura means simply tenth in Arabic; hence the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means "the tenth day". The scholars, however, give various explanations as to why it is thus called.

Etymology of Ashura

The word Ashura is Arabic for tenth. In his book Ghuniyatut Talibin, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes that the Islamic scholars have a difference of opinion as to why this day is known as Ashura. The general consensus is that the day is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. Some scholars, however, suggest that this day is the tenth most important day that God has blessed Muslims with; hence the name Ashura.

commemoration of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali

Shi'a Muslims in Bahrain strike their chests during the Remembrance of Muharram.
Main article: Remembrance of Muharram

History

Main article: Battle of Karbala

This day is anniversary of the battle of Karbala which resulted in martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad a.s, by the army of Umayyad caliph,Yazid I.

significance of Ashura for Shi'a

This day is of particular significance to Shi'a Muslims, who consider Husayn the third Imam and a rightful successor of Prophet Muhammada.s. Many Shi'a make pilgrimages on Ashura to the Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine in Karbala, Iraq that is traditionally held to be Husayn's tomb. Shi'as also express mourning by thumping their chests and crying after listening to Speeches on How Hussain and his family were Martyred. This is intended to connect them with Husayn's suffering and death. Husayn's martyrdom is widely interpreted by Shi'a as a symbol of the struggle against injustice, tyranny, and oppression.

Some Shi'a observe Ashura with blood donation, mourning, and matam (beating of the chest). Certain rituals like the traditional flagellation ritual called zanjeer zani or zanjeer matam, involving the use of a zanjeer (a chain) are also performed. [4] The practice is not universal, and has been prohibited by most Shi'a marjas - many Shi'a enact the ritual by beating their chests symbolically. [5]

Many of the events associated with Ashura are held in special congregation halls known as "Imambargah".

Sunni Viewpoint of Martyrdom of Hussayn ibn Ali

Tabuiks (funeral biers) being lowered into the sea at a Muharram procession in West Sumatra, Indonesia

Husayn, according to Sunni tradition, is a historical personality that attained martyrdom in a special historical event. Accordingly, Sunnis deal with the tragedy of Karbala ' by investigating the historical causes that led to the martyrdom of Al-Husayn and his companions. Sunnis may at times differ in estimating its causes and results, what is right and what is wrong about it, but never ignore Husayn's grandreligious rank, affirmed by religious texts and his being the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.[3]

Also in some countries Sunnis mourn for Husayn like Shi'a. In Iran between 13th and 15th century they had commemorated it. Today in Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik (Minangkabau language) or Tabut (Indonesian).

commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali by non-Muslims

In some countries other religious communities commemorate this event. In Iran Armenian people participate in mourning.[4] In Trinidad and Tobago all ethnic and religious communities participate in the event, locally known as "Hosay".

Socio-political aspects

Commemoration of Ashura has great Socio-political value for Shi'a who has been a minority during history. "Al-Amd" asserts that the Shiite transference of Al-Husayn and Karbala ’ from the framework of history to the domain of ideology and everlasting legend, reflects their marginal and dissenting status in the Arab-Islamic society. Such an ideology helps Shiites maintain and reinforce their collective spirit against the Sunni multitude. According to the prevailing conditions at the time of the commemoration, such reminiscences may become a framework for implicit dissent or explicit protest. It was, for instance, used during the Islamic Revolution of Iran , the Lebanese Civil War, the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation and in the 1990s Uprising in Bahrain. Sometimes the `Ashura’ celebrations associate the memory of Al-Husayn’s martyrdom with the miserable conditions of Muslims in other non-Islamic third-world nations, on the pretence that every nation and era has their own Husayn.[5]

On the other hand some governments has banned this commemoration. In 1930s Reza Shah forbid it in Iran. The regime of Saddam Hussein saw this as a potential threat and banned Ashura commemorations for many years. In 1884 Hosay Massacre, 22 people were killed in Trinidad and Tobago when civilians attempted to carry out the Ashura rites, locally known as Hosay, in defiance of the British colonial authorities.

Other Islamic commemorations

According to Sunni tradition, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) observed the Ashura fast in Mecca, as did the local population where it was a common practice. When Prophet Muhammad led his followers to Medina, he found the Jews of that area fasting on the day of Ashura - or Yom Kippur - Ibrahim (Abraham). At this juncture, Prophet Muhammad confirmed and underlined the Islamic aspect of the fast, and it became mandatory for the Muslims. Ibn Hajar al-asqalani, in his commentary on Bukhari's collection, says that the obligatoriness of the fast was superseded by fasting in Ramadan, a year later. Today, Sunnis regard fasting on the 10th of Muharram as recommended, though not obligatory.

The Ashura is commemorated for the following occasions which Muslims believe happened on the 10th Day of the Muharram:

  • The deliverance of Noah from the flood
  • Abraham was saved from Nimrod's fire
  • Jacob's blindness was healed and he was brought to Joseph on this day
  • Job was healed from his illness
  • Moses was saved from the impeding Pharaoh's army
  • Jesus was brought up to heaven after attempts by the Romans to capture and crucify him failed.

Violence during Ashura

The Sunni and Shi'a schism is highlighted by the difference in observance by Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. In countries that have significant populations of both sects, there is often violence during the holiday. The violence is perpetrated by Sunni extremists who view Shi'a veneration of, and mourning for, al-Husayn as a sacrilegious act. Recently, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan have all seen violence during this time.

[6]

The 2004 (1425 AH) Shi'a pilgrimage to Karbala, the first since Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq, was marred by bomb attacks, which killed and wounded hundreds despite tight security.

Ashura in the Gregorian calendar

While Ashura is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year due to differences between the two calendars, since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. Furthermore, the method used to determine when each Islamic month begins varies from country to country. (For details, please see Islamic calendar.)

Future dates listed above are only estimates.

See also

References

  1. ^ Sahih Bukhari 1900; Sahih Muslim 1130
  2. ^ Javed Ahmad Ghamidi. Mizan, The Fast, Al-Mawrid
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Hamshahri, 3 Esfand 83 [2]
  5. ^ [3]


Stub icon

This religion-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This festival-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashura&oldid=103688262"