Ashura

The 10th day of Muharram, Ashura holds profound but different meanings for Sunni and Shia Muslims. For Sunnis, it commemorates Moses’s deliverance from Pharaoh, marked by voluntary fasting. For Shias, it is the most solemn day of the year, mourning the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali at Karbala—a defining moment in Islamic history that shaped Shia identity and theology.

Sunni Observance

Historical Significance

Moses and Exodus:

• Day Moses and Israelites crossed Red Sea
• Pharaoh’s army drowned
• Deliverance from oppression
• Victory of good over evil

Hadith Basis: Prophet Muhammad found Jews of Medina fasting on Ashura, asking why. They said it commemorated Moses’s deliverance. Muhammad said Muslims have more right to honor Moses and fasted too.

Other Events (Tradition):

• Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Judi
• Abraham saved from Nimrod’s fire
• Job healed from illness
• Joseph reunited with Jacob
• Jonah freed from whale
• Day of many divine mercies

Fasting Practice

Recommended, Not Obligatory:

• Voluntary fast (highly meritorious)
• Expiates sins of past year (hadith)
• One of most important voluntary fasts

Prophetic Guidance:

• Fast on 10th (Ashura)
• Add 9th or 11th to differ from Jews
• “Fast the day of Ashura and differ from the Jews: fast the day before or the day after” (hadith)

Typical Practice:

• Fast 9th and 10th
• Or 10th and 11th
• Some fast all three

Charitable Acts:

• Giving charity on Ashura recommended
• Feeding family generously (some traditions)
• Good deeds emphasized

Shia Observance

The Tragedy of Karbala

680 CE, Karbala (modern Iraq):

Background:

• Hussein ibn Ali (Prophet’s grandson) refusing allegiance to Yazid I (Umayyad caliph)
• Hussein traveling to Kufa with family and companions
• Intercepted at Karbala
• Surrounded by Yazid’s army (~30,000)

The Battle (10 Muharram, 680 CE):

• Hussein’s small group (~72 fighting men) vs. massive army
• Cut off from water supply (3 days)
• All Hussein’s male companions and relatives killed
• Hussein finally killed, beheaded
• Women and children taken captive
• Hussein’s infant son killed in his arms

Aftermath:

• Heads displayed on spikes
• Survivors marched to Damascus
• Zainab (Hussein’s sister) spoke truth to power
• Martyrdom galvanized opposition to Umayyads

Theological Significance for Shia

Defining Moment:

• Crystallized Shia identity
• Legitimacy of Ali’s line affirmed
• Opposition to unjust authority
• Sacrifice for principles

Themes:

• Martyrdom: Willingness to die for truth
• Justice: Standing against oppression
• Sacrifice: Hussein gave everything
• Redemption: Suffering with purpose

Hussein’s Status:

• Master of Martyrs (Sayyid al-Shuhada)
• Grandson of Prophet
• Rightful Imam
• Symbol of resistance to tyranny

Mourning Rituals

Ten Days of Mourning (1-10 Muharram):

Majlis (Gatherings):

• Religious assemblies
• Recounting Karbala story
• Sermons and poetry
• Weeping and lamentation
• Every night of first 10 days

Passion Plays (Ta’ziyeh):

• Dramatic reenactments of Karbala
• Performed in streets
• Emotional, immersive
• Particularly in Iran

Processions:

• Massive street processions
• Black clothing
• Banners and flags
• Chest-beating (latmiyyah)
• Chanting elegies

Matam (Mourning):

• Beating chest rhythmically
• Some use chains on back (zanjeer)
• Controversial self-flagellation (tatbir - cutting forehead)
• Many clerics now discourage bloodshed

Food Distribution:

• Nazri (votive food)
• Feeding mourners and poor
• Communal meals
• Hospitality emphasized

Regional Variations

Iran:

• Strongest observance
• National mourning
• State-sponsored events
• Ta’ziyeh performances

Iraq:

• Pilgrimage to Karbala
• Millions visit Hussein’s shrine
• Emotional intensity
• Arba’een (40th day) pilgrimage even larger

Lebanon:

• Hezbollah-organized processions
• Political dimensions
• Strong community participation

Pakistan/India:

• Large processions
• Different sects within Shia
• Sunni-Shia tensions sometimes
• Some Sunnis participate in mourning

Western Diaspora:

• Community centers host majlis
• Adapted practices
• Educational emphasis
• Interfaith dialogue

Sunni-Shia Differences

Same Day, Different Meanings

Sunni:

• Moses and deliverance focus
• Fasting
• Gratitude and joy
• Minor observance

Shia:

• Karbala and Hussein focus
• Mourning
• Grief and resolve
• Central observance

Tensions

Historical:

• Some Sunnis view Shia mourning as excessive
• Shias see Sunni fasting as ignoring injustice
• Different understandings of early Islamic history

Modern:

• Some interfaith Ashura events
• Shared mourning of Hussein by some Sunnis
• Recognition of common values
• But deep divisions remain

Controversies

Self-Flagellation

Tatbir (cutting forehead):

• Small minority practice
• Highly controversial
• Many leading Shia clerics condemn
• Seen as giving bad image
• Blood donation alternative promoted

Scholarly Opposition:

• Ayatollah Khamenei, Sistani, and others forbid or discourage
• Argue it’s not Islamic
• Harms Shia reputation
• Better to honor Hussein by blood donation, charity

Persistence:

• Cultural tradition for some
• Emotional expression
• Declining but continues

Political Dimensions

Anti-Tyranny Message:

• Hussein vs. Yazid = people vs. oppressor
• Used in political rhetoric
• Iranian Revolution invoked Karbala
• Resistance movements cite Hussein

Sectarianism:

• Can exacerbate Sunni-Shia tensions
• Extremists on both sides exploit
• ISIS targeted Ashura gatherings
• Need for mutual respect

The Message of Ashura

For Sunnis, Ashura says: Allah delivers the oppressed. Moses and Israelites faced impossible odds—Red Sea before, Pharaoh behind. Allah parted waters. Deliverance comes to those who trust.

For Shias, Ashura says: Stand for truth even unto death. Hussein could have submitted to Yazid, lived comfortably, compromised. Instead: “Death with dignity is better than life in humiliation.”

Both meanings converge: Resistance to oppression. Faith over expediency. Principle over survival.

Hussein at Karbala, like Moses at Red Sea, faced overwhelming force. Moses lived; Hussein died. But both triumphed spiritually. Moses freed a people; Hussein awakened a consciousness.

Hussein’s sacrifice challenges every Muslim: What am I willing to die for? Or more challengingly, what am I willing to LIVE for?

The mourning isn’t mere grief—it’s solidarity with suffering. Every tear for Hussein is tear for all injustice. Every chest-beat is heartbeat for the oppressed. Every procession is march toward justice.

But mourning without action is hollow. As Hussein’s sister Zainab demonstrated: Speak truth to power. Don’t just weep—WITNESS.

The thirsty infant. The loyal companions. The brave women. The final stand. Karbala’s images sear into Shia consciousness, demanding: Which side are you on?

For Sunnis who fast: Remember Moses. Remember deliverance. Fast from injustice. Hunger for righteousness.

For Shias who mourn: Remember Hussein. Remember sacrifice. Don’t just lament—LIVE his values.

Ashura’s question to all: When crisis comes, will you submit to wrong or stand for right, whatever the cost?

“I only desire reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through Allah. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him I return.” — Words attributed to Hussein at Karbala

Some days change history. Ashura—whether remembered as Moses’s deliverance or Hussein’s martyrdom—is one.

May we honor their sacrifices by living justly, standing courageously, and never surrendering truth to convenience.