Remembrance Day for Shiites. What are the main differences between Sunnis and Shiites? How the events take place

It's no secret that when looking at the calendar, people call any memorable days holidays. Even if they smell of gunpowder, these are days of joyful victory. We are not used to celebrating death days; we would rather celebrate birthdays. On a memorable day, let us prefer a feast to bitter tears, even if it is a day of remembrance. That’s the way a person is: while he’s alive, he wants to have fun, and drive away everything bad from his heart and from his calendar, so as not to become an eyesore.

Even calendars of religious holidays are called calendars of holidays, no matter what martyrs are being honored on a particular date. It's a holiday and that's it. This includes Ashura, celebrated by Shiite Muslims on November 24, the tenth day of the holy month of Muharram. For Shiites, Ashura is more of a day of mourning. And at the same time, this is the culmination of the universal mystery contained in the Hijri calendar - the moment of death and rebirth of the universe in a new quality.

On this day the heavens, the Earth, angels and man were created. The end of the world will happen on the same day. On the day of Ashura, Noah saw the earth after the flood, the waters of the Red Sea parted before Moses, the prophet Jesus was ascended to heaven, and Adam received forgiveness and was returned to paradise.

On this day in 680, in the desert near a place called Karbala, the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Hussein ibn Ali, died a martyr's death.

This was preceded by a series of equally tragic events. Hussein's elder brother, Hassan, entered into an agreement with the founder of the Umayyad dynasty, Muawiya, about his temporary abdication from the post of caliph for the entire life of Muawiya. This gesture was supposed to end the old enmity and bring the long-awaited peace, but this agreement did not bring good and peace to Hassan himself. After his abdication, Muawiyah bribed Hassan’s wife, and she poisoned her husband. According to the terms of the oaths, after the death of Muawiya, the caliphate was to pass to Hassan or to his younger brother Hussein. But Muawiya had other plans and he appointed his son Yazid, a very depraved man by Islamic standards, who abused wine, women and invited jesters to the court, as the next caliph.

When Mu'awiyah demanded that influential people, including the Prophet's grandson, swear an oath of allegiance to Yazid, Hussein refused. Many were dissatisfied with the power of the Umayyads. The citizens of the country were especially outraged by the fact that the caliph gave preference to Arabs over Muslims of other nationalities, and this contradicted the Koran. The opposition was also fueled by growing social inequality. Therefore, when Hussein refused to recognize Yazid’s power, he was simply bombarded with letters with promises of support. Especially many of them came from Kufa, modern Iraq. Its residents even offered Hussein to lead their uprising.

At the same time, Yazid sent hired assassins to rid him of the recalcitrant claimant to the caliphate. The news of this found Hussein during the Hajj in Mecca, a holy city in which blood cannot be shed. To prevent desecration of the holy land, Hussein left the city without completing the hajj. He decided to accept the offer of the people of Kufa and went there along with his supporters. However, already on the way, he learned that Yazid had successfully suppressed the uprising that had begun, and the people who had promised him their support began to kill his supporters. The result of the hopeless campaign was that near Karbala, Hussein’s detachment was surrounded by Yazid’s 30,000-strong army and cut off from the water. Hussein and his supporters, including women and children, spent eight days surrounded without water or food. Only one of the heroes, Abbas, Hussein's half-brother, managed to break through to the Euphrates River and collect two skins of water. However, on the way back, his enemies grabbed him and cut off his hands. Considering that this was enough, the hero was released. To their amazement, Abbas, deprived of arms and suffering from loss of blood, grabbed the wineskins with his teeth and carried them to Hussein's camp. No one interfered with him and, having brought the precious water to his friends suffering from thirst, he died of his wounds.

When the enemy announced his intention to attack on the ninth day, Hussein asked for a delay until the morning so that he and his supporters could perform namaz. A reprieve was given. Taking advantage of this, Hussein ordered all the torches to be extinguished and suggested that the weak in spirit leave the camp so as not to suffer inevitable martyrdom. With the Prophet's grandson remained 72 of his most loyal supporters and family members, only 18 of whom were men capable of fighting. Yazid's army increased to 45 thousand soldiers.

At dawn a hopeless battle began. One after another, Hussein's comrades died. He himself suffered 56 wounds before a man named Shimr was able to kill him by cutting off his head. Later, this head was presented on a golden tray to Yazid, and he beat his already dead opponent with a stick.

The surviving women and children were captured and taken as slaves to Yazid's court. Hussein's two children, aged thirteen and eleven, died during the battle. His six-month-old son, whom his father asked to give water to drink before the battle, was also shot with arrows.

A Brief List of the Differences Between Sunnis and Shiites

Let's look at the SUNNIS first

They unanimously consider it true and protected from any additions or subtractions. They understand it in accordance with the basics of the Arabic language, they believe in every letter of it, and they believe that it is the word of Allah Almighty, neither appeared nor created, and that no lie can approach it either from the front or from behind. It is the first source for all beliefs and attitudes of Muslims.

This is the second Sharia source that explains the Koran, and one cannot contradict the norms contained in any hadith transmitted from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in an authentic way. The authenticity of hadiths is verified in accordance with the principles on which the Muslim community's scholars agree on the science of hadith terminology, namely: through the study of isnad, regardless of the gender of the transmitters - these differences are taken into account only as regards the testimony of reliable people. Each transmitter has its own history and certain, well-known hadiths, both reliable and those whose reliability has been questioned. The Muslims achieved this through the most painstaking work that history has ever known. Hadiths transmitted by liars and unknown persons are not accepted. Family ties or family affiliation of any kind also cannot serve as a basis for accepting hadith, because this is the greatest responsibility that is higher than any such factors.

Companions

They unanimously respect the Companions and when mentioning them they say: “May Allah be pleased with them.” They attribute the disagreements that took place between the companions to the ijtihads that they did, being sincere, and all this is in the past and we do not have the right to grow on the basis of these events the anger passed on from generation to generation. Companions are those whom Allah has spoken of better than any other community. He praised them in many places in His Book and especially justified some of them, so that no one has the right to accuse them after this acquittal, and these accusations cannot bring any good to anyone.

Monotheism

They believe that Allah is the Only One, the All-Conqueror, and He has no partners and no equals or likes to Him, and there are no intermediaries between Him and His slaves. And they believe in the verses that mention the Qualities of Allah as they were revealed, without interpreting them, without denying them, and without likening the Qualities of Allah to the qualities of creation: “There is nothing like Him...”. And they believe that He sent messengers and commissioned them to convey His message, and they delivered it without holding anything back. And they believe that the unseen is known only to Allah, and that it will be possible to intercede before Allah only if certain conditions are met: “Who will intercede before Him except with His permission.” And they believe that prayer, vow, sacrifice and aspiration can only be dedicated to Him, the Most High, and cannot be dedicated to anyone else. And only He owns good and evil, and no one can have power or command contrary to His will, whether living or dead. Everyone without exception needs His mercy. And the knowledge of Allah, as they believe, should be carried out through the Sharia and the verses of Allah before the mind, because the mind may not come to the right conclusions on its own, and only then a person must reflect, using his mind and finding peace.

Is it possible to see Allah?

Allah can be seen only in the eternal world, since the Almighty Himself said: “Some faces on that day will shine and look at their Lord.”

The Secret

Only Allah Almighty knows the unseen, and He revealed something of the unseen to His prophets, including Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) for certain purposes: “They comprehend from His knowledge only what He wishes.”

According to the most correct opinion, these are all his followers professing the Islamic religion. They are also said to be God-fearing members of his community. They also say that these are his believing relatives from among Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib.

Sharia and truth

They believe that Sharia is the truth, and that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not hide anything from his community of knowledge, and there is no good that he did not point out to them, and there is no evil from which he didn't warn them. And Allah Almighty said: “Today I have completed your religion for you.” The sources of religion are the Qur'an and Sunnah, and they do not need any additions, since how one should act, worship and maintain contact with Allah is quite clear and understandable without any intermediaries. And only Allah knows the truth about His servants and one cannot whitewash anyone in defiance of Allah. And from the words of all people, some are accepted and some are rejected, except for the infallible Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Ahlyu-s-Sunnah strictly adheres to the norms established by the Qur'an. These norms are explained by the words and actions of the Messenger, recorded in the most pure Sunnah. They also rely on the words of the Companions and their reliable followers, because their era was closest to the era of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and they were the most sincere towards him. And no one has the right to establish new laws in religion after Allah has completed it. However, in new, emerging issues and circumstances and in what the Shariah does not talk about in detail, one should turn to reliable Muslim scholars who make decisions solely within the framework of the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Loyalty

Absolute submission is implied. They believe that such obedience can only be in relation to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), because Allah Almighty said: “Whoever is submissive to the Messenger is submissive to Allah.” As for all other people, loyalty towards them is limited by the Shariah, since there cannot be obedience to the creation in what is disobedience to the Creator.

This implies hiding true beliefs and demonstrating others in order to avoid evil. They believe that it is not permissible for a Muslim to deceive Muslims with words or appearance, since the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He who deceives us is not among us.” Concealing true beliefs and demonstrating others is permitted only in relation to unbelieving enemies of religion and only during war, since war is a trick. A Muslim must be truthful and courageous when it comes to the truth, and not do anything for show, not lie or act treacherously, but give good advice, encourage him to do what Islam approves and deter him from what it condemns.

The state must be ruled by a caliph who is elected from among the Muslims. The main requirement for a caliph is suitability for the position held, that is, he must be reasonable, prudent, knowledgeable, known for his righteousness and honesty and the ability to bear such responsibility. He is chosen by the most worthy and prudent representatives of the Muslim community. And they remove him if he ceases to meet the necessary conditions or goes against the rulings of the Koran and Sunnah. All Muslims are obliged to obey him. They see ruling as a burden and responsibility rather than an honor and a trophy.

And now onto the SHIITES

Some question its veracity. Finding in it contradictions to their beliefs, they give these verses strange interpretations so that they are consistent with their madhhab. Therefore they were called Muta'awwilits or "interpreters." They like to point out the disagreements that arose at the beginning of the written record, and cite the words of their imams, taken from their recognized Sharia sources.

They rely only on the reports traced back to Ahl al-Bayt, and some reports from those who participated in Ali's political battles on his side, and reject everything else. They do not pay attention to the isnad of the message and scientific methods, and often say for example: “From Muhammad ibn Ismail from one of our comrades from another person, what he said...”. Their books are filled with tens of thousands of messages, the authenticity of which is impossible to verify, and on these messages they base their religion. At the same time, they rejected more than three quarters of the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). And this is one of the most important differences between them and Muslims.

Companions

Shiites believe that the Companions became unbelievers after the death of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), with the exception of a few (they can be counted on the fingers of two hands). They give Ali a special place. Some of them consider him the successor of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), others consider him a prophet, and others consider him God. And they judge Muslims by their attitude towards Ali. They consider those who were elected rulers before Ali to be oppressors or unbelievers. And anyone who contradicts his opinion is an oppressor, an unbeliever or a wicked person. The same is the case with those who contradicted his descendants. Thus, they created a huge meanness in history and filled it with hostility and slander, and Shiism turned into a historical school that carried this harmful teaching through many generations.

Monotheism

They believe in Allah Almighty and His Oneness, but these beliefs are mixed with actions that are shirk. They make supplications not only to Allah, but also to His servants and say: “O ‘Ali!”, “O Husayn!”, “O Zeinab!” and make vows and make sacrifices other than Allah and make requests to the dead. They have many prayers and verses that can serve as confirmation of this. They use them in their worship and consider their imams to be infallible and attribute to them knowledge of the sacred and the ability to control the Universe. It was the Shiites who invented Sufism to establish these distorted concepts. They believe that the righteous (awliya), the “saints” and Ahlul-Bayt have special powers. They instill in their followers the concept of class within a religion and the transfer of position by inheritance. All this has no basis in religion. Their knowledge of Allah should be carried out with the help of reason, and not Sharia, and what is mentioned in the Koran is just a confirmation of the conclusions that reason makes, and not something fundamentally new.

Is it possible to see Allah?

Allah cannot be seen either in this world or in the hereafter.

The Secret

They claim that secret knowledge is the exclusive right of their imams, and even the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) does not have the right to report something from the secret. Therefore, some deify these imams.

Family of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)

This is only his son-in-law 'Ali and some of 'Ali's sons, as well as their children and grandchildren.

Sharia and truth

They believe that Shariah is the norm brought by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and concerns exclusively ordinary people and those who have only superficial knowledge of religion. And the truth (or special knowledge about Allah) is granted exclusively to the imams of Ahlul-Bayt (that is, only to some members of the family of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)), and they receive knowledge by inheritance - it is passed on from generation to generation and they keep it in secret. And imams are infallible and all their actions are divine law. And all their actions are permissible, and communication with Allah can be maintained only through intermediaries, who are imams. Therefore, they come up with names and titles for themselves that indicate excessive exaltation of themselves, for example: “waliyullah” (closer of Allah), “babullah” (the gate of Allah), “ma’sum” (infallible), “hujatullah” (the argument of Allah) and etc.

They rely on specific sources that they attribute to their imams (several specific ones), as well as on the interpretations that they gave to the verses of Allah. At the same time, they deliberately contradict the majority of representatives of the Muslim community. They also believe that their infallible mujtahid imams have the right to establish new norms, which is what actually happened. Thus, new standards were established regarding:

Azan, times of prayer, and method of performing it.

Time to begin fasting and breaking the fast.

Actions of Hajj and other pilgrimages (ziyara).

Some questions about zakat and those to whom zakat is given.

Loyalty

They consider loyalty one of the pillars of their faith. For them it is faith in imams (including the one who lives in the basement). And the one who is not loyal to Ahlul-Bayt is not called a believer; prayer cannot be performed under his leadership, nothing from the obligatory zakat can be given to him, but ordinary alms can be given to him as an unbeliever.

Despite the differences between Shia groups, they all consider this a duty, without which the madhhab cannot exist. They learn the basics of it secretly and openly and put it into practice, especially when they find themselves in difficult circumstances - they begin to overly praise those whom they actually consider unbelievers who deserve to be killed and destroyed. They consider anyone who does not follow their madhhab to be an unbeliever. They apply the principle “The end justifies the means.” Taqiyya allows Shiites any form of lies, intrigues and hypocrisy.

Imamate or government

Their power is inherited from ‘Ali and the sons of Fatima (there are disagreements between Shiite groups regarding specific individuals). For this reason, they are never sincerely loyal to rulers who do not fall into the above category. And since their theory was not realized in history as they expected, they added the theory of return to this world (raj'a), which consists in the assertion that at the end of time their last imam, called the Primate (al- Qaim) and, emerging from his basement, will destroy all his political opponents and return to the Shiites their rights, usurped by other groups for many centuries.

Muharram, muharrem ( مُحَرَّم ‎‎ - Arabic. "reserved", "sacred") - the name of the first month of the Muslim lunar calendar (Hijri). The first 10 days of Muharram are days of mourning among Shiites, dedicated to the memory of the Great Martyr Hussein .

Month of Muharram

In pre-Islamic Arabia, this month was especially revered, along with the months of Rajab, Zulkada and Zulhija. These were the so-called “forbidden” months, during which war and bloodshed around the Kaaba were not allowed.

The most revered day of the month of Muharram is the tenth day or Day of Ashura, which is celebrated by both Shia and Sunni Muslims.

Other days of the month of Muharram are also marked by significant events:

Ashura

The tenth day of the month of Muharram is called Ashura ( عاشوراء ‎‎ Arabic) - lit. "tenth day" The day of Ashura marks the culmination of Shiite mourning ceremonies and the commemoration of Imam Hussein, while Sunnis celebrate the victory of Musa over the army of the Egyptian pharaoh.

A number of other noteworthy events took place on the same day. For example, the ship of the prophet Nuh landed at Mount Judi, the prophet Ibrahim, who was thrown into the fire, was saved, after a long separation, the prophet Yaqub met with his son Yusuf, the prophet Muhammad arrived in Medina.

Ashura Day also marks the tragic events of October 10, 61 AH. (680), when in the battle of the city of Karbala, in a clash with the caliphic troops under the command of Umar ibn Saad, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein ibn Ali, his brother Abbas, their relatives and 70 of their companions were killed. The reason for the battle was Imam Hussein's refusal to recognize Yazid I (645-683), to whom power was transferred by his father and founder of the Umayyad dynasty, Caliph Mu'awiya (603-680), as caliph.

The Battle of Karbala proved to be a turning point in the division of the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam.

Shakhsey-vahsey

In this regard, Shiites annually celebrate the first ten days of Muharram in mourning for the murdered and beheaded Hussein, whom they consider their third infallible imam. The culmination of mourning events occurs on the day of Ashura.

In memory of the martyrdom of Hussein, it is customary for Shiite communities to hold a number of mourning ceremonies. These include memorial services (majalis al-tazia); visiting the tomb of Hussein in Karbala, especially on the day of Ashura and on the 40th day of commemoration after Ashura (ziyarat al-arbain), religious mourning ceremonies (al-mawaqib al-Husayniyya), theatrical performances of the battle of Karbala (shabih), self-flagellation ( tatbir) .

In memory of the innocent blood of the imam, participants in the tatbir ceremony commit self-torture, beat themselves in the chest with their fists, hit themselves with chains on the back or with a sword (talwar) on the head, which leads to bleeding. Self-flagellation is accompanied by exclamations: “Shah Hussein! Wah, Hussein!” (King Hussein! Oh, Hussein!), where the name of the ceremony comes from - Shahsey-vahsey.

Traditionalist Shiites adhere to the bloody practice of self-flagellation. As a result, during the days of Ashura, hospitals in Karbala admit several hundred people daily suffering from severe bleeding. A more progressive form of tatbir is blood donation.

In 2017, the Qadi Council of the Caucasus Muslim Office called for blood donation instead of self-flagellation. In Baku, at least 2,500 people responded to this call.

On the days of Ashura, Shiites do not fast - this is prohibited by hadiths. In Islam, fasting is an act of expressing gratitude to Allah. On the contrary, these days charity lunches or dinners (nazri) are organized in mosques, and parishioners donate food and sweets.

Day of Ashura for Sunnis

If for Shiite Muslims Ashura is a day of mourning, then for Sunnis Ashura is a holiday that is associated with the memory of the victory granted by Allah to Musa (Moses) and the sons of Israel over the army of the Egyptian Pharaoh.

For this reason, Sunni Muslims fast on the day of Ashura. The history of this post dates back to the beginning of the Medina period in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. According to hadiths from the collection of Bukhari, when the Prophet Muhammad moved to Medina, he discovered that for the Jews, the day of Ashura was a day of fasting (a day of cleansing from sins - Leviticus 16:29). When the prophet inquired about the reason for this, he was told that on this day Allah saved the prophet Musa and the sons of Israel from the army of the Egyptian Pharaoh, and, as a sign of gratitude, Musa began to fast. To this, Muhammad replied that Muslims are closer to the tradition of Musa than the Jews and began to fast, ordering his ascetics to do the same.

Since it is known that the ancient Arabs also fasted on the day of Ashura, this tradition in its origins is considered pan-Semitic. One of the hadiths transmitted by Aisha mentions that the Prophet Muhammad himself, while still in Mecca, along with other Quraysh, also fasted on the day of Ashura, and after moving to Medina, he continued this tradition.

Fasting, which Muslims may observe on the 10th of Muharram, is desirable but not obligatory. This opinion, in particular, was held by the Sunni theologian Abu Hanifa (699-767): “Fasting on the day of Ashura. This is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. It is advisable to fast on this day on the eleventh, if you did not fast on the ninth.” After fasting in the month of Ramadan was declared obligatory, the obligatory fasting in the month of Muharram was abolished.

According to the Sunnah of the Prophet, in order to differ from the Jews, it is better to fast in the month of Muharram for 2 days (on the 9th and 10th, or on the 10th and 11th days).

Calendar

• 1st Muharram 1439 AH - September 21, 2017
• 1 Muharram 1440 AH - September 11, 2018
• 1 Muharram 1441 AH - August 31, 2019

Ashura:

• September 30, 2017
• September 20, 2018
• September 9, 2019

Notes:

1. Madelung W. Ḥosayn b. ʿAli // Encyclopaedia Iranica.
2. Rezvan E.A. al-Qibla // Islam: encyclopedic dictionary. Rep. ed. S.M. Prozorov. - M.: Nauka, 1991. P. 137.
3. Ali-zade A.A. Ali Zain al-Abidin // Islamic encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Ansar, 2007.
4. Abou-Samra, S. Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures. New York, 2011. P. 152.
5. Karbala is a city in modern Iraq, 100 km southwest of Baghdad. In this holy city for Shiites there is a sanctuary of Imam Hussein - a mosque and the place of his burial.
6. Hussein's son, Zein al-Abidin (658-712), survived, as well as women and young children who were sent to Damascus. In 682, Caliph Yazid released them all, allowing them to return to Mecca.
7. Madelung W. Ḥosayn b. ʿAli // Encyclopaedia Iranica; A Li-zade A.A. Muharram // Islamic encyclopedic dictionary. M.: Ansar, 2007.
8. Riess J. The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi"i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran // Publishers Weekly, 15/11/2004.
9. Nakash Y. The Shi "is of Iraq. Princeton & Oxford, 2003. P. 142; P. 77-78; Weiss M. In the Shadow of Sectarianism. Law, Shi "is and the making of modern Lebanon. Cambridge (Mass.), London, 2010. P. 33.
10. Nakash Y. An Attempt To Trace the Origin of the Rituals of Āshurā¸ // Die Welt des Islams, 33 (2), 1993. S. 161–181.
11. Kushev V.V. Ashura // Islam: encyclopedic dictionary. Rep. ed. S.M. Prozorov. M.: Nauka, 1991.
12. Iraqi Shiites were urged to abandon self-torture // Korrespondent.net, 01/10/2011.
13. Mervin S. "Ashura": Some Remarks on Ritual Practices in Different Shiite Communities (Lebanon and Syria) // The Other Shiites: From the Mediterranean to Central Asia. A. Monsutti, S. Naef, F. Sabahi. Bern, Berlin, N.Y., Oxford, 2007. P. 146.; Shiites of Azerbaijan held blood donation campaigns on Ashura Day // Caucasian Knot, 10.13.2016.
14. Sahih al-Bukhari. Book 31, hadith 222; Book 55, hadith 609; Book 58, hadith 279; Sahih Muslim. Book 6, Hadith 2518, 2519, 2520; Katz M.H. The Birth of The Prophet Muhammad: Devotional Piety in Sunni Islam. London: Routledge, 2007. pp. 113-115.
15. Sahih Muslim. Book 6, Hadith 2499.
16. Types of fasts according to the madhhab of Imam Abu Hanifa // Islam.ru.
17. Ali-zade A.A. Muharram // Islamic encyclopedic dictionary. M.: Ansar, 2007.

In the Muslim tradition, there are days on which joy is mixed with mourning. They give rise to special feelings in the souls of believers. Take, for example, the festival of Ashura. This is a great day for any Muslim. People get together, hold theatrical events and remember historical events that happened many centuries ago. What is the Ashura holiday associated with, what is its meaning? Let's figure it out.

Muslim holiday of Ashura

The Islamic calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar we are used to. It is lunar, that is, the day is counted by the movement of our satellite. Ashura falls on the tenth day of the Muslim holy month of Muharram. In 2016 - October 11. They begin to celebrate it at sunset of the previous day. Shiites and Sunnis view this day differently, although both branches of Islam consider it a holiday.

The name of the holiday comes from the number ten - “ashara” in Arabic. On this day, according to Islam, the heavens and earth, angels and the first man were created. Adam is the forefather of all mankind. According to legend, he repented of his sins, and the Almighty also blessed him on the day of Ashura. In addition, the date is associated with many other historical events that are usually remembered during various celebrations. Muslims are confident that on this day the Last Judgment will one day come, when Allah will evaluate the activities of all people living on the planet. Believers try to fulfill the commandments of the prophet.

Ashura holiday: the day of remembrance of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein

In addition to the creation of the world, the date described is associated with more real historical events. In 680, the Battle of Karbala (present-day Iraq) took place. According to legend, the grandson of the Prophet, his brother Abbas, and 70 other companions took part in it. They were tortured in a way “that was not done to the worst of people.” According to sources, the soldiers were not given water, they were burned with fire, chopped with swords, their heads were nailed to crosses, and horses were run over their bodies. The heroes steadfastly withstood all the tests, preferring death to the shame of betrayal. They have proven their unwavering faith. Muslims always remember the plight of these people by organizing special events. Shiites observe strict fasting in memory of the martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson on the day of Ashura. They consider it mournful. This rule is mandatory for all Shia believers. Sunnis have a different attitude towards the memory of Imam Hussein. They observe fasting and mourning at will.

How the events take place

In cities and villages, people organize the Ashura holiday in advance. On this day, it is customary to organize theatrical performances in which scenes of the Battle of Karbala are played out. There is nothing joyful in such an event. On the contrary, believers look at the production, experiencing the suffering of the characters as if they were their own. It is considered normal to cry during a performance, in this way expressing sadness, emphasizing the mourning of the day.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the production. It is organized by the community, that is, everyone can become an actor during the celebration. There are no people among Shiites who wonder what kind of holiday the “Day of Ashura” is. Everyone has been familiar with the tradition of holding events and the special beliefs of this date since childhood (more on them below). The history of the Ashura holiday is taught in religious educational institutions. Believers are instilled with respect for the heroism of the Prophet's grandson and his companions.

Presentation Details

As a rule, a temporary stage is built in the central square of the village. People gather in this place. An indispensable attribute of the event are empty jugs or water bottles. They symbolize the thirst that plagued fallen heroes. People come to the platform in mourning clothes or with pieces of black fabric. This is how mourning is expressed. A model of the oven is being built nearby, into which, according to legend, the head of Imam Hussein was stuck. The improvised stage is decorated with knives, daggers and other bladed weapons used in those distant times for torture. Various chains and shackles are hung interspersed. All the decorations are designed to make people figuratively imagine historical events and empathize with them.

Procession of mourners

The events don't end with the presentation. People, inspired by the scenes of historical events they watched, hold a procession through the streets of the village. They carry black mourning flags. Shouts are heard everywhere: “Shah Hussein, wah, Hussein!” Many carry chains and bladed weapons with which they hit themselves in the chest. This is also a kind of expression of grief. The procession stretches for many kilometers. People walk in mourning clothes, united by common grief.

Women cry out loud, showing grief. Everyone who lives in the village tries to take part in the procession. To refuse is to commit a sin or shameful act. Only bedridden patients may not leave home on this day. They mourn in their beds, trying to also fast.

By the way, there are several interesting customs associated specifically with sick people. In general, the events last almost a day. And everyone considers it an honor to contribute to their organization and conduct.

Traditions of Ashura Day

As already mentioned, women cry out loud during the performance and procession. They carry with them a small vessel - a teardrop. It collects moisture from the eyes. Muslims are sure that it has healing properties. If you collect tears in this, you can get rid of all diseases. Prophet Muhammad blesses all who mourn with him. This is what makes tears a miracle cure. They smear them on the affected areas, drink them, and the like. The celebration of Ashura begins with a special service. Muslims gather in mosques for common prayer.

Young people and children are then invited to ceremonial readings - a kind of religious lessons. People are told about the suffering of Imam Hussein and his comrades. Such public readings are not only organized by clergy. And ordinary believers can, on their own initiative, gather neighbors for a literary and historical event.

Holiday treats

Particularly pious citizens do not stop at prayer and solemn procession. They know from childhood that on the day of Ashura in Islam it is customary to do good deeds. People host charity dinners. Anyone can come to them. This event is different from a regular dinner party. The organizers will consider it an honor to treat anyone who honors them with their presence.

People are seated at tables, where they slowly eat what is offered by the owners. And at this time, books of theological content are read, discussions are held about the deeds and exploits of the Prophet Muhammad, and the exploits of Imam Hussein and his ascetics are always mentioned. Such a charity dinner is a deed pleasing to Allah. The organizers are happy when they manage to host many random guests. People of other faiths are also not driven away. They are seated at tables and the essence of the tradition is explained. Islam is a peace-loving religion. And on holidays this is felt in a very special way.

Visiting the sick

Another type of charity also occupies a special place in Islam. People believe that visiting a bedridden patient on this day is the same as visiting all the children of Allah. Indeed, those who cannot take part in events with the community are doubly deprived, since they still suffer from illness. On the day of Ashura, people always try to sit at the bedside of sick relatives or friends. They bring them treats, try to distract them from the hardships of their illness, and entertain them.

If a sick person asks for a drink, then people believe that Allah has blessed the one to whom the request is made. And in general, giving someone water is a special joy. This is a sign of good luck and joy for Christians. Of course, when the request for water turned out to be accidental, not a setup. Believers believe that by freeing a person from thirst on this day, they gain forgiveness of all sins.

Washing tradition

Another belief is associated with water. Like Christians on Epiphany, there is a tradition among Muslims to perform a full ablution on the day of Ashura. If you take a swim, you will be protected from diseases and misfortunes. It’s very similar to diving in a frosty hole. Only the day of Ashura falls on a warmer time and it is not necessary to swim in an open spring.

On the festive night, believers do not sleep. It is carried out in prayers (ibadat). This is a tradition of worship. Anyone who can endure the whole night and fast in the morning will be freed from the agony of death. Believers try to accustom children to this tradition. The family spends the entire night in vigil. The elders tell the kids the essence of the ritual and read historical narratives. This is one of the ways of transmitting religious traditions through the family. In the morning, no one rushes to the table for breakfast; you need to fast. This is the time for ablutions. Afterwards they go to the mosque, then you can visit the sick or go to a charity dinner. All day long, believers try to be friendly with others.

Tradition of generosity

Another belief is related to gifts. It is believed that whoever is generous with people dependent on him on the day of Ashura will receive a blessing from Above. Allah will also grant him the fulfillment of his dreams. This belief results in the tradition of giving gifts to relatives. By the way, women often use the custom to ask their spouse for something unusual that he had previously refused. Of course, it is not in the traditions of Muslim wives to be impudent. But they get some concessions.

Men will consider it an honor to show generosity to those who will accept it with gratitude. They believe that then throughout the year Allah will help them in their affairs. A very good and pleasant tradition for everyone. The hired workers are also lucky. At enterprises and organizations, owners can give out a special bonus for the holiday. It is believed that Allah will reward you for this and give you entrepreneurial success for the whole year.

Public holiday in Iran

This country is Shiite. Therefore, the Ashura holiday in Iran is celebrated publicly. People gather in mosques. The head of state addresses the people with a funeral speech. Everyone mourns and remembers the heroes who opposed the numerous army of “villains” in a small detachment. Television stations are reporting from mourning events. This event is used by the authorities to unite people and strengthen their spirit.

Iran has been under sanctions from almost the entire world for more than forty years. Life in this country is quite difficult. But the people did not complain, steadfastly enduring the tests. People are united by the spirit of a common idea. They were able to prove to the outside world that they were able to resist injustice. And religious tradition played a significant role in nurturing this national perseverance.

For Iranians, Ashura Day is a truly unifying holiday. They feel like they are not just descendants of heroes they have heard about since infancy. In fact, the people of Iran managed to repeat this feat, and their suffering lasted much longer. Perhaps because of this sense of direct involvement, people greet the day of Ashura with a special sense of pride.