The faithful Shia Muslims, dressed in black, have converged on the streets and in mosques in all cities and towns to listen to elegies in commemoration of Ashura, the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram, which fell on Thursday in Iran.
On this solemn occasion, people also join mass mourning marches, while benefactors distribute votive food.
Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and 72 of his companions were martyred in the Battle of Karbala, in southern Iraq, in 680 AD after fighting courageously for justice against the much larger army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, which some historians estimate to have been 100,000-strong.
Ashura, which is the culmination of a 10-day annual mourning period in Muharram, is also commemorated by Shia Muslims in several countries across the world.
The Muharram ceremonies symbolize the eternal and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression, the cause for which Imam Hussein was martyred.
The annual mourning rituals are observed in ultimate magnificence in the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, the latter of which hosts Imam Hussein’s holy shrine.
On the eve of Ashura, known as Tasu’a, Shia Muslims paid special tribute to Abbas ibn Ali, the half-brother of Imam Hussein, because of his sacrifices in the Battle of Karbala.
No doubt, Imam Khomeini was staunch supporter of holding these ceremonies where the sufferings of the members of the prophet’s household are expressed and explained for the participants. But he wanted these ceremonies to become a platform for promotion of real Ashura culture and genuine teachings of Islam.
Imam Khomeini time and again had maintains the culture of Ashura challenges and confronts all types of oppression, tyranny, colonialism and carries cultural, social and political messages. The infallible successors of the holy prophet have recommended of holding such a religious gatherings where sufferings of the Imam Hussein and his pure progeny (peace be upon them) must be expressed. The infallibles wanted these ceremonies to become the platform for promotion of justice and real Islamic administration be developed from such stages.
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