The month of Muharram is upon us, the first month in the Islamic calendar. Even before the advent of Islam, Muharram was one of the four sacred months in which war and bloodshed were forbidden.
In Islamic traditions, the 10th of Muharram, is said to be amongst the most blessed of days. It is believed that on this day God accepted Adam’s appeal for forgiveness, rescued Prophet Jonah from the fish’s abdomen, restored the health of Job, saved Abraham from the fire of Nimrod, granted Solomon his kingdom, anchored Noah’s ark at Mount Judi after it had been sailing for six months.
The 10th of Muharram, known as Ashura, also marks the biggest tragedy in Islamic history. Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad was martyred at the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The tyrannical Yazid had declared himself ruler of the Islamic caliphate and ordered allegiance from Imam Hussain, who rose against those who acted falsely in the name of Islam. He refused to legitimise the unjust rule of a debauch tyrant.
Imam Hussain continued to fight valiantly till his head was severed from his body while he prostrated in prayer. Imam Hussain’s sacrifice continues to remind us the difference between falsehood and truth, the difference between Islam as taught by Prophet Muhammad and the false version as exploited and propagated for political gains.
Sadia Dehlvi is a Delhi-based writer and author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam.
