Ashura

Ashura (Arabic: عَاشُورَاء, ʿĀshūrāʾ [ʕaːʃuːˈraːʔ]), also more formally as the Day of Ashura (Arabic: يوم عاشوراء, romanized: Yawm ʿĀshūrāʾ), is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of mourning as they annually commemorate the death of Husayn, grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam. Husayn's suffering and martyrdom became a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong, and for justice and truth against injustice and falsehood. He is a universal, borderless, interfaith and meta-religion symbol. Husayn and his companions are widely regarded as martyrs by all Muslims. Sunni Muslims also regard the killing of Husayn as a tragic event in Islamic history and commemorate it through sermons, remembrance, or other forms of reflection, although these observances generally differ from the mourning rituals characteristic of Shia Islam, particularly the more intensive forms of ritual mourning practiced. Ashura also marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites. It is also believed that on this day, Noah disembarked from the Ark, God forgave Adam, and Joseph was released from prison. Ashura is observed by Sunni Muslims through supererogatory fasting, prayer, and charitable acts. Some Sunni communities have also observed the day through celebratory practices, though certain forms of joyful commemoration have been criticized by Sunni scholars.