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“Muharram, or the “sacred month”, marks the beginning of the Muslim year. From the advent of Islam a number of important events have been commemorated on the tenth of this month. One of these was the deliverance of Moses and the Israelites from the tyranny of Pharaoh. The month is now primarily associated with the period of mourning the Shias observe in commemoration of the martyrdom of ‘Ali’s son and Muhammad’s grandson Husain. (‘Ali and his elder son Hasan are also remembered during this period as having suffered and died for the cause of righ-teousness.)
“On the tenth day of Muharram Husain was brutally murdered by troops of the Ummayyad Caliph Yazid (d. A.D. 683) after having refused to take the oath of fealty to him. He left Medina for Kufa in Iraq with a retinue of his women and children and close relatives. As Husain and his following approached the plains of Karbala, they were intercepted by Yazid’s troops under the command of ‘Ubaydullah, the governor of Kufa. On the morning of the fatal day, 10th Muharram, Husain fought brave]y till he was slain, the last on the battlefield. His violent death to this day awakens the sympathy of the faithful who com-memorate his martyrdom with sorrow and indignation.”
The Celebrations
“Among the Shi’as in India the following ceremonies are common, although considerable differences in detail may be observed according to regions. As soon as the new moon appears, people assemble in the imam bara (lit, enclosure of imam), a permanent meeting place built in stone or, as mostly in southern India, they assemble in the ‘ashur khanah (lit, ten-day house), a temporary structure. There they recite thefatihah over some sherbat (sweetened, cool drink), rice or sugar in Husain’s name. The cool drink is meant to remind the faithful of the terrible thirst Husain and his family and retinue had to suffer. Food and drink are later distributed to the public, especially to the poor. In some places a pit is dug in which a fire is lighted every evening of the festival, and young and old people fence across it with sticks or swords. Or they run around it calling out:
Ya’Ali! Ya’Ali! Shah Hasan! Shah Husain! Dulha! Hae Dost! Rahiyo! Oh ‘Ali! (Noble Hasan! Noble Husain! Bride-groom! Friend! Stay! Stay!)
“The’ashur khanah is usually draped with black cloth on which texts of the Quran are written. The imam bara, too, will be decorated. Inside are placed the ta ‘zian-s or tabuts, wooden structures covered with silver paper, coloured paper and tinsel fringes. They are made with imagination and artistic sense and are meant to represent Husain’s mausoleum, erected on the plains of Karbala, or else the Prophet’s tomb at Medina or even the Taj Mahal of Agra. Nearby are placed imitations of articles which Husain is supposed to have used at Karbala, e.g., a turban of gold, a sword, a shield, a bow and arrow. There are also’alam-s or standards of different shapes, each one having its own special name and history. Often the ‘a lam has the form of a human hand (panjab) fixed on top of the pole. This is the popular emblem representing the five members of the prophet’s family: Muhammad, Fatima, ‘Au, Hasan and Husain.”
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