Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali

See also: Day of Ashura

The Remembrance of Muharram (Arabic: ???? ???? or ?????? ????) is an important period of mourning in the Shi’a branch of Islam.

The remembrance marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Imam Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of Muhammad, was killed. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Shi’a sect is the main sect that commemorates the death of Imam Husayn ibn Ali by arranging ‘majalis’ (gatherings) to review Islamic teachings and to commemorate Imam Husayn’s sacrifice. The mourning reaches its climax on the tenth day, known as Ashura.

This event is observed in the first month of the Hijra year, Muharram. Mourners, both male and female, congregate together (in separate sections) for sorrowful, poetic recitations performed in memory of the death of Husayn, lamenting and grieving to the tune of beating drums and chants of “Ya Husayn.” Passion plays are also performed, reenacting the Battle of Karbala and the suffering and death of Husayn at the hands of Yazid. It is not a festival — the event is the saddest event for Shi’a Muslims and it is a period of intense grief and mourning. The event is also observed by many Sunnis, but to a lesser extent, and as a time of remembrance, rather than mourning ^{[citation needed]}.

Many of the male participants congregate together in public for ceremonial chest beating (matham) as a display of their devotion to Imam Husayn and in remembrance of his suffering. In some Shi’a societies, such as those in Bahrain, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq, some male participants inflict actual wounds upon themselves, using knives or razors swung upon chains [1]. This practice is rare and viewed as being extreme and is discouraged and banned in some countries with significant Shi’a populations, such as Iran.

For the duration of the remembrance, it is customary for mosques to provide free meals (nazar) on certain nights of the month to all people. These meals are viewed as being special and holy, as they have been consecrated in the name of Imam Husayn, and thus partaking of them is considered an act of communion with Allah, Imam Husayn, and humanity.

In South Asia, a number of literary and musical genres, produced by both Shias and Sunnis, that have been inspired by the Battle of Karbala are performed during the month, such as marsiya, noha and soaz. This is meant to increase the peoples understanding of how the enemies fought The Battle of Karbala against Husayn and his followers.

In Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica all ethnic and religious communities participate in the event, locally known as “Hosay” or “Hussay”^{[citation needed]}. In Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik (Minangkabau language) or Tabut (Indonesian).

Many of the events associated with the remembrance take place in congregation halls known as “Hussainia“.

Muslim New Year

The Muslim New Year is a cultural event which some Muslims partake on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. Many Muslims use the day to remember the signifance of this month, and the Hijra, or emigration, Muhammad made to the city now known as Medina. Recently, in many areas of Muslim population, people have begun exchanging cards and gifts on this day.

However, not all Muslims partake of this event. Shia Muslims do not partake in such activities since the month is observed as a month of mourning in honor of Imam Hussain, who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala on Muharram 10th. Sunni Muslims believe that this is the day that the first Caliph Abu Bakr died.

Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Muharram migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start dates for Muharram are as follows (all future dates are estimates and depend on sightings of the new moon), though strictly speaking the month starts at sunset on the previous day:

1423 AH: 15 March 2002
1424 AH: 4 March 2003
1425 AH: 21 February 2004
1426 AH: 11 February 2005
1427 AH: 31 January 2006
1428 AH: 20 January 2007
1429 AH: 10 January 2008
1430 AH: 29 December 2008
1431 AH: 18 December 2009
1432 AH: 7 December 2010
1433 AH: 26 November 2011
1434 AH: 15 November 2012

Muslim New Year | Remembrance of Muharram | Day of Ashura | Imamat Day | Arba’een | Mawlid | Imam Musa al Kazim day | Lailat al Miraj | Shab-e-baraat | Ramadan | Laylat al-Qadr | Eid ul-Fitr | Eid ul-Adha

References

Here are a few other references for you. Feel free to suggets any other usefull links we should add to this section. 

Qiyaam al-Layl (The Night Prayer) 
http://www.ahya.org/amm/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=83

 http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00004781.aspx

 (Sep 28-Oct 4, 2005) “NEWS”. Nursing Standard 20 (3): 11. Retrieved on June 18, 2007. 

Fasting Laws: Laws Governing Fasting in Islam.

Yusof, Mimi Syed & Hafeez, Shahrul (Oct. 30, 2005). “When Raya was a bewildering experience”. New Straits Times, p. 8.

Ramadan Articles

Ramadan Information Page

Effects on human health

Because Muslims must abstain from smoking during Ramadan, The Muslim Health Network, the anti-smoking charity Quit and the British Heart Foundation launched the “Tobacco and secondhand Smoke Free Ramadan Campaign” in 2003.^[3]

Six days of Shawwal

Main article: Shawwal

Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in ‘Shawwal’, the month following Ramadan beginning after Eid ul-Fitr. There are six days of fasting during Shawwal which, together with the Ramadan fasts, are equivalent to fasting “perpetually” (according to Sahih Muslim). Usually, this is taken to mean the whole year ^{Islam online} . It is a common misconception that the six days of fasting must be undertaken on consecutive days. It is said that fasting six days of Shawwal is like fasting for one full year.^[2]

Eid ul-Fitr

Main article: Eid ul-Fitr

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: ??? ?????) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast, a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (‘Zakat al-Fitr’), everyone put on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed to the compulsory 5 daily prayers.

The three parts of the month of Ramadan

These parts are called ashra (Arabic for ten) which means of ten days or about one third of the month.These are named respectively as

Rahmat: which means mercy of God.

Maghfirat which means forgiveness of God.

Nijat which means salvation or going to heaven.

Proscriptions and prescriptions during Ramadan

During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam as well as refraining from anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backstabbing, and gossip. They are encouraged to read the Qur’an. Sexual intercourse during fasting in the day is not allowed but is permissible after the fast (when referring to sexual intercourse, it is intended to mean with one’s spouse alone, as all pre- and extra-marital relations are strictly forbidden in Islam). Obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided. Purity of both thought and action is important. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to God. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, sacrifice, as well as sympathy for those who are less fortunate, intending to make Muslims more generous and charitable.

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an.

Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Qur’an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur’an (‘Juz’, which is 1/30 of the Qur’an) is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Qur’an has been completed. Tarawih is an Arabic phrase referring to those extra prayers. This prayer is performed after salah of Isha’a. Sunnis believe it is customary to attempt a khatm (complete recitation) of the Qur’an in Ramadan by reciting at least one juz per night in Tarawih. These are done in remembrance of the fact that the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad was begun during Ramadan.

Shia Muslims view this prayer as a Bid’ah and caution all to stay away from it. Instead of performing Tarawih, Shia Muslims perform the night prayer during Ramadan just like any other night. This night prayer performed every night is called Qiyam al-layl, better known as Tahajjud.^[1] It must be noted, that Shia Muslims also attempt to read the entire Qur’an by the end of the month.

Fasting

Main article: Sawm

The most prominent event of this month is the fasting practiced by most observant Muslims. The fasting during Ramadan has been so predominant in defining the month that some have been led to believe the name of this month, Ramadan, is the name of Islamic fasting, when in reality the Arabic term for fasting is Sawm. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib, is due. They eat before the sun comes up at a certain time and they eat before a certain time and after a certain time during the night.

Timing of Ramadan

Main article: Ramadan (calendar month)

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons.