The media reminded Bangladesh on 7 July that the National Moon Sighting Committee had decided the day before on 6 July that the holy Ashura would be on July 17 as the moon of Muharram of 1446 Hijri had not been sighted in the sky on that night. Ashura is a day of remembrance in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram- the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites. Also, on this day, Noah disembarked from the Ark and God forgave Adam. These are some of the auspicious events that are acknowledged pertaining to Ashura in Sunni tradition.
Ashura is celebrated in Sunni Islam by many through optional fasting and other acceptable expressions of joy. Although it has remained optional, fasting on Ashura has stopped being a religious obligation for a long time. This transition is often associated with some Ayats of the Quran which explicitly designate Ramadan as the month of fasting. In some Sunni communities, the annual Ashura festivities include carnivals, bonfires, and special dishes. However, such formats of observance have been criticized by some Sunni scholars.
By contrast, Shia Muslims consider Ashura as a day of mourning when they remember and honor the death of Imam Husain ibn Ali, grandson of our Prophet Muhammad (sm). Imam Husain (R) had refused on moral grounds to pledge his allegiance towards Yazid and was subsequently killed, alongside most of his male relatives by the Umayyad army in the Battle of Karbala that took place on Ashura 61 Al Hijri equivalent to 680 A.D. They had been surrounded for some days and deprived of drinking water from the nearby Euphrates river. After the battle, the women and children in Imam Husain (R)'s camp were taken prisoner and marched to the capital Damascus in Syria The battle followed failed negotiations and Imam Husain’s refusal to pledge his allegiance to Yazid, who is often portrayed by Muslim historians as impious and immoral. The fight took place in the desert land of Karbala, en route to the nearby Kufa, whose residents had invited Husain to lead them against Yazid.
Among the Shia minority community, mourning for Imam Husain (R)) is viewed as an act of remonstration against oppression, a struggle for God, and a means of securing the intervention of Imam Husain in the hereafter. Ashura is normally observed through bereavement gatherings and processions. In such ceremonies, Shia mourners strike their chests to indicate their sharing of the pain suffered by Imam Husain. There are also some instances of self-flagellation that quite often leads to self-inflicted bloodshed. Such an activity has nevertheless remained as contentious among the Shia community and have also led some Shia members of the clergy to suggest that such self-flagellation should not be undertaken.
Islamic historians, social and religious analysts refer to the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, as Ashura, when aggressive fighting is not supposed to take place.
However, Ashura has sometimes been an occasion for sectarian violence, particularly against the Shia Muslims, who are often a minority in Muslim communities. Some notable terrorist attacks against Ashura services have taken place over the years. That includes a bomb thrown at an Ashura procession, New Delhi, India on 21 February, 1940. Other bomb explosions also took place on 20 June, 1994 in Mashhad, Iran, on 2 March, 2004 in Karbala and Najaf, Iraq, on 28 December, 2009 in Karachi, Pakistan and on 6 December, 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Quite a few people were killed through these blasts. However, in the Maghreb Ashura is celebrated currently through fasting, almsgiving and expressing reverence for the dead. Nevertheless, particularly in South Asia, some Sunnis have also participated in the Shia rituals on Ashura, at least until modern times. Sufis normally commemorate the death of Imam Husain despite its variance with the views of the Sunni elite. For Sufis, rather than a tragedy, Ashura celebrates the eternal life of Imam Husain and his companions, who achieved a place in heaven through their martyrdom.
Another mourning ritual that is practiced today in Iran, in the western Gulf shore, and in Lebanon is the attempt to have a dramatic reenactment of Karbala narratives. On Ashura, known in these countries as the day of the "martyrdom of Imam Husain (R)" some communities reenact the burning of his tents after the battle by the Umayyads and the captivity of the women and children. During Muharram, especially on Ashura, processions of mourners march the streets also chanting dirges and elegies. For instance, in the tawarij march in Karbala, male and then female mourners walk barefoot to the shrine of Imam Husain (R) in the afternoon of Ashura. Depending on the region, processions also carry symbolic objects, such as flag, date palm, ta'ziya, and tadjah which symbolize his tomb.
Muharram has in principle been observed since the 10th century AD. In Bengal it has also been observed for the last few centuries. The centre of observances of Muharram in Dhaka is in the Hussaini Dalan Imambara. As mark of mourning Shias dress in black for at least ten days of Muharram. During this time, they refrain from merrymaking, listening to music or seeing movies. They also do not arrange weddings during this month. In addition, keeping in mind that Imam Husain (R) and his followers suffered from no availability of water, some Shias refrain from eating fish.
During the first ten days of the month, mourning assemblies are also held at the Imambara, separately for men and women. The story of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (R) is narrated and elegies are sung or recited in the assemblies. At the end of the service food is distributed to the people. On the seventh day of Muharram, special offerings are made and the people pray for Allah’s blessing. Food and fruits in large quantities and varieties are distributed on the occasion.
Those who pray for Allah’s blessings, pick out a food item, and make a promise, not to eat that food for a year. In case the prayer is deemed as accepted, they also promise to offer “shirni” the next year, Normally, along with the “shirni”, some also offer a silver model of an open palm with five fingers that represent five holy figures- Prophet Muhammad (sm), his daughter Fatima (R), his son-in-law Ali (R), and his two grandsons- Hassan (R) and Imam Husain (R).
Analyst of religious history of South Asia in general and Bangladesh in particular, Professor Niaz Zaman has also pointed out that Muharram processions were common in Bengal in the 18th century. Horses and elephants were also used in the procession and that in many places where processions took place, there were also fairs.
The Shia community used the occasion to get together. Such Sunni festivities either developed in response to Shia customs on Ashura or with the influence of pre-Islamic traditions.
In Bangladesh, we need to refrain from sectarianism and communalism. Religious belief is a personal matter and all citizens have the right to be treated equally. The matrix of human rights must not be tainted with the osmotic effects of anger and hatred.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance, can be reached at <muhammadzamir0@gmail.com>
