Muharram: A Month of Remembrance

By Sulagna Halder 

Sunday, 6, July 2025:

The first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Muharram, has significant meanings to the Muslims across the world. It brings along with it a period of deep respect, which marks the Muslim new year as well as the four sacred months of Ramadan in Islam where fighting is forbidden. In this regard, the Tenth Day or Ashura which falls on 6 July, 2025 becomes especially important to the Shia Muslims and becomes a time of deep sorrows and thoughts. The event marks the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad whose demise in Karbala in the year 680 CE is a declaration of unwavering front against monstrosity and tyranny.

Historical origin of this practice owes its roots to the fact that Imam Hussein refused to swear an oath of allegiance to a caliph of the Umayyad dynasty by the name of Yazid. Imam Hussein along with his group found themselves, sieged in Karbala without water and was later killed on the tenth day of Muharram together with family and his faithful followers. His half a year old son and some of his companions were also killed and the rest of his family was captured alive. This was a tragic event, that took place some thirteen centuries ago which is fundamental to the identity of Shia.

The mourning rituals are performed during the first ten days of Muharram. Shia congregations masquerade majlis, house-meetings and recitation parties where sorrowful poetry called the marsiya and noha are integrated to recount the Karbala tale. Large public processions are accompanied by matam, that is, a rhythmical beating of the chests, a gesture of mourning. People parade taziyas which are little symbolic replicas of shrine of Hussein and after that, they are buried or submerged. Although there are still communities that perform self-flagellation, more community leaders now promote the calmer forms of mourning.

During Ashura, people gather in their families and communities to remember together. In Hyderabad, there is the Bibi ka Alam procession, that celebrates one of the relics assumed to be connected with Imam Hussein and is a procession that has a flag, which is carried by an elephant which is a procession that appeals to people of all faiths. With the help of Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, religious poetry and processions survive in Lucknow that has Deep Shia culture of the Nawabs period. These activities bring out the spirit of integration and commonality. The Sunnis Muslims celebrate Ashura differently, however.

Most of them fast to honor the Prophet Muhammad who is supposed to have supported the fast Prophet Moses used when crossing the Red Sea. Others of the Sunni Muslims also fast during the 9th and 10th days since the Prophet fasted as a way of atoning his trivial sins in the past.

Charity is one of the major concepts of the philosophy of Muharram. Others erect sabeels, or devotion stations, which give free food and drink, as a commemoration of thirst of Hussein and his followers. Nazr meals are provided to others on Ashura and beyond as people give them to people in need. Self-FLAGELLATION that was the approach in past years, has in recent years given way to blood drives as the modern day sacrifice and efficiency without ignoring the fact that it was and is today an indirect way of self-mutilation. The governments have increased the security of locals and police force in areas where there is a wide range of religious people, including Kashmir and areas like Nagpur, Varanasi and Kanpur in India.

Drones, CCTV cameras, and Quick Response Teams are used to make sure processions are run in advert routes, new practices or ways are averted, and there is social peace. Both the community leaders and police have collaborated in ensuring that crowds are controlled, the chariots are not too tall to cause electrical accidents and that slogans are contained to not cause inflammation.

Arbaeen pilgrimage, which is celebrated on the 20 th of Safar 40 days after Ashura, is an emotional extension of the Muharram tradition. This pilgrimage to Karbala is the biggest pilgrimage in the world which is observed today. More than 21.4 million pilgrims went there in 2024, with around 3.5 million pilgrims coming there on Iranian pilgrimage. According to official tallies, there were more than 22 million participants in 2023, of whom 4 million are Iranian. The pilgrims are accompanied by volunteers who volunteer to provide pro digimatate services such as free food, water, medical support, and refuge in small camps called mokibs as they normally traverse 80 kilometers over a few days between Najaf and Karbala.

The Procession is characterized by singing of songs like labaik ya Hussain which signifies a kind of togetherness of people. According to the report by India Today, this latest practice was rejuvenated during the 19 th century and once more in 2003 following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime. By the year 2014, the numbers of participants were in millions. Logistical efforts in the organization of such events are huge. Iran and Iraq governments liaise in terms of crossings at the borders and health problems. One of the challenges mentioned by the public health studies is heat-related illness, injury, outbreak, and sanitation. The health ministries respond by sending real-time disease surveillance, garbage collection services, and medical workers.

History shows that in some areas such as Jammu and Kashmir, big gathering in the public is prohibited because of security threats. But, smaller events still take place in other regions like Baramulla, Budgam, Leh and Kargil at times even in tensioned clash between the cops and mourners. Muharram and Arbaeen seasons have now become seasons of tranquility and serenity. The accounts on social media portray Sunni people taking part in Shia rituals, and this demonstrates the wish to coexist.

Conclusively, Muharram combines the ancient customs and contemporary social values. It is a time of social grief, self-analysis, and moral conduct. It advances such virtues as moral courage, group cohesiveness, and altruism. Though, in the present context, we find way more adaptation taken into account, such as observations done online during the pandemic or precautions related to safety measures in vulnerable locations, the spirit of sacrifice, resilience, and common humanity, which the tradition diverse approaches represents, remains highly relevant in the global context.