Holy Ashura

The commemoration of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram every year serves to remind us of the sacrifices of the righteous throughout our glorious history

The 10th of Muharram that the nation observes today carries a tellingly evident lesson for the adherents of Islam: put your life at stake but do not bow before the forces of evil. The commemoration of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram every year serves to remind us of the sacrifices of the righteous throughout our glorious history. It reconnects us with our spiritual and moral legacy making us aware of the people, then and now, who bravely stood up for what was right; as well as those who tried to destroy the family of the Prophet (PBUH) and the noble ideals that the family stood for.

Hazrat Imam Hussein’s (RA) martyrdom at Karbala provides evidence of the moral victory of right over wrong, of virtue over vice, of principle over compromise, of the oppressed over the oppressor, of the denied over the denier. His martyrdom leaves a lesson teaching humankind that living is truly of value which offers itself for a cause greater than itself; that to die with honour is better than living in subjugation to injustice.

Hazrat Imam Hussein (RA) was martyred at the hands of those who considered themselves followers of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), those who claimed to act in the name of Islam yet unremorsefully and shamelessly were prepared to obliterate its true exponent; those who (like so many today) are prepared to kill for Islam yet are unable to live by it.

The tenth of Muharram is also the day on which Allah saved Prophet Musa (PBUH) from the tyrannical Pharaoh, that prototype of despotic authority. There are many pharaoh-like authorities who have appeared through history and there were those incorrigible standard-bearers of justice who opposed them. Imam Hussein sacrificed his life along with 72 believing men, all for the sake of truth over falsehood. The tragedy of Karbala represents a conscious confrontation and a courageous resistance for a sacred cause. The whole nation had failed to stand up to Yazid. They had succumbed to his will.

Passiveness by Hussein in this situation would have meant the end of Islam, as we know it. Imam Hussein took it upon himself the responsibility of the whole nation. The greatest tragedy was he stood up for the noblest of causes—the defense of Islam, and was killed in such a cruel manner.

It is for this reason that the sacrifice of Hussein is commemorated annually throughout the Muslim world. The tragic event shook the very foundations of the Muslim nation, stirred their consciousness, and became a beacon of light and guidance.

Holy Ashura

The commemoration of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram every year serves to remind us of the sacrifices of the righteous throughout our glorious history

The 10th of Muharram that the nation observes today carries a tellingly evident lesson for the adherents of Islam: put your life at stake but do not bow before the forces of evil. The commemoration of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram every year serves to remind us of the sacrifices of the righteous throughout our glorious history. It reconnects us with our spiritual and moral legacy making us aware of the people, then and now, who bravely stood up for what was right; as well as those who tried to destroy the family of the Prophet (PBUH) and the noble ideals that the family stood for. Hazrat Imam Husseins (RA) martyrdom at Karbala provides evidence of the moral victory of right over wrong, of virtue over vice, of principle over compromise, of the oppressed over the oppressor, of the denied over the denier. His martyrdom leaves a lesson teaching humankind that living is truly of value which offers itself for a cause greater than itself; that to die with honour is better than living in subjugation to injustice. Hazrat Imam Hussein (RA) was martyred at the hands of those who considered themselves followers of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), those who claimed to act in the name of Islam yet unremorsefully and shamelessly were prepared to obliterate its true exponent; those who (like so many today) are prepared to kill for Islam yet are unable to live by it. The tenth of Muharram is also the day on which Allah saved Prophet Musa (PBUH) from the tyrannical Pharaoh, that prototype of despotic authority. There are many pharaoh-like authorities who have appeared through history and there were those incorrigible standard-bearers of justice who opposed them. Imam Hussein sacrificed his life along with 72 believing men, all for the sake of truth over falsehood. The tragedy of Karbala represents a conscious confrontation and a courageous resistance for a sacred cause. The whole nation had failed to stand up to Yazid. They had succumbed to his will. Passiveness by Hussein in this situation would have meant the end of Islam, as we know it. Imam Hussein took it upon himself the responsibility of the whole nation. The greatest tragedy was he stood up for the noblest of causesthe defense of Islam, and was killed in such a cruel manner. It is for this reason that the sacrifice of Hussein is commemorated annually throughout the Muslim world. The tragic event shook the very foundations of the Muslim nation, stirred their consciousness, and became a beacon of light and guidance.