Battle of Karbala In Shia Islam, Ashura commemorates the death of Husayn ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson and the third Shia imam. Husayn was killed, alongside most of his male relatives and his small retinue, on 10 Muharram 61
AH (10 October 680) in the Battle of Karbala against the army of the Umayyad caliph
Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (), having been surrounded for some days and deprived of the drinking water of the nearby
Euphrates river. After the battle, the women and children in Husayn's camp were taken prisoner and marched to the capital
Damascus in
Syria. The battle followed failed negotiations and Husayn'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 Husayn to lead them against Yazid.
Significance in
Iran, 1978 Ashura is a day of mourning and grief for Shia Muslims. It was observed as such by their imams, who also frequently encouraged the Shia community to follow suit. For instance, a tradition attributed to the Shia imam
Ali al-Rida () describes Ashura as a day of grieving and somber resignation from material affairs. Shia tradition also dismisses as fabricated those Sunni
hadiths that mark Ashura as a joyful occasion. Indeed, traditions attributed to the Shia imams forbid fasting on this day, and promise eternal punishment for those who celebrate Ashura as a day of blessing. In Shia Islam, Karbala symbolizes the eternal struggle between good and evil, the pinnacle of self-sacrifice, and the ultimate sabotage of Muhammad's prophetic mission. Historically, the event served to crystallize the Shia community into a distinct sect and remains an integral part of their religious identity to date. On the one hand, mourners share in the pain of Husayn and hope to benefit from his intercession on the
Day of Judgement. On the other, they view mourning for Husayn as an act of protest against oppression, a struggle for God (), and as such an act of worship.
Rituals In addition to pilgrimage to the
shrine of Husayn, located in Karbala,
Iraq, Shia Muslims annually commemorate the events of Karbala throughout the months of Muharram and
Safar. Most rituals take place during the first ten days of Muharram, culminating on Ashura with processions in major Shia cities. The main component of ritual ceremonies (, ) is the narration of the stories of Karbala (, ), and the recitation of elegies and dirges (, , ), all intended to raise the sympathy of audience and move them to tears. A often takes place in a dedicated building or structure, known variously as , , , or . Another component of mourning gatherings is the self-flagellation of participants to the rhythm of Karbala elegies. Rooted in ancient
Arab practices, mild forms of self-flagellation, that is, striking one's face and chest in grief (, , ), are common today in Shia communities. But there are also extreme forms of self-flagellation (, , ), in which the participants strike themselves, usually on the forehead or back, with knives, swords, or chains to which razor blades are attached. Banned in Iran and the Shia communities of
Lebanon since the mid-90s, instrumental self-flagellation has been condemned by many Shia clerics, and it remains an often controversial practice among the Shia. Another mourning ritual is the dramatic reenactment of Karbala narratives ( or ), practiced today in Iran, in the western
Gulf shore, and in Lebanon. On Ashura, always the "martyrdom of Husayn" is reenacted in such performances. In Karbala, an annual performance on Ashura reenacts the burning of Husayn's 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, chanting dirges and elegies, sometimes accompanied by self-flagellation. For instance, in the march in Karbala, male and then female mourners walk barefoot to the shrine of Husayn in the afternoon of Ashura. Depending on the region, processions carry symbolic objects, such as (), (), , and
tadjah. represents the ensign of Husayn in Karbala, while the last three objects symbolize his bier or tomb. ==Terrorist attacks during Ashura==