{"id":4029,"date":"2026-06-25T07:36:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T07:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4029"},"modified":"2026-06-25T07:36:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T07:36:36","slug":"shiite-muslims-collectively-mourn-to-mark-muharram-and-ashoura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4029","title":{"rendered":"Shiite Muslims collectively mourn to mark Muharram and Ashoura"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Shiite Muslims have been observing a solemn period of communal mourning leading to the day of Ashoura, which marks the seventh century killing of Hussein, a revered leader and a grandson of Prophet Muhammad. <\/p>\n

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Annual day of Ashoura commemorations are observed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram in the lunar-based Islamic calendar. In Shiite communities, Ashoura is viewed as a symbol of struggle against injustice and tyranny.<\/p>\n

This year, Muharram and Ashoura follow the war in Iran, where the population is overwhelmingly Shiite, and an interim deal to end it. In Lebanon, many Shiites have been marking Muharram after the devastation inflicted during the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gathering every year and the reaffirming of collective memory and collective grief allows every year for the story and the message to adapt to its current context,\u201d said Noor Zehra Zaidi, an assistant professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County who focuses on Shiite Islam.<\/p>\n

A period of mourning, remembrance and deep resonance<\/h3>\n

Shiite Ashoura commemorations mark the death of Imam Hussein, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala, in present-day Iraq. He fought against the army of then Caliph Yazid, to whom Hussein had refused to pledge allegiance.<\/p>\n

Hussein\u2019s killing is seen as having cemented the schism between Sunnis and Shiites, which stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Muhammad\u2019s successors as caliph, or leader. The Shiites wanted the caliphate to descend through Ali, Muhammad\u2019s cousin and son-in-law and Hussein\u2019s father. <\/p>\n

To Shiites, who make up the second-largest branch of Islam after the Sunni majority, the killing holds deep religious and historical resonance and plays a key role in shaping identity. <\/p>\n

Gatherings, processions and grief rituals<\/h3>\n

In the U.S., many Shiites of various racial and ethnic backgrounds gather for assemblies where they typically listen to recitations of the Quran, elegies, lamentations and lectures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many communities, emotional lamentation and weeping are considered acts of devotion because they express solidarity with the suffering (of) the Prophet\u2019s household,\u201d Zaidi said.<\/p>\n

U.S. communities embody a lot of the diversity of rituals seen across the Shiite world, she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur community comes to life. It pulsates with a beautiful group unity, where everybody comes together,\u201d said Adam Almaleky in Michigan. \u201cIt\u2019s a program of self-development, self-purification, gaining closeness to God through Hussein.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Texas, 23-year-old Sakina Ali attends the gatherings, which are also held in other parts of the world, with four generations of her family. \u201cWe learn and we mourn,\u201d she said, adding the atmosphere gives her goose bumps.<\/p>\n

Around the world, mourning rituals of Muharram and Ashoura can include rhythmic chest-thumping or beating in unison and public processions. Some Shiites self-flagellate and draw their own blood in public mourning practices that are controversial, fervently upheld by some while shunned or opposed by other Shiites. <\/p>\n

In Iraq, pilgrims converge on the holy city of Karbala, site of the battle and home to a shrine to Hussein. Large volunteer service stations there feed pilgrims, Zaidi said, adding that distributing food and drink is one of the most universal practices. <\/p>\n

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\u201cOne of the remarkable enduring features of Ashoura commemorations is the way that rituals and communities reflect local cultures, traditions and languages while still remaining centered on Karbala,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Some donate blood <\/h3>\n

As part of the Texas team of Who is Hussain, a London-based charity with teams in dozens of cities around the world, Ali has been helping organize a blood drive during this year\u2019s Muharram commemorations. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s to save lives. It\u2019s to do good in the name of Hussein,\u201d she said. \u201cSince this is such an emotional time and the community is coming out from everywhere \u2026 the impact is much bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hussein, she said, \u201csacrificed his life \u2026 for morality and for justice,\u201d adding, \u201cIf he did all of that, I can do good in my community as well, following his example.\u201d<\/p>\n

These blood drives happen elsewhere in the U.S. and beyond. Mustafa Jafri\u2019s mosque in New Jersey has been organizing them for many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do it really to honor Imam Hussein and his companions and his family,\u201d said Jafri, a physician and a board director at Masjid-e-Ali. \u201cHe gave his blood to stand against injustice and so we resonate and want to give our blood to save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a practical way, he said, to translate some of Hussein\u2019s values into action and to give back. The drives, he said, often also attract some non-Muslims from the community to donate blood.<\/p>\n

Zaidi said the blood drives are a more modern phenomenon in Shiite commemorations.<\/p>\n

Many say they draw inspiration and lessons from Hussein\u2019s legacy<\/h3>\n

Jafri said it\u2019s a time to reflect on how to better oneself and on \u201ctackling injustices that are all throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almaleky, team leader with Who is Hussain in Michigan, said that from Hussein, \u201cI learn altruism. I learn principle. I learn dedication.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even following tragedy, he added, \u201cwe continue to draw energy as a community, and no matter how difficult this world becomes, it doesn\u2019t compare in the difficulty that the family of Hussein ibn Ali faced and Hussein and his companions faced.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP\u2019s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.<\/p>\n

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