Culture

Video of Muharram Alam Shah 2010-2011 Peshawar

by Emily Sutherlin | December 5, 2011 at 03:08 pm

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Muharram began at sunset on Saturday, November 26, 2011, and ends at sunset on Monday, December 26, 2011.

What is Muharram?

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. Instead of joyous celebration, Muslims mark the beginning of the New Year by taking up the black attire of sorrow and participate in mourning gatherings in which the sacrifices of Husayn and his companions are commemorated. It is one of the four months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.

"To observe the martyrdom of Hussain, the Shia community resort to self-flagellation or inflicting wounds on self. People including women participate in processions as part of the event by wailing. Through these self-inflicted wounds they try to proclaim solidarity with the martyrdom of Hussain," said Nasar Ahmad, a Muslim scholar from Ernakulam.

What does Muharram Mean?

Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word ‘haram’ meaning forbidden. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan.It is the same month when Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was brutally massacred in Karbala alongside his family and friends in the year 680 CE/61 AH.