What is Muharram & it's meaning?, what is karbala?, History of karbala's battle, incidents occurred in MUHARRAM.

WHAT IS MUHARRAM? MEANING OF MUHARRAM?

The first month, Muharram, is one of the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran, along with the seventh month of Rajab, and the eleventh and twelfth months of Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah, respectively, immediately before Muharram. During these sacred months, warfare is not allowed. Before the advent of Islam, the Quraish and Arabs also ban warfare during those months.

The general meaning of the adjective muharram means "banned, barred, not allowed, illegal, illicit, impermissible, prohibited, unlawful, unauthorised, unpermitted".

INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THIS MONTH

1 Muharram: Seizure of the Grand Mosque in 1400 AH (1979 AD).

2 Muharram: Husayn ibn Ali enters Karbala and establishes camp. Yazid's forces are present. 61 AH (680 AD).

5 Muharram: Death anniversary (urs) of Baba Farid, a Punjabi Sufi saint, in 665 AH (1266 AD). 

7 Muharram: Access to water was banned to Husayn ibn Ali by Yazid's orders. 61 AH (680 AD).

8 Muharram: Referred to as the Muharram Rebellion, the Bengali Muslims of Sylhet lead one of the earliest anti-British uprisings in the subcontinent. 1197 AH (1782 AD).

10 Muharram: Referred to as the Day of Ashurah (lit. "the Tenth"), the day on which Husayn ibn Ali was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. Shia Muslims spend the day in mourning, while Sunni Muslims fast on this day, commemorating the rescue of the people of Israel by Musa (Moses) from Pharaoh. Sunni Muslims also mourn for the martyrs of Karbala. Many Sufi Muslims fast for the same reason as the Sunnis mentioned above, but also for the martyred dead in Karbala.

15 Muharram: Birth of Muhammad Sirajuddin Naqshbandi in 1297 AH (1879 AD).

25 Muharram: Zayn al-‘Ābidīn, fourth Shia Imam was martyred by Marvanian in 95 AH (714 AD).

28 Muharram: Death anniversary (urs) of Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, an Indian Sufi saint, in 808 AH (1405 AD).

WHAT IS KARBALA?

Karbala or kerbala  is a city in central Iraq, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad, and a few dozen miles east of Lake Milh. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate.

The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, or the shrines of Imam Husayn and Abbas, is considered a holy city for Muslims, in the same way as Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

HISTORY OF BATTLE OF KARBALA.

Battle of Karbala, (October 10, 680 [10th of Muḥarram, AH 61]), brief military engagement in which a small party led by al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of ʿAlī, the fourth caliph, was defeated and massacred by an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazīd I. The battle helped secure the position of the Umayyad dynasty, but among Shiʿi Muslims (followers of Ḥusayn) the 10th of Muḥarram (or ʿĀshūrāʾ) became an annual holy day of public mourning.

Just over 50 years of the death of Muhammad (the last Prophet of Islam), the Muslim rulership was sliding into corruption under the tyrant Yazid, from the Ummayad family.

Hussain the son of Ali and the grandson of Muhammad took a stand against Yazid’s evil rule. Yazīd I succeeded his father, Muʿāwiyah I, to the caliphate in the spring of 680. In the city of Kūfah (in modern-day Iraq), those who maintained that the leadership of the Muslim community (ummah) rightly belonged to Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and his descendants invited Ḥusayn to take refuge with them, promising to have him proclaimed caliph there. When Yazīd learned of the rebellious attitude of the Shiʿah in Kūfah, he sent ʿUbayd Allāh, governor of Basra, to restore order. The latter did so, summoning the chiefs of the tribes, making them responsible for the conduct of their people, and threatening reprisal. Ḥusayn nevertheless set out from Mecca with his family and retainers expecting to be received with enthusiasm by the citizens of Kūfah. However, on his arrival at Karbala, west of the Euphrates River, on October 10, Once they reached Karbala, Hussain with his family 72 companions were surrounded by Yazid’s forces of up to 30,000 men , nevertheless gave battle, vainly relying on the promised aid from Kūfah.

Whilst Yazid was feared and hated for his ruthlessness, Hussain was loved and respected by society. Yazid realised this, and understood that if he could convince Hussain to support him, the people would too.

Despite being hugely outnumbered and with limited access to water, Hussain refused to give up. Yazid gave Hussain a final choice. To either support the government, or be killed.

After receiving the final ultimatum from Yazid, Hussain realised he would be killed in a matter of days.

Hussain gathered his companions and urged them to escape. He explained that it was him who Yazid wished to kill, and not them. Again, Hussain’s selflessness shone through. Having been deprived of water in the hot desert, he urged his supporters to save themselves.

Despite this, Hussain’s men stayed loyal to him and stayed true to their principles. Within a few days Yazid ordered his army to kill Hussain and his companions. When the dust settled, Hussain and his companions were killed. Throughout the forces of Yazid promised him he could leave freely if he chooses to support Yazid, but every time Hussain refused and was eventually killed, holding firmly to his principles.

Hussain had a choice. To support the tyrant and live a comfortable life full of luxury, or to refuse and likely be killed for his decision. What should he do? What would you or I do? For Hussain he could not live his life as a supporter of tyranny, and the choice for him was simple. Hussain refused. He said “I only desire to spread good values and prevent evil”.

After his death, Hussain’s family were taken captive. His sister, Zainab, took up the role of leadership and gave an inspiring speech in Yazid’s palace, condemning his actions and his style of leadership.

Zainab was one of the first to be inspired by Hussain’s stand and his principles. Despite the sexism that existed in society at the time, she refused to be silent and held Yazid and his ministers to account for their role in the moral decay of society. Zaynab, among others, in Kūfah formally rebuked ʿUbayd Allāh and in Damascus challenged Yazīd and rejected his claim to the caliphate. She died in 681. The Shiʿah maintain that she was buried in Damascus, and her supposed tomb is an important site of pilgrimage for the Shiʿah. Sunni tradition has it that she was buried in Cairo.

Hussain’s example is that one man can stand against an army, and in giving his life inspire those after him to overthrow the abusive Umayyad dynasty. Just as those who lived in the 7th century were inspired by Hussain’s stand, so are the millions today who pay homage to Hussain for his stand and mourn his death. People from all around the world visit the grave of Hussain in Karbala to pay their respects.