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Muslims worldwide mark Ashura

Worshippers worldwide mark anniversary of Battle of Karbala and mourn death of Imam Hussein, the Prophet’s grandson.

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Iranian Shia Muslims in Tehran, Iran, take part in a mourning ceremony during the Muslim month of Muharram, in Tehran. [Vahid Salemi/AP]
Published On 11 Oct 2016

Ashura is marked on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, by all Muslims.

It is a particularly important period of mourning for Shia Muslims, as it marks the anniversary of the 7th century Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq, when Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was killed.

The death of Imam al-Hussein is considered by the Shia community as a symbol of humanity’s struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression.

The primary rituals and observances on Ashura consist of public expressions of mourning. Sunni Muslims commemorate the day through voluntary fasting.

Some in the Shia community resort to flagellating themselves with chains and the blunt ends of swords. This is intended to exemplify the suffering Imam al-Hussein experienced shortly before his beheading.

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Shia Muslim women mourn during an Ashura procession in Istanbul, Turkey. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
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Shia Muslim men beat themselves with knives attached to chains during a procession to mark Ashura in Kabul, Afghanistan. [Rahmat Gul/AP]
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A Shia Muslim devotee runs barefoot over a bed of burning coals as he takes part in the Muharram processions ahead of the commemoration of Ashura in Yangon, Myanmar. [Lynn Bo Bo/EPA]
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Pakistani Shia Muslims attend a mourning procession a day ahead of the commemoration of Ashura, in Islamabad, Pakistan. [T Mughal/EPA]
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Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura in Kerbala, Iraq. [Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters]
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Millions of Shia Muslims took to the streets worldwide to mark the day of Ashura. [Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters]
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Shia Muslims across the globe mourn the death of Imam Hussein during the month of Muharram. [Vahid Salemi/AP]
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Muslim Shia women chained to each other march during a re-enactment of the battle of Kerbala during a mourning process, one day before Ashura in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon. [Ali Hashisho/Reuters]