Q & A on Muharram and Aashurah (7/11)

Many people regard the 10 th of Muharram(Day of Aashurah) as a day of mourning, the martyrdom of Sayyidina Husein(radhiyallahu anhu). No doubt, the martydom of Sayyidina Husain(radhiyallahu anhu) is one of the most tragic episodes of our history. Yet, the sanctity of Aashurah cannot be ascribed to this event for the simple reason that the sanctity of Aashurah was established during the days of the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) much earlier than the birth of Sayyidina Husain(radhiyallah anhu). To attribute the significance of Aashurah to Sayyidina Husein(radhiyallahu anhu)’s martyrdom is totally baseless because the sanctity of Aashurah is proven, beyond doubt, from the time of Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam), whilst Sayyidina Husain(radhiyallahu anhu) was martyred more than 50 years AFTER Nabi(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) left this earthly abode. On the contrary, it is one of the merits of Sayyidina Husein(radhiyallahu anhu) that he was martyred on the Day of Aashurah. The sanctity of Aashurah is also established from the shariah of previous prophets.