The commemorations of the first 9 days of Muharram culminate on the 10th of Muharram – the day of Aashura. It is on this day that the greatest of tragedies occurred which was felt by the inhabitants of the entire universe. According to Ziyarat Aashura, this is a calamity so great that it did not only effect the people of the Earth, rather, even the inhabitants of the heavens, the Angels, were also thrown into grief and remorse!
It has been recommended that the true followers of Islam refrain from all worldly activity. This includes work, school, sports activities and anything associated with “this world”. Rather, we need to sit and reflect on the supreme sacrifice and more importantly, what it means to us today. What better way than to dedicate ourselves to the Masjid/Imambargah to hear about the last hours of the life of the leader of the Martyrs and gain lessons from his mission!?
As we know, this day is like no other day – and thus, our attitude and way we carry ourselves should also be like no other day. It is for this reason that we are told that when we meet our brothers in faith we are recommended to say (in place of As-Salam Alaikum): “May Allah grant us and you a grand reward for our grief for al-Husain, peace be upon him, and may He make us and you amongst those who seek the revenge with His Wali, Imam Al-Mahdi from the family of the Muhammad, peace be upon all of them.”
Other etiquette to keep in mind includes the keeping of a fast for half of the day, known as a “Faqqah”. It is highly discouraged to fast the entire day as this is something which the innovators of the faith, the Bani Umayyah and others, introduced – and which some follow today! We are also told to eat “simple” foods when we break this “fast” - obviously this is a relative term based on one’s community and traditions however, ‘tasty’ and ‘filling’ foods should be shunned as a sign of remorse.
Last, but not least, a portion of the day should be spent in prayers and Ziyarat – prayers to Allah for granting us this opportunity to get close to Him through the grief shown of the events of Kerbala. Also, the various Ziyarat, including Ziyarat Aashura should be carefully read, paying attention to the meaning of each and every line – this is what permits us to become close to the chosen guides of Allah.
May Allah accept our worship during this period of grief and permit us to become closer to Him and His chosen slaves. May we be able to follow the path of such noble personalities and be able to be in the army of our living Imam.