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Muharram is the festival of mourning. The tenth day of the first Muslim month, Muharram, commemorates the greatest tragedy in the history of Islam - the Prophet's grandson, Hussein's, martyrdom.
According to legend, the question of succession cropped up after the death of the Prophet. The Prophet had no sons but only a daughter, Fatima, who was married to Ali, a paternal cousin of the Prophet. When Ali was elected the fourth Caliph, there was an open rebellion, and Ali was killed. Following this, Ali's son, Hasan, who succeeded him, was poisoned. Ali's other son, Hussain, was outnumbered and killed at Karbala under tragic circumstances. 
The Muslim world was divided into two rival sects - Sunnis and Shias. The latter are the followers of Ali and his descendants. Though all sections of Muslims mourn the death of Hussain, the Shias call it a particularly treacherous crime. The Muharram procession underlines the grief and despair. The taziahs - replicas of the martyr's tomb are buried or sunk in the water after the procession. |
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