Ashura Eve falls on the ninth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar, and is the night prior to Yom Ashura. The day is observed by Shi’a Muslims, and it commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Al-Husayn –the third Imam of the Shi’a– and his faithful companions. On Ashura Eve, Imam Al-Husayn delineated his companions as the most faithful of companions, and they, in return, gave audacious articulations and promulgated their allegiance to him. The following day, Yom Ashura, Imam Al-Husayn was beheaded in the Battle of Karbala.
Islam: Faith, Holidays, Practice & History
Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originated in the Arabian Peninsula 1400 years ago, and spread rapidly to form a majority of the population in the Middle East and many Asian and African countries. Islam now is followed by more than a billion people, making it the second largest religion in the world.