This weekend, Shia Muslims in Waterloo Region and around the world are commemorating a sombre remembrance.
Muharram, which started on sundown Tuesday, is the first month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by all Muslims. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year.
After Ramadan, Muharram is a sacred month. For Shia Muslims, it is a month of remembrance.
The first 12 days are a commemoration, marking the battle of Karbala, in Iraq. There, imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed by King Yazid’s army in 680 AD.
The king wanted the imam to pledge allegiance to him but the imam refused. Imam Hussain, his family and followers — about 72 men, women and children — were denied food and water and later slain with stones, spears and arrows, said Imam Shafiq Hudda of the Islamic Humanitarian Centre in Kitchener.
At commemorations at the centre, decorated cradles are placed in the prayer room in remembrance of imam Hussain’s infant child who was killed in his arms.
The imam’s death is commemorated on the 10th day of Muharram, marking the Shia mourning rituals of Ashura, which means 10th in Arabic. Each day, a different martyr is remembered, said Hudda, who will be leading prayers for the remembrance in London, England.
An imam from Los Angeles will be in the region, holding services at the Hollinger Crescent mosque.
A shrine and mosque is erected in imam Hussain’s honour in the city of Karbala. Millions of people visit the shrine during Muharram, and it is common to see people beating their chest or striking their thighs, Hudda said.
Hudda said during Muharram, he sees families who might not attend the mosque regularly but come specifically for this commemorative period.
Some people fast during the first 10 days of the month and some wear black when they come for prayers, he said.
Hudda said Ramadan is a deeply spiritual time for Muslims, culminating with Eid, a festive period, whereas Muharram is a sad and tragic commemoration.
Meanwhile, local Shia Muslims will soon have a new mosque located at Fischer Hallman Road and Bleams Road in Kitchener. Just over a hectare of land (three acres) was purchased last week. Now begins the process of raising $1.5 million to build the mosque.
The current centre on Hollinger Crescent has a library with 1,400 books and sells 300 different titles, including the Qur’an in Arabic and English. Hudda said the library, which is used by university students for research, is the only Shia Islamic library in Canada.
The centre is home to 175 families from various cultural backgrounds including Afghanistan, East Africa, India, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq living in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph.
source : http://abna.ir
