Several important events in the history of Islam happen in the month of Muharram, which is the first month of the Islamic calendar and the second holy month. But every Muslim should know some important facts about this month in Islamic history.
1. Hazrat Imam’s (alaihis salam) Advice to the People of Kufa
The people of Kufa were told by Hazrat Imam Hussain not to start a war. But the people of Kufa told Hazrat Imam that the Kalifa of the time was after them, so they needed Hazrat Imam’s help.
2. The first martyr in Karbala
Hazrat Imam sent Hazrat Muslim Ibn-e-Aqeel to Kufa with an answer, but the people of Yazeed attacked Hazrat Muslim Ibn-e-Aqeel instead. So, this happened in the month of Muharram as well.
3. Hazrat Imam Hussain (alaihis salam) did not have an army.
One should know that the Hazrat Imam did not have an army. Instead, he was accompanied by 72 people from his family and other followers. So, he didn’t have any extra soldiers like other chiefs did.
4.Farzadaq meets Hazrat Imam Hussain (alaihis salam).
Farzooq was the only artist Imam Hussain met on this whole trip. Farzooq told Hazrat Imam that he shouldn’t move to Kufa because the people there would support the government and try to kill him. So, he asked Hazrat Imam Hussain to stop heading toward Kufa.
5. When Imam Hussain arrived in Karbala
Hazrat Imam started looking at land as soon as he got to Karbala. He bought the land in this way. He knew it was the last place he would ever be able to rest. He decided to buy a piece of land in the area.
6. The Hur Comes Back to Hazrat Imam The person who told Hazrat Imam not to get water came back to the Imam the night before the battle and asked for forgiveness. On the other hand, he died for the Imam as well.
7. The youngest person to die in Karbala
Hazrat Ali Asghar was only six months old when he died at Karbala. He was the youngest person to die there. The deadly shot that was used to kill wild horses was used to kill him. So, he was the Karbala’s youngest martyr.
8. A man who lived through the battle
Muslims need to remember that only one man lived through the Battle. Hazrat Imam Zainul Abideen, who didn’t fight, was the only man to live through the battle. He was sick and was put in jail with other women from the family of Imam Hussain. So, he was the only one to make it out of the fight alive.
9. Last Shaheed of Karbala
The last person to die in Karbala was Hazrat Imam Hussain. Yazeed’s men cut off Imam Hussain’s head and walked around with it. So, Muslims need to know this about Muharram.
10. Imam Hussain’s family women
One fact is that the women from the family of Imam Hussain and the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) niece were all tied together. They were shown off in the streets of Syria. At the time, these women were in jail.
11. Youm e Ashura
Youm e Ashura is the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram. It is also called the Day of Ashura. It remembers how Imam Husayn and his friends died during the Battle of Karbala. It is an important day in history and religion, especially for Shia Muslims, who mourn and remember the sacrifices made on this day.
12. Sham e Ghareeban:
Sham e Ghareeban, which means “the Evening of Strangers,” is about the terrible events that happened after the Battle of Karbala. It talks about the evening and night after Imam Husayn and his friends were killed, when the Prophet Muhammad’s family members, including women and children, were taken prisoner and put through hard work and abuse.
13. The first Zayir of Karbala:
According to history, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari was the first Zayir (pilgrim) of Karbala. He was a friend of the Prophet Muhammad. After the Battle of Karbala, he went to Karbala to honor the people who died and comfort Imam Husayn’s sister, Zainab bint Ali.
14. When Imam Hussain was killed:
Imam Husayn was killed on the 10th of Muharram, in the year 61 AH (680 CE). Imam Husayn was killed during the fight, which ran from early morning until noon.
15. Water Was Not Allowed in Karbala:
Water was not allowed in Karbala in the days before the Battle of Karbala. The troops of Yazid, the Umayyad ruler, stopped Imam Husayn and his friends from getting to the Euphrates River. Without water, they became thirsty and dehydrated during the fight.
16:Martyrdom of Imam Husayn:
Imam Husayn and his close friends were killed in a brutal way on the Day of Ashura (10 Muharram) in Karbala.
17:Women and Children in Karbala:
After the fight, the women and children who were with Imam Husayn were taken prisoner and put through a lot of trouble.
18: Imam Zain al-Abidin:
The son of Imam Husayn, Imam Zain al-Abidin, lived through the fight and was taken prisoner. He became the fourth Shia Imam after that.
19: prisoners’ Sufferings:
The prisoners, including women and children, were taken on a hard trip from Karbala to Kufa and then to Damascus, where they had to go through a lot of pain and shame.
20: Battle of Karbala: The troops of Imam Husayn and the Umayyad Caliphate fought the Battle of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram in the year 680 CE (61 AH).
21:Imam Husayn:
Imam Husayn ibn Ali was the third Shia Imam and the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. He led the revolt in Karbala against the cruel rule of Yazid, the caliph of the Umayyads.
22:Yazid’s Army: Imam Husayn and his small group of 72 people faced an army of thousands led by Yazid’s general Umar ibn Sa’ad and well-equipped.
Conclusion
Muslims should know all of these things about Muharram because of this. But it gets harder and harder for people to get real information.