Ashura 2024 Date and History: Here’s Significance of the Islamic Day Observed on the 10th Day of Muharram

Ashura is an important day in the Islamic calendar, observed on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The day holds significance for both Sunni and Shia Muslims, though the reasons for its observance and the ways it is commemorated differ between the two branches of Islam. The Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle, due to which, the Muharram dates keep changing every year in the Gregorian calendar. Ashura 2024 is observed on July 17. These dates are determined based on the sighting of the crescent moon. The name ‘Ashura’ is an Aramaic word meaning 'tenth' and is set to have derived from the Syriac words asiroya or asora. It shares the same root as the Hebrew word āsōr. In Arabic, Ashura refers to the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, a month in which fighting has been forbidden since before the advent of Islam. On the observance of Ashura 2024, know about the history and significance of the day marked on the tenth day of Muharram.

Ashura 2024 Date

Ashura is marked on the tenth day of Muharram. In India, Muharram 2024 started on July 8. Hence, Muslims in India will observe Ashura 2024 on July 17.

Ashura History

As per historical records, fasting on Ashura was likely a Jewish practice adopted by the Islamic prophet Muhammad after his arrival in the city of Medina in 622 CE, signifying Muhammad's sense of a shared prophetic mission with Moses. However, fasting on Ashura ceased to be a religious obligation after about a year when the relations with the Medinan Jews deteriorated. This transition is often associated with verses 2:183–5 of the Quran, the central religious text in Islam, which explicitly designate Ramadan as the month of fasting. The association of Ashura with the tenth of Muharram thus happened later, after the Jewish and Muslim calendars diverged. Is Muharram Celebrated as Festival? Why Do Muslims Self-Flagellate on Ashura? When Will Muharram Chand Appear? All FAQs Answered. 

For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites. Also on this day, Noah disembarked from the Ark, God forgave Adam, and Joseph was released from prison. However, for Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of mourning as they annually commemorate the death of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam. Husayn refused on moral grounds to pledge his allegiance to the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya and was subsequently killed, alongside most of his male relatives and his small retinue, by the Umayyad army in the Battle of Karbala on Ashura 61 AH (680 CE).

Ashura Significance

Ashura is a day of mourning and grief for Shia Muslims. It was observed as such by their imams, who also frequently encouraged the Shia community to follow suit. For Shia Muslims, Ashura is a day of deep mourning and remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

For Sunni Muslims, Ashura is a day of fasting and reflection and is believed to be the day when the Prophet Moses (Musa) and the Israelites were saved from Pharaoh by the parting of the Red Sea. The Prophet Muhammad recommended fasting on this day, as well as on the day before (9th of Muharram) or the day after (11th of Muharram), to distinguish the Islamic practice from the Jewish tradition of fasting on the same day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2024 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).