Category: Mourning

Karbala and the Arbeen Celebrations

Published March 8, 2007 in CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Death, Elders, Iraqi, Mourning, Muslim | Comments [0]
Karbala, also spelled Kerbala, Kerbela or Karbila, is a city in Iraq, located about 60 miles (100 km) southwest of Baghdad. It is one of the holiest cities for Shi’a Muslims because it holds the shrine of the martyred Imam Husayn ibn Ali. Husayn’s death in the Battle of Karbala in 680, and [...] Read More »

Ashura

Published January 28, 2007 in CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Fasting, Indonesian, Iraqi, Mourning, Muslim, Trinidad and Tobago | Comments [0]
Ashura, which falls on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar, is a recommended day of fasting for Sunni Muslims, and a day of mourning for Shi’ites. The word “ashura” means “tenth” in Arabic. The holiday marks several historical events, including the day that Moses fasted to thank [...] Read More »