Muharram: A festival of commemoration of the martyrdom of the good

I did not know the essence of Muharram until one of my Mohammmedan friends helped me understand the deeper meaning embedded in it. The word Muharram, as I have been told, is derived from 'haram' meaning forbidden and is considered the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar – which comprises four months.

And yes there is an interesting story behind Muharram like any other festival. It is said that Muharram festival is celebrated to honor the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet. The festival begins on the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar and lasts for 10 days. It is said that during this month only, the soldiers of Yazid, a Muslim ruler, surrounded Hazrat Imam Hussain, along with his family and followers at a place called Karbala in Iraq. In the days that followed, they were denied food and water and many of them were even eliminated. It is to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Iamam Hussain that some people of Islamic faith also hit themselves with a sharp metal tied to chain to express their pain and sorrow.

Now, before you start wondering about the significance of this festival, Muharram is one of the four months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. So can it have more significance than in today's times when the Islamic faith is under scanner for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I do not think any faith that propagates hatred would have wider acceptance among the general public – be it Hindus, Muslim, Christianity or any other for that matter. Or else why do we take pleasure in wishing people across all faiths on the festive occasions. Why do we await those get-togethers and the sumptuous meals that are arranged during Id, Christmas or any other festival.

But while on the one hand, we are united by these religious celebrations, on the other hand we are also becoming witnesses to bloodbaths and war crimes that are carried out in the names of religions. The impulsiveness and hatred, that have its genesis in the wrong interpretations of the religious doctrines has led to horrendous and dastardly killings among people across all religions.

The ongoing war between the Israeli forces and the Hamas for instance is over a piece of land that each party claims to be the birthplace of their respective prophets! And how else are we to forget the recent terror carnages that India has been a witness to. And the recurring theme that runs across these carnages is the religious aspect – the terrorists taking pride in their brutal acts of mass murders.

The legends, cutting across all faiths, speak volume of the triumph of the good over the evil and I feel this ongoing tussle will continue and it is upon us to take on the baton of living with the good messages and yet be adamant when it comes to fighting the evil within us as also those outside. Or else that day will not be far when Muharram or for that matter any other religious ceremony will be marked by bloodbaths and fratricides.