Mumbai: As the incessant rains lashed the city, the speaker at Mughal Masjid, expressing sadness, said, "Only if these rains were then, Imam Husain's son would not have died thirsty." For the gathered people at the Masjid, the speaker was recollecting the 'Battle of Karbala' that is considered as the darkest period of Islamic History. It led to the martyrdom of Imam Husain, grandson of Prophet Mohammed along with his family and followers. Before being martyred, their food and water supplies were cut.
The first month of Islamic Calendar, Mohurrum, is not celebrated but is mourned. Imam Husain was martyred on the tenth day of Muharram by then Umayyad Caliph Yazid I in the Battle of Karbala in 622 AD. The incident and the period split the community vertically.
Mohurrum observed in memory of Imam Husain
"Mohurrum is observed in memory of Imam Husain. Yazid, the so-called Caliph, had received bayat (swearing of allegiance) from everyone except Imam Husain. He wanted the Imam also to give bayat, which Imam refused and left. In all, the Imam, his family and followers were 72 when they were in Karbala and surrounded by thousands of Yazid's soldiers," said Maulana Yasoob Abbas, general secretary of All India Shia Personal Law Board who too is in the city to give Majlis.
Abbas added, "When no one was there, the Imam stood against Yazid. When surrounded in Karbala, Imam's six month old son, Ali Asgar, was thirsty for three days. The Imam told Yazid's army that a child has no religion and that some water be given. Instead of giving water, an arrow was fired and his six month old son was killed. Humanity died that day. Imam Husain stood for insaniyat (humanity). Yazid and yazidi were worse than animals."
How Mumbai observes Moharram
Abbas and many others recite 'Wakiya-e-Karbala' in various Majlises that are held in mosques or community halls across the city. These are mainly in Urdu and Persian. Mourners come dressed in black - a colour that soaks Muslim neighbourhoods during this period.
At Shishtari Imambada, a little away from Mughal Majid, a Majlis goes on in Persian for those mainly from Iran. Mourners beat their chest in memory of Imam and his family and were reluctant to talk though they gave Niyaz (food) to just anyone. Followers of Imam Husain make it a point to organise and distribute Sabils (water and milk based drinks) and Niyaz (food) in memory of the incident particularly from the sixth day onwards. "These are given to all irrespective of faith till the mourning is over. You will see more of these on the day of Ashura," said S Ali. On the day of Ashura, people take out large processons where they beat their chest and mourn the day when the actual martyrdom took place.
