Muslim Festivals and Ceremonies — Page 40
Some devoted followers inflict wounds on their own bodies by means of chains etc. . Muharram Festival. Historical Background:. This is a festival which lasts ten days and commemorates the martyrdom of Hussain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam. . The festival takes its name from the first month of the Islamic calendar. This is the month in which, due to religious differences,. Hussain, his family members and a number of his followers were surrounded by the forces of Yazid, the Muslim ruler of that time, while they were on a journey. They were deprived of food and water and many of them were put to death. The incident happened at a place called KARBALA in Iraq in 61 A. H. In fact after the death of the fourth caliph (Ali), Muslims were divided in their opinion as to who should be their caliph, as a result they fought with each other and there was a lot of bloodshed. 40