To the Shia Muslims around the world Muharram is like a season-dark, somber and sacred. The colour of the season is black. For Muharram is the month of mourning. For the first ten days of Muharram, Muslims gather in mosques and Imambarghahs dressed in black to mourn for Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was slain with his family and followers in the battle of Karbala in the year 680. Islamic history recounts that Hussein with a band of seventy-two came to deliver Iraq from the pretender. They came under siege by the Umayyad army of Yazid and were deprived of food and water for the first ten days of the month. On the tenth, known as the day of Ashura, Hussein was killed. The story of Hussein’s martyrdom is told in parts during the first days of Muharram, in gatherings known as majlises where the Shias gather, dressed in black. During these ten days hundreds of thousands of Muslims converge on Karbala and Najaf in Iraq where rest the shrines of Hussein and Ali, his father. Others take to the streets, beating their chests and chanting the tragedy, in Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, parts of Saudi Arabia, in Azerbaijan in the Soviet Union and in our own cities, most vehemently in Bombay, Luckhnow and Hyderabad. Islam zinda hota hai hur Karbala ke baad is a chant that rings in the gatherings of Shias everywhere.

It was in Karbala where Hussein fought his last battle and died. “Put your trust in God and know that man is born to die, and that the heavens shall not remain, everything shall pass away, except the presence of God.” Those were Hussein’s passing words to his old weeping sister before he washed, anointed himself with musk and rode his horse into the face of thousands of soldiers. The place where the water of Euphrates was cut off to Hussein and his family came to be known as Kerbala (Kerb meaning anguish and bela vexation. Hussein refused to bow to the forces of evil choosing a bloody death. His spirit rose like a phoenix and flew across lands away from the desert of his home. Evoking the strength and humility of Hussein wrote Anees, the poet, master of elegy: “Yeh to na keh sakey Shah-e-Mashreqain hoon, Maulana ne sur jhuka ke kaha main Hussein hoon` (He never could say he was master of earth and sky. He merely bent low his head and said ‘I am Hussein’).

Come Muharram and the old city of Hyderabad awakens as if touches by the magic wand of faith. Ashoor Khanas are freshly painted and aired to install the alams, insignia of the martyred Imams, of Karbala. Flowers shops load their racks with sehras, veils of roses and jasmines that are offered to alams by the faithful. Dusty streets turn fervent with men in black sherwanis and women in black burqas. And every evening for the ten days of Muharram the story of Karbala resounds over microphones as the epic is recreated with words, tears and black processions. Women, in black traverse distances, rushing from one majlis to another, bowing to alams, weeping, beating their chests, reliving an ancient sorrow. No restrictions are imposed on them during these ten sad days-the only time in a long year when they meet each other, revive old contacts, connect life with gossip, and return refurbished to their dingy courtyards. No husband protests. No child cries for attention. The focus is enlarged from one’s own child to the children of Hussein, from one’s own father to a figure who fathered the cause of Islam. The identification is intimate and complete. “You lose a son, a fortune or a kingdom. Its memory fades as does its pain but not the pain of Hussein".

Imam Hussein was an epitome of virtue and piety. He was God fearing and was known for his strong faith in Islam, truthfulness, righteousness, and extraordinary determination. As a noble follower of Prophet Mohammad, he strove to be a true Muslim and followed tenets of Islam . Imam Hussein (AS) and his family  laid down their lives at

I heard the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, say concerning al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them: O God, I love both of them. Therefore love them and love whoever loves them Then he said: Whoever loves al-Hasan and al-Husayn, is one whom I love. Whomever I love, God loves, and whomever God loves, He will cause to enter Heaven. Whoever hates them, I hate and God hates. Whomever God hates, He will cause to enter the Fire. Then he said: These two sons of mine are my two plants of sweet basil (to sweeten) the world.

[Zirr b. Hubaysh reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud: ]

The first Majlis-e-Husayn was started by his sister, Bibi Zainab, as soon as they were set free by Yazid. Since then all the Imams and Shi'as have continued the Majaalis-e-Husayn regularly

On the Sunnat of our beloved Bibi Zainab(SA) and the duas of our beloved Bibi Fatima Zehra (SA), myself and my husband Dr. Ehsan has decided to devote our life for this cause. Every Moharram we have daily Majalisis at our residence. We pray to Allah The Almighty that our children should carry this task of Azadari after our demise.(Illahiameen) The majalis start at 11 pm at night and some momin are surprised that how come people come to the majlis so late at  night. But Allhamadduillah by Bibi's duas our hall is always full with Mohibane Hussein (AS). This year from 1st to 10th Moharram Moulana Syed Ali Esa is reciting the Majalis and his topic is Mohabbat-E-Hussain