Holidays and Holy Days
Sundown Aug 18 - Aug 19: Ashura
There are approximately 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, and 2 billion Christians (together about 55% of the world population). Like Christianity, the faith of Islam has many different sects. The two largest of these sects are Sunni and Shi’a. The roots of this division can be traced back to the leadership of the Muslim faithful following the death of Muhammad. After Muhammad died 632 CE, a caliph was chosen to be the head of state of Islam. The third caliph was killed thirty years later, and those who came to be known as the “Shi’a” sect of Islam (often called “Shiite” in English) maintained that the only legitimate successor was Muhammad’s closest living male relative. A Muslim civil war broke out over the succession. Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, was killed at the Battle of Karbala. This event is mourned by the Shi’a faithful as the Day of Ashura.
This year the observance of Ashura begins at sundown on August 18, and the day of Ashura is August 19 (2021). According to the Islamic Centre website, Ashura is a day of prayer, religious study and observance, good deeds, and finally to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
