Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and is considered one of the four sacred months when warfare is forbidden. It is also considered the second holiest month after Ramadan. The tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura, is a day of mourning for Shia Muslims. They mourn the tragedy of Ḥusayn ibn Alī’s family, who was a grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Ḥusayn was martyred by the forces of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, on the orders of Yazid I, during the Battle of Karbala. Family members and companions accompanying him were either killed or subjected to humiliation.
