Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. I.Alizadeh / The Caucasus Muslims Clerical Port announced the start of the Maherram month on 10 January.
The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram but not the Islamic month.
This day (A'ashura) was an ancient Judaic feast day of celebration and atonement. Now it is well-known because for the mourning of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (AD 680). Furthermore Sunni Muslims believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.
The word ashura simply means tenth in Arabic; hence the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means "the tenth day". Islamic scholars, however, give various explanations as to why it is thus called. Ashura has been a day of fasting for Sunni Muslims since the days of early Muslim community.
It marks two historical events: the day Nuh (Noah) left the Ark, and the day that Musa (Moses) was saved from the Egyptians by Allah.Shi'a. Shi'a Muslims in particular use the day to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet (pbuh), in 680 CE. In Shi'ite communities this is a solemn day: plays re-enacting the martyrdom are often staged and many take part in mourning rituals. Every year in London Shi'a Muslims gather for a mourning procession and speeches at Marble Arch. The procession attracts up to 3000 men, women and children from many different ethnic backgrounds.