Ashura

The Day of Ashura is the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram. The Prophet Muhammad singled it out as a recommended fasting day and made it a meritorious act for his followers. He also recommended fasting the day before and after. Through fasting, all of one’s sins for the previous year are forgiven. It is also a day singled out for charity, visiting the sick, and extra worship.

It is narrated that many important events in sacred history occurred on the day of Ashura, most importantly the salvation of Moses and his followers and the drowning of the Pharaoh. Also, Noah’s Ark is said to have landed atop a mountain as the flood waters receded. In commemoration of this event, there is a tradition in many Muslim cultures to cook a hearty yet sweet stew of hulled wheat and other ingredients said to have been left towards the end of the Ark’s journey. In the years after the death of the Prophet, his grandson, Husayn, was martyred on the day of Ashura; his sacrifice and the noble rank of his family is honored on this day.