🕌Ashura

About Ashura

Ashura falls on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is one of the most significant days in the Muslim year — though it is observed very differently across traditions. For Sunni Muslims it is a recommended day of fasting, commemorating the day God is said to have delivered Moses and the Israelites from Pharaoh. For Shia Muslims it is the most solemn day of the year.

For Shia communities, Ashura marks the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The day is observed with mourning gatherings (majalis), elegies, processions and re-enactments that recall the tragedy and its themes of justice and sacrifice. Across the Muslim world the day carries deep spiritual weight, whether marked by fasting, charity or remembrance.

Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ashura moves about eleven days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar, and the exact date can shift by a day depending on the sighting of the moon. The counter above tracks the next expected date. Add the Ashura countdown to your own page to mark the days until the 10th of Muharram.