Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar.The Shiite Muslims commemorate the Battle of Karbala and consider this a month of sadness and mourning. Can you tell me a little about Ashura? Ashura is the day Husain Ibn Ali , the grandson of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH & HP) , was martyred along with his family members and friends in the Battle of Karbala. This month is period of intense grief and mourning. Clergymen give sermons with themes of Hussein’s personality and position in Islam, and the history of his uprising. The clergymen retell the Battle of Karbala and speak about the pain and sorrow endured by Hussein and his family. Many people congregate together in mosques for chest beating and mourning. They show their devotion to Imam Hussein by Lamenting and grieving to the tune of beating drums, sound of bugles and chants of “Ya Hussein.” Some people sacrifice a sheep in Ashura.