English Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “The Month of Muharram” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The Month of Muharram

The period of Muharram is the most significant time of the year for Muslims all over the world. It is observed to honor the death of Hussein, one of the grandsons of Prophet Mohammed. It is observed with unusual pomp and grandeur,

The aim of this observance is to remind oneself about the great sacrifice that Hussein made in order to maintain the dignity of the religion and the belief founded by his Grandfather Prophet Mohammed.

The observance begins on the first day of the new moon of the month in which Muharram falls. It is not observed on any definite day of any particular English month. Sometimes this date comes in the month of April, while at other times, in the month of June or July. The rising of the new moon in a particular Mohammedan month determines the date of its observance.

The story behind the observance of Muharram goes like this-Hassan and Hussein were the two sons of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet. The Caliph of Damascus wanted to deprive both of them of the inheritance of the Prophet’s property. He killed Hassan by poisoning him and drove Hussein into exile. In exile, Hussein gathered an army and attacked the Caliph. The war culminated in the defeat of Hussein. Hussein took refuge in a well. He was however traced and killed in the plains of Karbala. Before his death, Hussein had to live without food and water for ten days. This is the reason why Muharram lasts for ten days in order to correspond to the ten days of Hussein’s fasting.

During this period devout Muslims fast for ten days and pass time mourning the death of Hussein. Processions are taken out every evening in which thousands of wailing people take part. People taking part in the procession continuously beat their chests and cry out Hussein’s name aloud. These processions continue throughout the ten days. The sorrow of the people reaches its climax on the last day. A decorated horse forms an important part of the processions. He is the symbol of Hussein’s horse, which perished in the battle of Karbala. Another feature of these processions is the beautifully made Tazias. They represent the tombs that were erected over the graves of Hussein and Hassan in the plains of Karbala. These Tazias are accompanied by Alams made of spears and arrows. Mock battles are fought in these processions, to represent the battle of Karbala. On the last day, the Tazias are taken out to an open space or a river or a tank. These places are supposed to represent the plains of Karbala. The Tazias are buried or submerged there. In this way, the period of ten days of mourning comes to an end.