This Friday the 23th of October, or the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calender, Shi’a muslims will commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali — the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
On this day some 1300 years ago — a day known as Ashura, literally meaning ‘tenth’ in Arabic — Husayn ibn Ali was killed and beheaded in battle at the town of Karbala, modern day Iraq.

For Shi’as, who acknowledged Husayn as their spiritual and community leader because of his matrilineal lineage to the Prophet, Ashura is observed as a day of mourning.

In the west, Ashura is often associated with violent acts of self-flagellation; a festival where mourners seek to channel the pain and suffering of their fallen hero through bloodletting. While passionate, a great deal of Ashura is experienced through solemn and non-violent procession, tearful prayer and dramatic re-stagings of the Karbala battle.

Critically for outsiders, the festival invites us to develop a deeper understanding of the schism between the Shi’a and Sunni sects. For Shi’a muslims, the righteous leaders of the muslim community — an Imam — are the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Only they, Shi’as believe, possess the infallible qualities to interpret the esoteric meaning of the Quran. By contrast, Sunnis entrust power in a Caliph, whose legitimacy arises from their earth-born capabilities.

And so, when Imam Husayn fell on the battlefield at Karbala in 680 AD after refusing to submit to the rule of Umayyad Caliph Yazid, the schism between the two sects was galvanised. These photos were taken during the holy month of Muharram in Iran, culminating on the day of Ashura when the mourning period reaches its zenith.

They offer a glimpse into the rituals and processions where Shi’as pay tribute to their tragic hero.

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