Date Ashura In canada 2018

 The next upcoming Ashura is celebrated/ observed on sundown of September 20 ending at sundown on Friday September 21, 2018. 

Ashura marks the 10th day of the 1st month of Muharram on the Islamic lunar calendar. The day commemorates for Shia Muslims the death of Husayn ibn Ali who was the grandson of Muhammad in the Battle of Karbala of October 10, 680 CE. For Sunni Muslims the day relates to when Moses and his followers fled Egypt and where saved by God separating the Red Sea.

Although Ashura is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. This difference means Ashura moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The date of Ashura may also vary from country to country depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

The dates provided here are based on the dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America for the celebration of Ashura. Note that these dates are based on astronomical calculations to affirm each date, and not on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked eyes. This approach is accepted by many, but is still being hotly debated.

What is Ashura?

The Day of Ashura (also Aashoora and other spellings), which simply means 'tenth' in Arabic, marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram. For Shi'a Muslims, it commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (AD 680), and is a day for mourning.

Ashura is also commemorated by Muslims as the traditional date on which Noah's ark came to rest, the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was born and the Ka'ba was built in Mecca.

Celebration\ Observance

For Shia Muslims this is a day of sadness and morning where some people will make pilgrimages to a shrine (Mashhad al-Husayn) in Karbala Iraq. Some Sunni Muslims use this day to morn the loss of Husayn and other use the day for fasting because they believe God gave victory to Moses on this day by parting the Red Sea.

History

The date of Ashura always falls on the 10th day of the 1st month of Muharram according to the Islamic calendar. The date is different each year on the Gregorian calendar system because it is based off of the solar cycle vs the lunar cycle for the Islamic calendar.

Ashura around the World

In Arab countries such as Lebanon and Iraq, they read from a book which tells the story of battle of Karbala and death of Hussain ibn Ali.

In regions, such as the Arab states, Iran and Iraq, passion plays may also be performed that reenact the Battle of Karbala.

National and public holidays in India India

Observed mainly by the Shia Muslim community, Muharram celebrations take place in Muslim communities throughout India and are accompanied by processions and prayer meetings.