Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and is considered the second holiest month after Ramzan.

Muharram, one of the four sacred months, is observed by Muslims across the world.

On the tenth day of the month, Imam Hussain Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Imam of the Shia community, was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

The Shia Muslims mark the ceremonial mourning on this day and it's called Ashura.

Muslims worldwide stage processions and hold rallies during Muharram to mark the anniversary of the death of the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

The Shia Muslim community mourns Imam Hussain Ali's death on the day of Ashura by flagellating themselves with sharp objects on Muharram. This exemplifies the suffering Imam Hussain Ali experienced shortly before his beheading.

The day of Ashura stands as a symbol of struggle against injustice and oppression.

During the month of Muharram, some mosques provide free meals on certain nights of the month to all people.

Ashura also marks the day Musa (Moses) was saved from the Pharaoh of Egypt by God. The Prophet Muhammad used to fast on Ashura in Mecca, where it became a common tradition for the early Muslims.