TEHRAN – Millions of 
Muslims worldwide have commemorated Ashura, a remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam and the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). 
Shia Muslims in Iran and other countries took part in mourning rituals on Tuesday for Imam Hussein who was martyred along with his 72 companions in the Battle of Karbala in southern Iraq in 680 AD after fighting courageously for justice against the much larger army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I.
Ashura mourners, dressed in black, beat their chests, march in mass processions, listen to elegies, and hold noon prayers, with benefactors distributing votive foods.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from different countries head to the city of Karbala, which hosts Imam Hussein’s holy shrine, to mark Ashura in ultimate magnificence.
Following the call to prayer at noon, large groups of mourners and Imam Hussein devotees immediately paused their mourning activities to perform the prayer in streets, sidewalks, and wherever they were, emphasizing the significance of prayer as a core aspect of Imam Hussein’s movement.
From the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, people across Iran’s cities and villages mourned and wept for the heroes of Karbala.
They later joined congregational prayers, showcasing their deep affection and respect for the holy family.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian attended mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (PBUH) and his faithful companions, held at the Hussainiyah of Imam Khomeini in Tehran.
Shia Muslims from Pakistan to London and New York also held mourning ceremonies on Ashura Day to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his companions.
Ashura is the culmination of 10-day mourning ceremonies that are observed in the lunar month of Muharram.
The Muharram rituals symbolize the never-ending and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression, the cause for which Imam Hussein was martyred. 
On the eve of Ashura, known as Tasu’a, mourners remember Abbas ibn Ali (AS), Imam Hussein’s half-brother, who was martyred shortly before Imam Hussein as he tried to bring water to women and children in Imam’s camp, who 

had had no water to drink for days due to a siege by the enemy forces.
For Muslims, Ashura has become a symbol of eternal stance of truth against falsehood, and lies at the heart of all struggles against oppression and tyranny.
Many Iranians also travel to Iraq to mourn the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein near his holy shrine, located in the city of Karbala.
The Muharram ceremonies symbolize the eternal and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression.