# Should Muslims mourn Husayn every year on Ashura?

*Should the death of Husayn be mourned every year?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/15/
- Date: 2020-10-16 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Karbala & it's precursors | Mufti Abu Layth (54:55–56:51)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=3295s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/

**Topics:** Karbala; Sunni-Shia dialogue

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth does not see annual mourning for Husayn as an Islamic practice and does not do it, but he does not condemn those who do.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that in his opinion ritual annual mourning for Husayn is not an Islamic practice, though he does not condemn people who choose to do it.

**Evidence, his words at 55:34:** “I don't feel it's in my opinion it's not a um an Islamic practice but people who do do it I wouldn't personally I don't personally condemn them I don't condemn people who choose to do it” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBL5ViS3Rg&t=3334s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth asks whether the anniversary of Husayn's death should be commemorated and says he does not personally do so. He says that in his opinion holding days of mourning or matam every tenth of Muharram is not an Islamic practice, but that he does not condemn people who choose to do it. He says all Muslims acknowledge it was a huge tragedy, but he does not feel it needs to be mourned every year or ritualised as the Shia have done; if they want to, he says, it is a free world and that is their take on Islam.

## Sources and names cited

- Husayn ibn Ali
- matam (ritual mourning)
- Ashura (the tenth of Muharram)
- Shia

## Transcript (machine tier, 54:55–56:51)

[54:54] you know this this kind of thing but um so I that's my kind of take on the whole thing should we commemorate um this kind of death anniversary of um of of Hussein and I'm not I don't personally um do that I don't um to me it's not a you know this thing of commemorate like doing a matam this kind of um where you're mourning a like to have

[55:34] days of mourning so when you every 10th of Muharram we mourn Hussein uh I don't know I don't agree with that I think that that's um I don't feel it's in my opinion it's not a um an Islamic practice but people who do do it I wouldn't personally I don't personally condemn them I don't condemn people who choose to do it in my perspective of things I don't see it as a practice um I don't do it like that I obviously acknowledge I I'm sure all Muslims

[56:11] acknowledge that it was a huge tragedy but I don't feel it needs to be kind of mourned every year as an anniversary if a person personally does that sure that's fine but I don't think this this is to be like ritualized the way the Shia have it ritualized but that said if they want to do it you know it's a it's a free world it doesn't really that's their take of Islam and they want to do it you know fine I mean but I don't I don't personally see it I don't see it in my understanding it's not the Islamic thing to do but I get that that's their take

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iaBL5ViS3Rg/s/15. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/iabl5vis3rg/s/15/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.