Sham-e-Ghariban (شام غریباں ) is a
mourning
Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one.
The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...
night of
Shi'Ites which is observed between 10th
Muharram
Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...
and 11th Muharram. The word Sham means night and Ghariban means poor or oppressed, thus this night remarks sacrifice and tolerance of the oppressed people of
Ahlebait in
Karbala
Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...
. So, it is called Sham-e-Ghariban. On 11th Muharram the holy members of
Ahlebait were arrested. The next day, the holy prisoners reached
Kufa
Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000.
Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...
in the palace of Ibn Ziyad.
[Lahoof By Ibn Tayoos, Tafseer Karbala By Faroog Kazmi] It is the main night in Muharram. On this night people gather to say
Noha and
Marsiya. Mourners beat their chests, recite
Ziyarat Ashura and take out processions.
References
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Shia Islam