By Montaser Mara'y, IOL Correspondent

AMMAN, March 24 (IslamOnline) - Thousands of Shite Muslims marched through Arab cities in Jordan and Lebanon, as well as Iran Sunday, commemorating "Ashura", mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

The Day of "Ashura" represents a great Islamic occasion to Muslims in general, and Shite Muslims in particular. They (Shite) use this day to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. However, "Ashura" Day is a great Islamic occasion where Muslims, Sunni and Shite alike, are keen on realizing one of Prophet Muhammad's Traditions concerning it, fasting the Day of "Ashura".

The Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Fasting the day of `Ashura', I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the previous year."

About "Ashura", Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America said, "Fasting the Day of `Ashura' is not to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him. We deeply respect Imam Hussein's martyrdom, we honor his glorious act of sacrifice for the sake of Islam. He gave us a great example of truth, courage and piety. But we also feel pain and grief in our hearts for his assassination at the hand of some hypocrites, who took Islam as a pretext to commit their crime.

"They fought and killed Allah's Messenger's beloved and blessed grandson and his family. This was the most heinous and shameful crime that was committed for the sake of political power. This tragic event took place in the year 61 AH or 680 AD. However, the tradition of `Ashura' fasting is very ancient and it goes back to a long time before Imam Hussein. 

"It is reported in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari and other authentic collections of Hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram while they were in Mecca (before the Hijrah). 

It was a day on which people of Mecca used to change the covering (Kiswah) of the Ka'bah. Quraysh also used to fast on this day. (Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1489 and 1760) 

In the Jordanian City of Al-Karak, South of Amman, hundreds of Shite Muslims, mainly of Iraqi origins, gathered; streets were overcrowded with Shites expressing their sadness over the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. 

Some 1300 years ago, Imam Hussein was betrayed and killed when he rebelled against tyranny and injustice.

Since then, every year Shite Muslims mourn Hussein's death and try to feel the pain he must have felt when he died. 

Young men dressed in black parade through the streets of their town. 
They slap their chests in unison, expressing their angry emotions.

In Lebanon, however, the "Ashura" tradition used to go a bit further. 

In Nabatiyyeh in the south of the country, some of the young men used to cut their foreheads and beat the wound to make the blood splash out as they march.

However, the head of Lebanon's Shite Hezbollah movement used the occasion Sunday to issue a call to Arab leaders meeting, in Beirut, this week to give weapons to the Palestinians instead of discussing normalization with Israel.

"The Arab summit should back in a clear manner the Intifada and the resistance of the Palestinian people ... by providing them with arms and money," Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told a massive crowd of about 200,000 supporters at a main square at Beirut's mainly Shite southern suburbs.

Nasrallah was speaking to mark the Ashura Day.

Meanwhile, Nasrallah's armed political group transformed the gatherings across Lebanon into a sea of anti-Israeli protests, with as many as 350,000 people turning out across the country, nearly 10 percent of the population.

Hezbollah believes the tradition of bloodletting gives a backward image of Islam. 
For several years now, the group has been encouraging participants to donate blood - instead of spilling it on the streets. 

Every year the organization sets up blood donation tents in towns like Nabatiyyeh. 

The number of blood donors increases every year.

In Iran, biggest Shite Muslim country, the bloodletting is banned and many fatwas (Islamic rulings) were issued declaring the custom forbidden.

With additional reporting by Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff