The Celebration of ʽāšūrā’ in Sunnī Islam

Muslim scholars show a tendency to consider an innovation the joyful celebration of ʽāšūrā’ among the Sunnites, an innovation which would have been established in order to counteract the Shiite festival. This attitude implies that the mournful celebration of ʽāšūrā’ was older than the joyful one. However, it is difficult to ascertain the character of the ʽāšūrā’ festival in early Islam. This paper describes the main characteristic features of the celebration of ʽāšūrā’ among the Sunnites in medieval Islam, paying special attention to a specific practice, that of liberal spending on one’s household (at-tawsīʿ ʿalā l-ʿiyāl). The case of this practice may serve to shed some light on the development of the ʽāšūrā’ festival.