Ashura is a yearly exaltation of sacrifice and rekindling of ancient grief. On the tenth day of the month of Muharram, devotees of Shi’a Islam commemorate the death of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Imam of his lineage. They harken back to the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 A.H., or 680 A.D., and through song and penance pay homage to the martyrdom of women, children, and an entire army of men who fought to preserve Islam itself.