I was working one night on the copy desk at the paper when the night editor in charge started asking one of the reporters about a picture he had just pulled off the wire. It was of a large group of men beating their chests in front of the shrine of the grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hussain ibne Ali (ra), in Karbala, Iraq.

“Are these Shi’as? What are they doing?” You could tell he was clearly confused. And, rightfully so.

As a Shi’a Muslim, I am glad I was within earshot of his question. I walked over and talked about who a Shi’a is, what these men were doing, what it meant, and how to correctly identify what was going on in the picture. The editor welcomed my input, and I imagine it helped clarify a lot of confusion that people often feel when dealing with other cultures.

But, this was not the first time I saw our faith and rituals misrepresented or misidentified. In a book on Iraq from the library and in a section on the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (ra), it said that Shi’as believed Hussain ibn Ali (ra) sacrificed his life so we could all go to heaven. I quickly typed up a letter and sent it off to the publisher to correct this error. This is not what Shi’as believe. But, I imagine many Muslims of other sects might erroneously think we actually do believe in this concept.

Contrary to popular brainwashing, Shi’as are like every other mainstream Muslim. While our specific rituals during Muharram are often misunderstood, our commemorations are simply a way to remember a leader who rose against oppression to save Islam.

As an editor and reporter, I often dealt with questions about Shi’as from others at the paper – especially because whenever anyone typed in “Shi’a” or “Shiite,” the only pictures that came across the wire were of bloodied men beating their chests. It hurt to think that was this really all people were understanding of our faith? Yes, it happens. Yes, they are Shi’a. But it is unfair to simply lump everyone in one group.

As Muslims, our Lord commands us to seek knowledge “from the cradle to the grave.” Never to blindly follow and always distinguish truth from falsehood. We are encouraged as Muslims to learn about our religion and practice it properly. So it is imperative when we see something we don’t understand, that we ask and find out from the right sources.

These first ten days of Muharram are a detox for my soul. As families we gather at masjids and homes and listen to scholars remind us about how to grow closer to Allah (S) and live as good Muslims. We mourn our beloved leader and his sacrifices, and we teach our children the importance of standing up for what is right.

Imam Hussain said: “I never revolted in vain, as a rebel or as a tyrant, but I rose seeking reformation of the nation of my grandfather, Mohammad. I intend to enjoin good and forbid evil, to act according to the traditions of my grandfather, and my father, Ali ibne Abi Talib.”

Because when I think of Imam Hussain (ra), I don’t think of death and blood; I think of honor, compassion and bravery. Imam Hussain (ra) could not fathom even paying allegiance to someone like Yazid because it would mean selling out the values of Islam, and that wasn’t an option. He even offered his enemies and their horses water. Imam Hussain (ra) was the man who took every moment to reach out and advise the enemies not to fight him for refusing allegiance to a tyrant ruler. Even until his last breath. He knew Islam was worth fighting for, no matter what the cost.

Imam Hussain (ra) taught me how to sacrifice for what really matters and never be a slave to this material world.

This is what I learned from Hussain ibne Ali (ra). I learned to treat my faith as my armor. The beauty of his sacrifice is something I try to remember every day. When facing obstacles in life, I can rely on Imam Hussain (ra) and the story of Karbala to give my heart ease.

While the story and events are sorrowful and tragic, the tears that fall when we listen to what happened to our dear Imam and his family, are a balm for our hearts that may have hardened from being far from our Creator. Imam Hussain’s (ra) story serves as a reminder to come back to the Almighty, for gaining nearness to Him is the ultimate reward.