Is the tenth of Muharram the anniversary of the killing of Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him) and the mutilation of his body? What is the role of the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah regarding this occasion? And should its details be ignored on religious pulpits?

Al-Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him, was martyred on the day of Ashura in the year 61 A.H. His killing was a great tragedy. As for the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah (Sunnis), they grieve over his killing and consider this calamity as a source of reward from Allah, reciting "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return) to attain the promised reward. This grief is not exclusive to the day of Ashura; rather, whenever a Muslim remembers the calamity, he recites it. However, turning the day of Ashura into a mourning day and a season for wailing, slapping cheeks, and tearing garments is an act of the people of innovation and the ignorant. The correct approach is to fast on the day of Ashura, following the Sunnah, and to avoid innovations and violations such as displaying grief or joy, because the Ahl al-Sunnah are moderate; they do not display joy on this day, nor do they counter innovation with another innovation.