TEHRAN (Iran News) – People who lost the Arbaeen pilgrimage toward Karbala marched on Saturday a long distance from Tehran’s Imam Hussein Sq. to the holy shrine of Shah Abdol Azim in Rey to commemorate the occasion. The trekking is practiced in every Iranian city where the faithful, who were not able for any reason […]
TEHRAN (Iran News) – People who lost the Arbaeen pilgrimage toward Karbala marched on Saturday a long distance from Tehran’s Imam Hussein Sq. to the holy shrine of Shah Abdol Azim in Rey to commemorate the occasion.
The trekking is practiced in every Iranian city where the faithful, who were not able for any reason to join the march to Karbala for the 40th day of Imam Husain martyrdom.
Arbaeen marks the end of a 40-day mourning period following the day of Ashura. This year, Ashura fell on October 19.
The Arbaeen pilgrimage is a spiritual trip by millions of the faithful every year making their way to Karbala that hosts the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS), who was martyred in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
The Arba’een Pilgrimage is the world’s largest annual public gathering that is held every year in Karbala, Iraq at the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual for the commemoration of martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad and the third Shia Imam, Hussainibn Ali’s in 680. Anticipating Arba’een, or the fortieth day of the martyrdom, the pilgrims make their journey to Karbala on foot, where Hussain and his companions were martyred and beheaded by the army of Yazid I in the Battle of Karbala.
The number of participants in the annual pilgrimage reached 20 million or more by 2016. On the routes of the pilgrimage, food, accommodation and other services are provided for free by volunteers. Hussain is believed to transcend all cultural boundaries and be a symbol of universal freedom and compassion.
Some of the pilgrims make their journey from cities as far as Basra, about 500 kilometres (310 mi) away by road. The ritual has been described as “an overwhelmingly powerful display of Shia belief and solidarity”. Iran and Shias however have criticized mainstream media for ignoring the event.
- source : tehrantimes, irannews
