Social aspects of Arba’een

On the threshold of the anniversary of Arba’een, the traditional 40th day after the tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), millions of people from Iraq, Iran, and different parts of the world are converging on holy Karbala, to renew their allegiance to the immortal ideals of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

Now we have a feature on the social aspects of this grand and glorious march, which is indeed the longest and largest gathering anywhere in the world.

In Arba’een rally, religious beliefs are strengthened. One of the main reasons why people attend this magnificent rally with their family, wife and children, is their devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet, which is a divine commandment. This important gathering has several social aspects, and is an excellent opportunity to highlight what is right and what is wrong, so the mourners observe the current conditions of the world and relay the message worldwide.

Thus, during the Arba’een rallies, Yemeni Muslims have put on display photos of crimes against humanity of the Wahhabi regime of Saudi Arabia which is playing the role of the detested Yazid in today’s world by massacring people and destroying the infrastructure. The photo exhibition showcases different aspects of the Saudi-led aggression against innocent Yemeni people. The organisers distribute DVDs and photos among the pilgrims to inform them of the situation in Yemen. More than 14,000 Yemeni men, women and children have been killed over the past two years and 8 months by the Saudis, who have bombed hospitals, schools, mosques, factories, marketplaces, power stations, and waterworks. The Saudi war has also triggered a deadly cholera epidemic across Yemen.

Meanwhile, Head of Iran’s Seminaries, Ayatollah Ali Reza A’rafi, said in a recent interview that the grand rallies of Arba’een are among the reasons for the defeat of the Saudi-created Takfiri terrorists in Iraq and Syria. He said: “By the Grace of Allah Almighty, every year the number of pilgrims participating in the glorious Arba’een Walk from the shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf to the shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala – a distance of over 80 km – is increasing.”

Ayatollah A’rafi added, “However, all this love and devotion we are witnessing the Arba’een Walk over the recent years is only a drop in the vast ocean of the spiritual blessings of pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala. As we believe, the spiritual aspects of the Arba’een pilgrimage will always shine bright until the Day of Judgment.”

He added that this grand walk is indeed a manifestation of unity and brotherhood of Muslims, since beside Shi’a the followers of the schools of jurisprudent also participate in it.

This year, during the grand Arba’een march of pilgrims, special booths have been set up on the route for collection of aid for the Rohingya refugees driven from the homes and hearths in Myanmar by the US-supported regime. Tents have been set up by displaying photos of the plight of the worst ever genocide of Muslims in the modern age. More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge so far in Bangladesh.

The Mawkeb of the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf has announced the distribution of over 9,000 fee meals daily during the rally. The official of the Cultural and Intellectual Affairs Department in the Holy Shrine, Mohammad Kazem, confirmed that the Mawkib of the department offers more than nine thousand meals per day as the number of pilgrims increases.

In a statement to the Media Center of the Holy Shrine, he observed, “Our Mawkib keeps rendering its services to the dear pilgrims around the clock. Our staffs are making strenuous efforts and doing their best helping and serving the pilgrims.”

In related news, the Islamic Republic of Iran has proved excellent protective cover for Arba’een pilgrims from possible bomb and rocket attacks by the cowardly Takfiri terrorists supported by Saudi Arabia, the US, and the illegal Zionist entity.

An Iranian air defence commander has announced that the flights passing Iran’s airspace during Arba’een are closely observed using advanced radar systems.

Brigadier General Shamkhal Jafari, a senior commander at Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defence Base, said the base is closely monitoring the country’s airspace during Arba’een religious ceremonies.

“Special attention is paid to all trans-regional flights on Iraqi airspace, including both unmanned and manned aerial vehicles, during Arba’een,” the Al-Alam News Network quoted Jafari as saying in a Farsi report.

He added that due to the daily passage of more than 1,400 passenger flights from Iran’s air space, during the Arba’een ceremonies, 55 passenger planes from Najaf and Karbala airports transport the pilgrims.

“All these flights are under constant surveillance and monitoring of fixed and tactical radar systems.”

He further mentioned that Khatam al-Anbia Air Defence Base has deployed its radar, missile, and electronic eavesdropping systems to the border with Iraq to monitor the situation and take any tactical action if necessary.

This year, officials predict that the number of Iranian pilgrims would for Arba’een would cross the three million mark. A total of 30 million pilgrims are expected this year.

Another beautiful aspect of Arba’een is that the rallies are held in peaceful manner, and no inconvenience is causes to others. Solidarity, cooperation and cognition are the hallmarks of this annual gathering. The atmosphere is brotherhood under the banner of the Martyr of Karbala, with pilgrims chanting “Labbaik Ya Husain", which means “Here we are O Husain” in response to your call on the Day of Ashura that went unanswered.

The Arba’een rallies have shown the triumph of Islam and the defeat of the propaganda of the enemies of humanity, including the US, the Zionists, and their Arab clients.

AS/ME