The Arba'een Pilgrimage, or the Arba'een Walk or Karbala Walk, is the world's largest annual public gathering. It is held at
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
at the end of the 40-day mourning period following
Ashura
Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Among Shia Muslims, Ashura is observed through large demonstrations of high-scale mourning as it marks the ...
, the religious ritual for the commemoration of martyrdom of the grandson of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
and the third
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
Muslim Imam,
Husayn ibn Ali
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...
's in 61 AH (680 AD). He is believed to transcend all cultural boundaries and be a symbol of universal freedom, compassion and social justice. Anticipating
Arbaʽeen
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = once every Islamic year
, observedby = Shia
, date = 20 Safar
, date2018 = 30 October
, date2019 = 19 October
, date2020 = 8 October
, date2021 = 28 September
, date ...
, or the fortieth day of the martyrdom, the pilgrims make their journey to
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
on foot, where
Husayn
Hussein, Hussain, Hossein, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein or Husain (; ar, حُسَيْن ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-i-N ( ar, ح س ی ن, link=no), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning "good", " ...
and his companions were betrayed by the very people who invited him to Kufa, Iraq, and then subsequently martyred and beheaded by the army of
Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad
ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Ziyād ( ar, عبيد الله بن زياد, ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Ziyād) was the Umayyad governor of Basra, Kufa and Khurasan during the reigns of caliphs Mu'awiya I and Yazid I, and the leading general of the Umayyad army unde ...
in the
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala ( ar, مَعْرَكَة كَرْبَلَاء) was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliph Yazid I and a small army led by Husayn ...
.
The number of participants in the annual pilgrimage reached 25 million by 2017. On the routes of the pilgrimage, food, accommodation and other services are provided for free by volunteers. Some of the pilgrims make their journey from cities as far as
Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
, about away by road.
The ritual has been described as "an overwhelmingly powerful display of Shia belief and solidarity".
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and Shias however have criticized
mainstream media
In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Chomsky, Noam, ''"What makes mai ...
for ignoring the event.
Background
Jabir ibn Abd Allah alongside Atiyah ibn Sa'd were the first pilgrims of Husayn ibn Ali in the Arba'een of 61 AH (AD 680). According to narrations, the custom of performing the pilgrimage on foot was forgotten during a time period after
Morteza Ansari
Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Murtadha al-Ansari al-Tostari (1781–1864), ( ar, مرتضی الأنصاري التستري; fa, مرتضی انصاری شوشتری ), also transliterated as Mortaza Ansari Shushtari, was a Shia jurist who "was general ...
and it was revived by
Mirza Husain Noori Tabarsi
Mirza Husain Noori Tabarsi ( fa, میرزا حسین نوری طبرسی, ar, الميرزا حسين النوري الطبرسي) (1838 - 1902) popularly known as Muhaddis Noori / Al-Mohaddith Al-Noori, was a Shi'a Islamic Scholar and Shi'a Re ...
in an
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...
who repeated this action every year performing the last one by 1319 AH (AD 1901). Some other scholars and
Marja'
Marji ( ar, مرجع, transliteration: ''marjiʿ''; plural: ''marājiʿ''), literally meaning "source to follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority giv ...
s kept on the same manner in Arba'een up to the
Saddam
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
's time during which the pilgrimage was banned although a small number of people used to perform it secretly. It was revived just after Saddam's overthrow in 2003 and the number of participants grew year after year reaching 20 million pilgrims by 2016.
Features
"Shia cities, towns and villages all over Iraq empty out" during the 20-day period of the pilgrimage "as their people take to the roads in an elaborately organised and well protected mass movement not seen anywhere else in the world". By 2014, over 19 million people from 40 countries of the world participated in this occasion, making it the second largest gathering in the world. The figure reached 22 million pilgrims by 2015, according to Iraqi state-run media. By 2016, according to al-Khoei Foundation, almost 22 million pilgrims gathered in Iraq, 10% more than 2014. Even though the Hindu
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela () is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Allahabad ( ...
is larger in population, it is only held every four years, and hence the Arba'een pilgrimage is the largest gathering held annually.
The pilgrimage is marked by long walks from Najaf or Basra to Karbala. People from different walks of life, ethnicity and sect participate in the march including toddlers in prams and elderly pushed in armchairs.
Husayn ibn Ali
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...
, the Muslim saint for whom the pilgrimage is made, is believed to transcend all cultural boundaries and be a symbol of universal freedom and compassion. The mood of the pilgrimage has also been described as "one of intense piety and communal solidarity".
Free services
During the pilgrimage "copious supplies of food, small clinics and even dentists are available for pilgrims and they all work for free. The care of pilgrims is regarded as a religious duty." Along the roads to Karbala, many ''mawakibs'' (tents) are devised with the aim of providing "accommodation, food and beverage and medical services", and practically anything else the pilgrims need for free.
The pilgrims carry flags of different color but the black flag of mourning for Imam Hussein is by far the most common. They also decorate "permanent brick buildings and temporary tents which are used for praying, eating and sleeping along the three main routes leading to Kerbala". Seven thousand of such ''mawakeb'' were set up in city of Karbala in 2014. Besides Iraqi ''mawakibs'', which are unofficially organized, there are some ian ones which are less "specifically targeted" but pilgrims are from various regions.
Ali Moamen, Academic and former director of Al Najaf Satellite TV Channel, said:
According to Sayed Mahdi al-Modarresi, writing for ''The Huffington Post'':
Comparison to Hajj
The Arba'een pilgrimage is non-obligatory compared to
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
which is obligatory for those who can afford it. But tight regulation of Hajj because of its narrow and limited spaces have driven up costs and depriving it of spontaneity seen in Arba'een, making the latter an alternative for Muslims who cannot afford Hajj. Arba'een attracts more pilgrims than Hajj.
Security arrangements
The pilgrims face dangers such as "attacks that have been blamed on Sunni extremists, who have routinely targeted the pilgrims" using car bombs or rockets. The pilgrimage is performed under "tightened security" guarded by tens of thousands of
Iraqi police
The Iraqi Police (IP) is the uniformed police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law in Iraq. Its organisation, structure and recruitment were guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and it is ...
and
soldiers
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
backed by armored vehicles and military helicopters to protect the pilgrims. Iranian advisers also help protect the visitors through a joint operation room. On 20 November 2015, a major bombing plot in
Hussainiya
A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of M ...
in Iraq, Baghdad was foiled by the Iraqi police, where 18
booby-trap
A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a human or another animal. It is triggered by the presence or actions of the victim and sometimes has some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. The trap m ...
ped dolls were seized by the security forces. Stuffed with bombs, the dolls were meant to be scattered on the roads leading to
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
during Arbaʽeen.
Political dimensions
The ritual is no longer considered a purely cultural ceremony while
ISIL
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
, the group who regards Shia as apostate, had launched a wide offensive in Iraq, and hence the presence of such a large population of Shia is of a political importance. According to Ali Mamouri writing in
Al-Monitor
Al-Monitor ( ar, المونيتور) is a news website launched in February 2012 by the Arab American entrepreneur Jamal Daniel and based in Washington, DC, United States. Al-Monitor provides reporting and analysis from and about the Middle East. ...
, the pilgrimage became "a show of force against those hostile to the rise of the Shia in the region". After the fall of Mosul to the
ISIL
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
"and the subsequent massacres of Shia soldiers and civilians", the gathering took a political form for the first time for the Shia, who use the mourning rituals as a way to condemn injustice and express their social power. "The second sign of Arba'een's political shift was the regional message conveyed by Shia to their opponents: The Shia Crescent," Mamouri added. As the third sign he pointed to "a message exchanged between regional forces" and "unprecedented Iranian presence" which has led to "a feeling of solidarity between Arab and non-Arab Shia".
Surveys are done to study Shi'a Muslims via both "traditional survey instruments and experimental methods". The survey included topics such as "religion and politics, democracy, women's rights, regional conflict and Iran's nuclear agreement". Experimental methods were employed to investigate the "latent perspectives" of pilgrims towards "sensitive topics", including "Iran's nuclear program, and attitudes toward the West, China and Russia".
In the media
Allegations of media blackout
Iranian media, officials, religious figures and citizens have accused the Western media for ignoring the pilgrimage despite its large scale and its geopolitical and cultural significance. Despite being even larger than
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
, the most important Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Arba'een Pilgrimage remains largely unknown to the world.
''Asharq al-Awsat'' false report
In 2016, ''
Asharq al-Awsat
''Asharq Al-Awsat'' ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, Aš-Šarq al-ʾAwsaṭ, meaning "The Middle East") is an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London. A pioneer of the "off-shore" model in the Arabic press, the paper is often noted f ...
'', a daily paper based in London, claimed the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) reported that "unplanned pregnancies and ..disease" were seen "following the arrival of scores of unregulated Iranians to take part in the annual Shia pilgrimage to Karbala", in reference to the Arba'een Pilgrimage. According to the article, 169 unmarried women had become pregnant from the Iranian pilgrims. This report was later proven to be false.
The
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is the regional office of the World Health Organization that serves 22 countries and territories in the Middle East, the North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Central Asia. It is one of the WHO' ...
rejected the claims reported in ''Asharq al-Awsat'' and condemned the inclusion of its name, calling it "unfounded" news. In a television interview, a spokeswoman for the WHO said that the organization was "shocked" by ''Asharq al-Awsat'''s report and said that they were discussing with the Iraqi Ministry of Health on taking legal action against the paper.
Prime Minister of Iraq
The prime minister of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq. On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister.
History
The prime minister was originally an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, a ...
Haider al-Abadi
Haider Jawad Kadhim al-Abadi ( ar, حيدر جواد كاظم العبادي; born 25 April 1952) is an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq from September 2014 until October 2018. Previously he served as Minister of Communication fro ...
and other
Shiite
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
leaders condemned the report and demanded an "apology".
Around the world
Outside of Iraq, the pilgrimage is performed annually around the world in countries such as, Iran,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
United Kingdom
The Husaini Islamic Trust UK organizes a procession in United Kingdom which draws an attendance of thousands of people. In 2015, the organizers condemned terrorism following the
November 2015 Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
. The organizer said that the procession failed to gain coverage by the mainstream media because of "stereotyping", saying that "people see the entire Muslim community as one community."
Nigeria
Pilgrims in West Africa who are unable to go to Karbala due to the distance involved instead head toward
Zaria
Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...
in
Kaduna
Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Region, Nigeria, Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
to be addressed by the Shia cleric
Ibrahim Zakzaky
Ibraheem Yaqoub El-Zakzaky (alternately Ibraheem Zakzaky, Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky; born 5 May 1953) is a Nigerian religious leader. He is an imprisoned outspoken and prominent Shi'a Muslim leader in Nigeria. He is the head of Nigeria's Islamic Movem ...
. These include pilgrims from Nigeria as well as
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
,
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
,
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
,
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
and
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
.
On 5 October 2017, this annual Arba'een trek was attacked by
Kano
Kano may refer to:
Places
*Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria
* Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State
**Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries
**Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
police, resulting in the death of a religious leader and injury to dozens of participants. It was organised by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria which was previously a target of the
2015 Zaria massacre
The Zaria massacre (also known as Buhari Massacre) was a massacre carried out by the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, on Saturday, 12 December 2015, against Shia Muslims, mostly members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.tomb of one of the saints) in their cities.
Scholars' observations
In reference to 2017 Arba'een pilgrimage, head of Iran's Islamic seminaries Ayatollah
Alireza Arafi
Alireza Arafi ( fa, علی رضا اعرافی) (born 1956, in Meybod) is an Iranian Shia cleric and he is currently a member of the Guardian Council and also a member of the Assembly of Experts. He was former Chairman of Al-Mustafa Internation ...
said "Arbaʽeen pilgrimage has truly become a manifestation of unity and brotherhood within Muslim community so much that even followers of other religions have been drawn to it and attend the ceremony alongside Shia Muslims."
Gallery
File:Arbaein by Karbobala.com (2).jpg, A man grilling meat for pilgrims along the path of the Arba'een Pilgrimage
File:Arbaeen 2015-3.JPG, Arba'een pilgrims waiting for receiving free food from mawkibs
File:Arbaeen 2015-1.JPG, A man holding a plate full of dates on his head for passing Arba'een pilgrims
File:Arbaeen 2015-4.JPG, The 2015 Arba'een Pilgrimage
File:Arbaeen pilgrimage walk 01.jpg,
File:Arbaeen pilgrimage walk 016.jpg,
File:Arba'een pilgrimage's Walk on the Najaf-Karbala Route 021.jpg,
File:Arba'een Pilgrimage - Iranian People- Shia Muslim 09.jpg,
File:Arba'een pilgrimage's Walk on the Najaf-Karbala Route 08.jpg,
File:Arba'een Pilgrimage - Shia Muslim - Mehran City- Iran - Social Documentary - Mostafa Meraji 03.jpg,
See also
*
Mourning of Muharram
The Mourning of Muharram (also known as Azadari, Remembrance of Muharram or Muharram Observances) is a set of commemoration rituals observed primarily by Shia people. The commemoration falls in Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. ...
*
Ziyarat Ashura
''Ziyarat Ashura'' ( ar, زیارة عاشوراء) is an Islamic salutatory prayer to God. The prayer is part of the liturgy used in pilgrimages to the shrine of Husayn in Karbala. Muhammad al-Baqir, Prophet's descendant and the fifth Shia Ima ...