Dehpahlavan also pointed out the diverse cultural and ethnic expressions of Muharram and Ashura across Iran, noting that these traditions could further strengthen ties between Iran and Iraq, especially through cultural and religious tourism during the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Mahdieh Bod, the Scientific Secretary of the event, emphasized the deep historical and cultural roots of Arbaeen, which have resonated with believers and devotees of Imam Hussain for centuries. She described Arbaeen as an extraordinary phenomenon that draws millions of pilgrims each year, with the annual pilgrimage to Karbala being a testament to its enduring impact.
The commemoration at Tehran's 19th-century Masoudieh Palace included academic discussions, cultural exhibitions, and artistic performances, all aimed at enhancing global understanding of Arbaeen's legacy. Scholars and religious figures at the event elaborated on the profound influence of Arbaeen, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
Every year, millions of Shia Muslims embark on the Arbaeen trek to Karbala, which is seen not just as a religious observance but as a personal and introspective journey. The event's focus was on how this pilgrimage, marked by a remarkable display of unity among people from diverse backgrounds, can serve as a powerful symbol of cultural and historical heritage.
Arbain (Arabic: الأربعين, romanized: forty), Chehelom (Persian: چهلم, romanized: the fortieth [day]). It is a Shiite religious observance, occurring 40 days after the day of Ashura, which is the commemoration of the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, the third Imam of the Shiites: Husáyn ibn Ali.1 Husáyn died, along with most of his family members and his small entourage, in the battle of Kerbala on 10 Muharram 61 A.H. (680 A.D.) against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (r. 680-683). The battle followed Hussain's refusal to swear allegiance to Yazid, whom Muslim historians often portray as impious and immoral. In Shi'ite Islam, Kerbala symbolizes the eternal struggle between good and evil, the pinnacle of self-sacrifice and the ultimate sabotage of Muhammad's prophetic mission.
Arbain marks an important turning point in the Kerbala movement; this day, which is no less important than the day of Ashura, is significant for many reasons, the main one being that Ahlul Bait (the Prophet's family) returned to the land of Kerbala, on this day and paid the visit to the Husayn; as well as to the loyal family and friends who offered their lives for the cause of Islam.
Arbain coincides with the twentieth of Safar, the second month of the Islamic calendar, and its commemoration has its roots in early Islamic funeral traditions. Shiite Muslims annually celebrate the day through mourning gatherings, dramatic reenactments of the Kerbala narratives, and charitable acts. Arbain is also a day of pilgrimage to the shrine of Hussain in Karbala, Iraq. Pilgrims arrive there in large numbers, often on foot, and many of them from the city of Naiyaf, some eighty kilometers away, where the shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shiite imam, is located. The Arbain pilgrimage, banned under Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, has grown after his overthrow in 2003 from two million participants in that year to around twenty million in 2014. As with Ashura, Arbain can be an occasion for Sunni-on-Shiite violence.
Background
On Ashura Day, the 10th of the month of Muharram in 680 AD, in the hot desert sands of Karbala, Iraq, Husayn and 72 members of his family, friends and followers, including a 6-month-old son, were martyred under the most gruesome circumstances at the hands of the army of Yazid, the second Umayyad caliph.
Yaber ibne Abdullah Ansari, a distinguished companion of the prophet of Islam, was the first visitor to Karbala, who after the forty days of Husayn's martyrdom, and in spite of his vision problems, came to this land in the company of Atiyet ibne Saad Kufy, a renowned scholar and exegete of the Holy Qur'an. Atiyet narrated: “together with Yaber, in order to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Hussain, we traveled to Karbala.... Yaber said to me: take me to the grave of Husayn, I put his hand on the grave of Husayn, Yaber fainted and fell on the grave of Husayn, I poured some water on his face, when he came to his senses he repeated three times: Ya Husayn and cried a lot and I read a supplication which is famous to Ziyarat Arbain. His visit coincided with that of the surviving female members of Muhammad's family.
Hussain's son and heir, Zain ul-Abidin, who had all been taken captive in Damascus by Yazid, the Umayyad caliph. Zain ul-Abideen had survived the battle of Karbala and led a secluded life in deep sadness. It is said that for twenty years whenever water stood before him, he wept. One day, a servant said to him: “O son of the Messenger of God, is it not time for your sorrow to come to an end? He replied: ”Woe to you! Jacob the Prophet had twelve sons, and God made one of them disappear. His eyes turned white from constant weeping, his head turned gray from sorrow and his bent back became gloomy, though his son was alive in this world. But I watched as my father, my brother, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family were slaughtered around me. How should my grief come to an end? '.
Annual pilgrimage
Millions of Muslims from different countries come every year to the Iraqi holy city of Karbala to commemorate the day of Arbaín, a religious ceremony that marks the culmination of a forty-day period of mourning following the anniversary of the martyrdom of Husáyn, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, and the third Shiite imam.
During the day, a crowd dressed in black invaded the streets of the holy city on its way to the mausoleum. The faithful carried black, red or green flags with images of Imam Husayn or religious slogans, beat their chests and chanted in unison in a collective trance.
The Arbain pilgrimage is one of the world's largest annual gatherings in one place.
Iranians, along with the Shiite community worldwide, commemorate throughout the country on Arbain Day, a date that coincides with the 20th of the month of Safar (the second month of the year in the Muslim calendar).
Likewise, millions of Iraqis from different cities, including Najaf (south, 55 miles away from Karbala) and Basra (south, 425 miles away from Karbala), have started their pilgrimage to Karbala several days ago.
According to BBC, The city of Karbala in Iraq is hosting the largest annual gathering of Shiite Muslims in the world in 2014, despite the threat of attacks by the Islamic State terrorist group.
Iraqi officials say more than 17 million pilgrims came to the city for the Arbain ceremony in 2014.
The roads leading to Karbala have become a river of black-clad pilgrims in front of a huge security apparatus.
In 2009, the number of people visiting Karbala in Arbain increased significantly. According to BBC News and Press TV, more than ten million people had arrived in Karbala one or two days before Arbain. The number of pilgrims was expected to increase to 18 million over the next two days. In 2013, Arbain reached 20 million people from 40 countries.111213 A car bomb targeting worshippers returning from Karbala killed at least 20 Shiite pilgrims in January 2013. In 2014, up to 17 million people made the pilgrimage, with many opting to make the 55-mile journey on foot from Najaf, near areas controlled by the militant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has declared Shiite Muslims apostates. There were no reports of major incidents in 2014 from Arba'in, which was considered a success against ISIL by Karbala Governor Akeel al-Turaihi.
