What is Arbaeen Global March?
The pilgrimage of Arbaeen has been subject to fluctuations during different periods of Islamic regimes. Over the past decade, the number of Iraqi and non-Iraqi pilgrims has reached several million.
Pilgrimage to the graves is one of the religious traditions of Islam where people travel to seek spiritual solitude and remember the mortality of the material world.
One of these pilgrimages is Ziarat Arbaeen, which is held on the fortieth day of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the third shining star of Imamate and Wilayat, by walking a few kilometers to his shrine.
This march, which has turned into a gathering of hundreds, is considered the most powerful symbol of unity among the Islamic world today. The Arbaeen gathering is attended by different groups of Muslims, Shiites and Sunnis, even Christians, and followers of various ethnic groups in the Middle East, such as Yazidis and other religions, making the march the world's largest global annual event. It is a religious gathering.
Characteristic of Arbaeen March
Arbaeen March has a distinct feature in all the pilgrimage rituals of Muslims belonging to the school of Ahl al-Bayt Athar (peace be upon them) and as mentioned, they walk from different countries of the world every year from the 7th to the 20th of the month of Safar. are Pilgrims first visit the shrine of Hazrat Ali, the first Imam of the universe, in the city of Najaf, and then visit the shrine of his son, Imam Hussain, to express their sympathy with the prisoners of Karbala.
In the historical event of Karbala, Yazid's army took captives from the deserts of Iraq to Syria.
In this traditional march, most of the pilgrims travel from Najaf to Karbala and along the route of the procession are places to welcome the pilgrims known as "moqab". These processions are organized by the people of different countries. In these processions, all the facilities from food and drink and rest are provided for free and per sabil Allah.
Philosophy of Arbaeen March
In this march, the pilgrims refresh the memory of the remaining captives after the unequal war of the Yazidis with the Prophet in 61 AH by enduring the hardships of the long trek and the family of the Prophet. And by remembering the sufferings of these prisoners of peace and blessings of God, they learn resistance.
A look at the historical record of Arbaeen March
From historical references, it is known that walking to the shrine of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt Athar (peace be upon them) was common in the life of the Imams and took place in different parts of the Islamic land. But due to the harshness of cruel and oppressive rulers in different Islamic centuries and the fear of Shia Muslims gaining power, it has faced many problems and just like the pilgrimage of Imam Athar (peace be upon him) faced many difficulties at different times and places. In the same way, this tradition of Arbaeen March has also had ups and downs.
In fact, visiting Imam Hussain (a.s.) on the day of Arbaeen is one of the traditions that have been copied from Ahl al-Bayt Athar (a.s.) and Shia Muslims continued this movement even during the Umayyad and Abbasid eras. Undoubtedly, during the Safavid period in Iran, due to the provision of a suitable environment for the Shia Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), it also played a major role in introducing the culture of pilgrimage on foot. In this regard, it is narrated that Shah Abbas Safavi and the great scholars of his era like Sheikh Bahai decided to go to Mashhad from Isfahan in 1009 Hijri in order to revive and generalize the culture of pilgrimage among the people and walked to Imam Ali bin Musa. Visited Al-Reza (peace be upon him).
Saddam pressure on pilgrims
However, after Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq and the Ba'ath Party ruled the country, there were many restrictions on walking and going to the Arbaeen pilgrimage, and there are reports of atrocities on pilgrims by government forces, resulting in many pilgrims dying. Martyred. However, it has been said that despite these restrictions, many scholars declared it obligatory to walk towards Karbala.
In the book "Sanwat al-Jamarat" published in 2004, it is said about the restrictions on the pilgrimage of Arbaeen during the rule of the Ba'ath Party: In 1397 Hijri...
In 1977, religious ceremonies and organized processions and bans on walking and Arbaeen pilgrimages to Karbala were mentioned, when Iraqis were preparing for the pilgrimage and began moving towards Karbala, but this move was attacked by the forces of Saddam Hussein's regime. was confronted and many people were martyred and a large number were imprisoned. Some scholars, such as Allama Askari and Syed Muhammad Hussain Fazlullah, who had fled Iraq, were also sentenced to death in absentia.
The situation of the Arbaeen March after the fall of the Baath Party
After the fall of the Iraqi Baath Party in 2003 when Saddam Hussein was no longer useful to the United States, the followers of this school of Ahl al-Bayt Athar (peace be upon them) revived this historic march with the new government in Iraq. Every year, apart from Iraqi Shias, Shias of other countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, also joined the Arbaeen March. According to reports, apart from Shias, Sunni, Christian, Yazidi and other religious groups also participate in the Arbaeen procession. Today, in addition to Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and African countries, people from Sweden, Denmark, America, England, Austria, Finland, Argentina, Colombia, Russia and Australia also participate in the Arbaeen procession.
Millions of pilgrims at a time of ISIS threat
Since 1993, with the support of the Iranian government, the number of Arbaeen pilgrims has reached millions, most of whom are foreign pilgrims.
In 1994, while the countries of the region were feeling the threat of the ISIS terrorist group and other Takfiri groups created with the help of the United States, Israel and some Arab rulers, the number of pilgrims not only did not decrease but began to increase.
Similarly, despite the corona situation a few years ago, the number of pilgrims did not decrease much, and after the removal of the threats of ISIS and Corona, the number of pilgrims is increasing every year.
The ceremony in honor of Arshad Nadeem by the Army Chief termed the achievement of the athlete as national pride
Army Chief General Asim Munir called the success of Javelin Tharoor Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal at the Olympics after 40 years, as a national pride for Pakistan.
According to the Public Relations Department of Pakistan Army (ISPR), Army Chief General Asim Munir organized a ceremony in honor of national hero Javelin Tharoor Arshad Nadeem at the auditorium of GHQ.
The event was attended by Olympians from the 1984 Olympics and national hockey teams, teams from other sports including the national cricket team and legendary Olympians, ISPR said.
According to ISPR, the street football team, army polo team, visually impaired cricket team, women's goalball team, Commonwealth medal winners, SAF and Paris Olympics 2024 and Asian Games participants were also present at the event.
The ceremony in honor of Arshad Nadeem by the Army Chief termed the achievement of the athlete as national pride
Photo: ISPR
ISPR said that national legend Jahangir Khan, Islahuddin, Shahbaz Sr., Sohail Abbas, Muhammad Asif and Easam-ul-Haq also participated in the event.
Apart from this, Arshad Nadeem's close relatives, colleagues and coaches also participated in the event.
According to ISPR, the Army Chief appreciated Arshad Nadeem for winning gold medal for Pakistan and setting a new Olympic record and he termed Arshad Nadeem's achievement as national pride.
On this occasion, Army Chief General Asim Munir said that Arshad Nadeem won this medal due to his determination, perseverance and spirit of excellence, the entire nation has awarded Arshad according to his achievements.
The ceremony in honor of Arshad Nadeem by the Army Chief termed the achievement of the athlete as national pride
Photo: ISPR
According to ISPR, the Army Chief reiterated his full support to the players and his determination to empower them.
The Army Chief also reiterated his commitment to support the youth to achieve the goal of a prosperous Pakistan and emphasized the importance of hard work and determination, ISPR said.
According to ISPR, Arshad Nadeem thanked Army Chief General Asim Munir and stressed the importance of hard work and perseverance in overcoming challenges and achieving success.