Arbaeen 2016 - Ashura 40th - Photos

AlhamdoLillah this year, Imam Hussein (AS) invited me to visit his holy shrine during Arbaeen 2016. More than 20 Millions of Muslims from across the world have gathered in Iraq’s holy city of Karbala to commemorate Arba’een, the 40th day after Ashura (the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam).

These are some photos I've taken during walking towards Karbala (except the first photo and some of the last photos). Photos are taken from My other blog hosted on Blogger (Shia Muslim blog) and may be filtered in Iran and some other countries!

Arbaeen 2016 - Ashura 40th - Start of the Road Najaf-Karbala

Arbaeen 2016 - Ashura 40th - Largest International Gathering

Arbaeen 2015-Children Serving Pilgrims of Imam Hussein

Arbaeen 2015 Finished successfully and about 25 millions of pilgrims reached Karbala in Iraq.
The following shows some children serving pilgrims of Imam Hussein (as)


 

 

 

 See more photos from Arbaeen 2015 here: ArbaeenPix

The largest rally in the world - Arbaeen of Imam Hussein with 20 millions of Shia

In Arbaeen 2014, I had the opportunity of traveling to Iraq for the first time and participating in the largest peaceful walking in the world. Definitely this travel was my best journey during my life. A spiritual trip with many hardships but full of love for Imam Hussein (AS). About 20 millions pilgrims, 15 millions from within Iraq and 5 millions from outside, marked this Shia religious ritual. Almost all pilgrims fed up for free by thousands of volunteers in places called Mookeb... Unfortunately, news agencies were absent in this great procession, but in fact every pilgrim was a medium and InshaAllah very soon the whole world will hear the sound of Labbaik Ya Hussein!

The following photos are taken during my 6 days visit of Iraq and walking in the road of Ya Hussein between Najaf and Karbala: (Click on images for larger images. If you want better resolutions, contact me through comments. For more images see Photos of Arbaeen 2014)

شکر خدا، برای اولین بار زیارت کربلا نصیبم شد، آن هم در شرایطی که به خواب هم نمی دیدم. زیارت اربعین با پای پیاده در کنار میلیونها زائر دیگر. فضای ایام اربعین و طول مسیر پیاده روی چیزی نیست که بتوان به زبان آورد، باید رفت و دید. شاید تصاویر زیر کمی از حال و هوای بزرگترین اجتماع بشری را منتقل کند. اجتماعی که در سکوت ناجوانمردانه‌ی رسانه های خارجی برگزار شد، طوری که در کل مسیر تنها دو سه مورد خبرگزاریهای ایرانی و احتمالا لبنانی بودند که به انعکاس این رویداد بزرگ می پرداختند. (تصاویر بیشتر با کلیک روی ادامه خواندن)

 

 

A 100 Years Old Man Walks Towards Imam Hussein (AS) Holy Shrine

Biggest Gathering of The World Currently Running - Arbaeen 2014

The largest gathering in the world

The biggest annual gathering

Longest continuous dining table

Largest number of people fed for free

Largest group of volunteers serving a single event

These are some records that must be registered in the Guinness Book for Arbaeen (+). All of these are under the imminent threat of suicide bombing and ISIS in Iraq.

About 20 million Muslims from about 10 days before, started a march towards the holy city of #Karbala to be over there for Arbaeen_2014. Last year about 18 million pilgrims visited the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in Arbaeen. Karbala is the city in where Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) , and his companions were martyred in 61 AH. Unfortunately western news channels close their eyes on such important annual event, just because it may spread the culture of Islam and specially Shia... But as Holy Quran says, they can't do so:

یُرِ‌یدُونَ لِیُطْفِئُوا نُورَ‌ اللَّـهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّـهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِ‌هِ وَلَوْ کَرِ‌هَ الْکَافِرُ‌ونَ They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.

I ask you dear Muslim brothers, please propagate this procession in social networks in such a way that satellite and TV channels were forced to show photos and videos of this ritual. You know that lots of people, even non Shia Muslims, are unaware of such a great gathering. Labbayk Ya Hussein Enjoy these photos from current wave towards Hussein (AS) in Arbaeen 2014 :

 

بزرگترین اجتماع صلح آمیز دنیا در حال اتفاق است و شبکه های بزرگ خبری دنیا چشمان خود را به روی آن بسته اند. دوستان فعال در فضای مجازی، آستین بالا بزنند. در گروههای مسلمان و غیر مسلمان در شبکه های اجتماعی لااقل خبر این اجتماع را منتشر کنید. مثل پستی که بنده در گروه 306 هزار نفری I Love Islam در گوگل پلاس گذاشتم: اربعین، بزرگترین اجتماع مسلمین در حرکت است. البته به دلیل حضور ناچیز شیعیان در این گروه بزرگ، کسی +1 نکرد!

Arbaeen; the largest peaceful gathering in the world

Arbaeen, the 40th day after martyrdom of Imam Hussein in 61 AH, is so near and currently millions of pilgrims are walking towards Hussein for Arbaeen 2014. It's not the Muslim Hajj, or the Hindu Kumbh Mela.. Known as Arbaeen, it is the world's most populous gathering and you've probably never heard of it! Not only does the congregation exceed the number of visitors to Mecca (by a factor of five, in fact), it is more significant than Kumbh Mela, since the latter is only held every third year. In short, Arbaeen dwarfs every other rally on the planet, reaching  twenty million last year. That is a staggering %60 of Iraq's entire population, and it is growing year after year.
I am ready to visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in Karbala for the first time, After Saddam, every year the world's biggest pilgrimage takes place in Arbaeen.
Insha Allah. I recommend you listening this song to find the atmosphere of Iraq in the days before Arbaeen.

Welcome dear walker pilgrims, I will register your names and help you later in the day of Judgement. So welcome my pilgrims.

In Memory of Roghaye, daughter of Hussein

Today is the day of martyrdom of Roghayya, the little girl of Imam Hussein (AS). She and other captives of the battle of Karbala in Ashura were in a house (like a prison) near the Yazid palace. She was crying so hard. Companions of Yazid take head of Imam Hussein for her to be calmed down. But she embraced head of her father and psalmed with him. She cried and cried until she dead.

Today after about 1400 years the largest Nazri food table was provided in the city of Qom in memory of Seyyeda Roghayeh :

Ashura 2014 - Photos

The following photos are taken in the day of Ashura in Iran and Iraq. In this day, Shia Muslims mourn for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), his brother Abalfazl and other companions, killed in the Batlle of Karbal (61 AH) in a brutally manner.

In this day Shia Muslims, word wide, march in the streets, weep for Imam Hussein and mourn in different styles like striking on chest and singing plaintive songs. Some small minorities also perform self flagellation which is prohibited by several Grand Ayatollahs.

For large images, please click on them. There are 16 beautiful photos of this ceremony; please be patient. 

                     

Arbaeen, and Heart of the Believers

Arbaeen is the 40th day after Ashura in which Imam Hussein (as) and his companions martyred. In Arbaein, due to some historical documents, Imam Sajjad (AS), Hazrat Zeinab (the sister of Imam Hussein), and some other relatives of the Imam, came back to Karbala and mourned for Imam and other martyrs of the Ashura.

After Saddam, walking to Karbala was released. Since then, every year, millions of Shia Muslims from all over the world travel to Karbala, the holy city of Iraq, to commemorate the religious ceremony of Arbaeen, the 40th day after the martyrdom of the third Shia Imam.

The walk from Najaf to Karbala is one of the most enlightening acts of worship a pilgrim can perform. The suffering and hardship imposed on the family of Imam Hussain (as) and the grandchildren of Prophet Muhammad (s) is felt in every step, and thus the love and respect for this holy family increases in the heart of the believer with every step that is taken towards the holy land of Karbala.

The following video from AhlulBayt TV is an interview with people dealing with the event of Arbaeen 2013 in Iraq: (Link in Youtube)

 

On Arbaeen 2013 about 18 Millions pilgrims walked from Najaf to Karbala. Nowadays Iraqi People are preparing for Arbaeen 2014 on December 13.

See also:
Some Photos of Arbaeen 2013

Mokhtar-Nameh TV Series

This series is based on Mukhtar Al-Thaqafi who was an early Islamic revolutionary who led an uprising against the Bani-Umayyah Caliphs (60s AH or 670s AD). During the battle of Karbala, Mukhtar was in the prison of Ibne-Ziad. A few years later, he gathered his companions and decided to take vengeance for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS). He killed almost all of the important people, participated in the battle of Karbala against Imam Hussayn (AS). Finally he took the leadership of Kufah for a short time. He was the Arab hero who could overcome the events and lead the greatest social revolt. He adopted political and social justice, and accomplished equal opportunities among the people, regardless of their nations and religions. 

 

If you want to be familiar with some Shia beliefs, the event of Ashura in Karbala, and several uprisings after it, we recommend to see this interesting series. This film is in Persian / Farsi with English subtitles and The film was also approved by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. You can watch or download the whole series, in Qul site: Mukhtar Narrative. Also you can find this series in YouTube: Mukhtar Narrative HQ:
Please see the first part here:

 

Hadith from Imam Hussein

Imam Hussain (AS), the third Imam of Shia Muslims, martyred in the battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 AD). His holy shrine in Karbala is the most interested place for Shia Muslims to be visited. Before he was martyred, he said that his martyrdom will produce a movement within Muslims and whenever a believer recalls the event of Ashura, he will cry for it. Now, after about 1400 years, Muslims mourn and lament for Imam Hussein and take Majalis for him and his companions:

(For larger image, save it or show in another tab)

»Imam Hussein (AS)

en: I KILLED FOR TEARS; EVERY BELIEVER WHICH REMEMBERS ME, TEARS FOR ME

أَنَا قَتِیلُ الْعَبْرَةِ لَا یَذْکُرُنِی مُؤْمِنٌ إِلَّا بَکَى‏
فا: من کشته اشکم، هیچ مومنی مرا یاد نمی‌کند مگر اینکه گریه می‌کند

»Kamel-Alziarat, Page 109