Arbaeen Pilgrimage Harbinger of New Islamic Civilization: Iraqi Professor

IQNA – The Arbaeen procession that draws millions of pilgrims every year is a harbinger of realization of a new Islamic civilization, an Iraqi scholar said.

Speaking to IQNA, Sattar Qassim Abdullah, who teaches at Dhi Qar University, highlighted different religious, social, political and spiritual aspects of the Arbaeen pilgrimage. 

He described the pilgrimage as the largest of its kind in the world today and said the gathering of millions of pilgrims in one place at one time provides an opportunity for growth and development in social, moral, educational, political and other fields.

It is a gathering where all of the participants are equal and there is no difference or priority based on race, social status, wealth, position, etc, he stated.

In this gathering, one can see social cohesion in its clearest form, Qassim Abdullah added.

There is also a strong spiritual atmosphere in this procession that is felt by all of those taking part in it, he noted.

The scholar also underlined the importance of the Arbaeen march in preserving an promoting the messages and values of Imam Hussein’s (AS) movement and said the pilgrimage is a step toward upholding the values and principles that Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions were martyred for.

He said the reform that Imam Hussein (AS) pursued has been manifested in the Arbaeen pilgrimage as it provides a venue for humans’ capacities to be manifested and bolstered.

The Arbaeen procession is the herald of a new civilization that is based on divine teachings, spiritual values and Islamic and human foundations, a civilization that is in contradiction of the Western one that is based on materialism and oppression, he went on to say.

Arbaeen is a religious event observed by Shia Muslims on the fortieth day after the Day of Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Shia imam.

It is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with millions of Shia Muslims walking to Karbala from various cities in Iraq and neighboring countries.  

More than 21 million pilgrims from around the world took part in this year’s Arbaeen march that concluded on Sunday, August 25.   

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