Official Stresses Preparing Holy Sites to Welcome Arbaeen Pilgrims
Hojat-ol-Islam Seyed Mehdi Khamoushi chaired the first meeting of Iran’s Central Arbaeen Headquarters for the 2025 Arbaeen pilgrimage on Sunday.
He also emphasized improved services for pilgrims, expanded cultural activities, and stronger coordination with Iraq.
The meeting also included deputies, central managers, and provincial officials of the organization.
Hojat-ol-Islam Khamoushi called for optimizing facilities at holy shrines to better accommodate pilgrims and praised past inspection reports as positive.
Shrines must be equipped to provide a welcoming space for the public, he said, adding that cooperation with Iraqi officials—particularly in Samarra—had yielded positive results and should be replicated elsewhere.
He further highlighted the need to enhance anti-Israel messaging during Arbaeen, calling the Arbaeen pilgrimage a platform to keep the culture of martyrdom alive.
He described Arbaeen as a geopolitical opportunity, saying “We are at the peak of confronting global arrogance. Iran, as the axis of anti-oppression, must use Arbaeen to strengthen this position.”
He urged widespread distribution of martyrs’ images and holding Quran recitations along the pilgrimage route.
Hojat-ol-Islam Gholam Reza Adel, the organization’s deputy for cultural affairs, said at the meeting that preparations had begun months in advance, with services set to launch earlier than usual.
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Adjustments will be made to accommodate high-traffic routes, such as the Mehran border crossing, while quieter borders like Bileh Savar will see reduced resources, he stated.
Adel noted that Golstan Province’s Moukib (pilgrim rest stop), previously stationed in Mehran, would relocate to Samarra for cultural programs.
Services will focus on lodging, food, and medical aid, with Quranic activities and sermons prioritized, he stated.
Arbaeen is a religious event that is observed by Shia Muslims on the fortieth day after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the 40th day of martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Shia imam, who was killed by the army of Yazid I in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
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Arbaeen is also known as the Ziyarat of Arbaeen, which means the visitation of Imam Hussein’s (AS) shrine in Karbala, Iraq, where his body is buried. Ziyarat is an act of pilgrimage and devotion in Shia Islam.
Arbaeen is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with millions of Shia Muslims from different countries walking to Karbala from various cities in Iraq and neighboring countries. The distance can range from 80 km to 500 km or more, depending on the starting point.
This year’s Arbaeen is expected to fall on August 14, depending on the moonsighting.
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