Iranians mourn for Imam Hossein in Arba’een

EghtesadOnline: Millions of Iranians are holding mourning rituals on Arba’een, which marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein.

News ID: ۷۷۱۴۸۱

20 November 2016

Muslims from all across the world including Iran have been marching toward the Iraqi holy city of Karbala to perform the rituals of Arba’een, ISNA reported.

According to officials, as many as two million Iranians have headed to Karbala. Imam Hussein is a respected figure not only among Shias but also Sunni Muslims. Even some Christians join the march to Karbala.

This year, the Mehran border crossing with Iraq, which is used by Iranians, had to be temporarily shut by Iraqi authorities due to the overwhelming influx of pilgrims.

The occasion unifies Muslims in the face of attempts to create divergence, animosity and misunderstanding among them.

There are also alot of people that in the especial day flock to Mashhad, Iran's holy city, to the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shias, , northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi. Annually about 5 million domestic and foreign pilgrims make pilgrimage in the city. According to a governmental statistics we have more than one million pilgrims during these days in 2016.

In this day, the streets which ends to holy shrine is closed off and turned into a vast sidewalk for the pilgrims walking toward the shrine and on the sidewalks, like everywhere else in the city; there are tents with religious banners above their entrances, offering refreshments to the pilgrims.

Also groups of mourners have come together and are slowly turning and singing lamentation songs.

The commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and all ethnic and religious communities participate in it.