By Laura Fawaz, TMO Contributing Reporter
Editor’s note: Laura Fawaz is a TMO contributor. Her opinions are her own.
It’s not the Islamic Pilgrimage of Haj, or the followers of Judaism visiting the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, or the mass Hindu Pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela. Rather, it’s the visitation on the day known as the Arbaeen.
Muslim Shi’ite women light candles to commemorate Ashoura in Kerbala, southwest of Baghdad November 4, 2014. A gathering of millions of Shi’ite Muslims at shrines and mosques across Iraq for the Ashoura religious commemoration passed without any major attacks on Tuesday, under tight security imposed for fear of Islamic State bombers.
REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
This is the world’s most populous gathering, and odds are, you’ve probably never heard of it. Even with the number of visitors vastly exceeding the number of those to Mecca, by more than five times as much. This commemoration of Arbaeen trumps every other rally on the planet, reaching 20 million last year. That would be a staggering 60% of Iraq’s entire population. Not to mention those coming from different parts of the world such as America, Pakistan, Australia, Lebanon and many others, and it’s growing year after year. The visitation done on the day of Arbaeen is to the Islamic shrines in the city of Karbala, the place where Imam Hussain (AS), among others, are buried. Hussain is the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s), is revered by Muslims as the “Prince of Martyrs.”
He was killed in Karbala on a day that became known as Ashurra, which is on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram. The Imam, his family members, and their companions were all martyred there on the day of Ashurra over 1400 years ago for refusing to pledge allegiance a leadership they saw as corrupt. These martyrs were surrounded in the desert by an army of 30,000 people, and starved of food and water. This graphic tale is recounted from pulpits around the world every year since the day he was slain. In the words of the English historian Edward Gibbon: “In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hussain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”
A Pakistani Shi’ite Muslim girl kisses a religious motif of sword and shield during procession to commemorate Ashoura in Rawalpindi November 4, 2014. Ashoura, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the seventh century battle of Kerbala. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood
Followers of Hussain (as) have since mourned his death, in particular the 10 days of Ashurra, and then, forty days later, the Arbaeen. Forty days is the usual length of mourning in many Muslim traditions. Every year, their followers gather to commemorate this sacrifice. Though above all, the visitation on the Arbaeen is unique because of the surrounding and historical political situations. From 1964 to 2003, the tyrant Saddam Hussain ran the country of Iraq. He instructed his regime not to allow anyone to visit the shrines in Karbala in anyway. Those who would try to go knew they were risking their lives doing so. Still, they would run towards the opportunity to visit these Islamic personalities as they are known to give healing benefits to anyone who goes there asking of their needs; for anyone, Shia or not, Muslim or not.
Saddam would have his snipers hiding by these shrines to shoot and kill anyone that would attempt to go inside. Since Saddam has been ousted over a decade over, the shrines have all been remodeled with several sets of guards of every entrance. Though still on this beautifully redecorated marble walls are reminders of the past. There are a few small squares on each of the four walls surrounding the shrine, the grave site, that are desecrated with bullet holes, the same bullets used to try to murder the pilgrims of these shrines.
Currently, the political situation takes place amongst chaos, violence, dangerous geographic routes, and many ‘differences of opinions’ when it comes to politics. Daesh, or ISIS (‘Islamic State’ of Iraq and Syria) sees the Shia as their mortal enemy. So of course nothing is more infuriating to the terror group more than the sight of Shia pilgrims gathering for their greatest show of faith. Since the fall of Saddam, pilgrims from all-over the world have made the journey to Karbala year-round, with the number of visitors growing every year. And I say pilgrims, not Shia because it is not just the Shia that makes this visitation. Yes it is a distinctively Shia spiritual exercise, though Sunnis, Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians, and Sabians partake in the pilgrimage, knowing of its healing benefits.
The reason this pilgrimage and the high amount of visitors is not often heard of is because instead, the media coverage is more geared towards the negative, bloody, gory details of that region. More often than not, we don’t hear about the positive, inspiring narratives, particularly when it comes to Islam. The same level of airtime is awarded to a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong or an anti-Putin rally in Russia. But a gathering of 20 million people who rally against terror and injustice, somehow fails even to make it even to the TV news ticker.
Last spring, I travelled to Karbala to perform this visitation, this pilgrimage, and to find out for myself what it is about this city that once you visit it, your heart is forever enthralled with this love of Hussain (as). I found that after just one visit, the pilgrims have an attachment to these people who sacrificed their lives for Islam, and to the tragedy, the story of Karbala. They are endlessly eager to return.
The distance from the most southern point of Iraq is the city of Basra. From there to Karbala it is 425 miles, a long journey by car, but unimaginable to walk. It takes pilgrims a full two weeks to complete this walk, and people of all age groups do it. They travel across rough terrain, down uneven roads, dangerous marshlands and through terrorist strongholds. A large aspect of this pilgrimage is gaining good deeds and rewards from God by providing for those making the journey to visit Hussain, the grandson of His Prophet (s).
On this path is the sight of thousands of tents with makeshift kitchens set up by local villagers. The tents are places where pilgrims get practically everything they need, from fresh meals, to a space to rest, to baby diapers, to free international phone calls to assure concerned relatives, all free of charge. Consider this ratio, after the earthquake in Haiti, the UN World Food Program delivered half a million meals at the height of its relief efforts. The United States military launched Operation Unified Response, bringing together the massive resources of various federal agencies, announcing that within five months of the humanitarian catastrophe, 4.9 million meals had been delivered to the Haitians. Compare that with over 50 million meals per day during the Arbaeen, equating to about 700 million meals for the duration of the pilgrimage, all financed not by the United Nations or international charities, but by poor laborers and farmers who starve to feed the pilgrims and save up all year round so that visitors are satisfied.
It isn’t easy to fully understand what inspires these pilgrims until you join them. You’ll see women carrying mentally disabled children in their arms, old men in wheelchairs, new parents taking their infant babies for blessings, people on crutches, and blind seniors holding walking sticks. The first thing that pilgrims do upon reaching his shrine is recite the Ziyara, a sacred text which summarizes the status of Hussain. In it, they begin the address by calling Hussain the “inheritor” of prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all.
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