The Arbaeen pilgrimage represents an eternal human epic of Husayni love, and is an unparalleled religious event in the world, embodying the true meaning of unity among Muslims.
The pilgrimage is a million-person march that renews every year, and a humanitarian carnival serving the visitors of Karbala from both inside and outside Iraq, regardless of their nationalities, ethnicities, religions, or sects.
Raad Al-Kaabi, a researcher and academic, tells the Iraqi News Agency (WA’): "The revival of the Arbaeen pilgrimage instills a spirit of cohesion, sacrifice, and love among people from different sects and religions, and works to achieve voluntary unity across the world. It encourages positive communication between everyone from all corners of the world, and creates a revolution within each person to reform the self."
Al-Kaabi adds that, "The pilgrimage is the largest event where people gather in response to a divine call, demonstrating the Husayni approach as a value and behavior within the human soul. In addition, it is an occasion to spread true Islamic thought, especially after the rise of extremist ISIS ideology."
He points out that, "The revolution of Imam Husayn (AS) and the Arbaeen pilgrimage are a correction and a solid foundation, with their cries renewing every year to create a generation that follows the path of Imam Husayn (AS) in all that he stood for."
For his part, the owner of the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas procession, Amir Ali, tells the Iraqi News Agency (WA’): "Every year we prepare for this important and great event, reaching the peak of sorrow and pain, following the tragedy of the Ahl al-Bayt. This is met with indescribable activity in serving the visitors of Imam Husayn (AS) in order to win the reward and blessings." Ali explains that, "The most difficult moments for those managing the processions are raising the procession and the intense weeping at the end of Arbaeen, waiting for the next year to renew the pledge and serve the visitors of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him)."
He adds, "The diversity of the visitors' nationalities from all over the world adds a great responsibility on us to provide the best service to the visitors of Abu al-Ahrar."
For his part, researcher and academic Safa Abdullah Burhan tells the Iraqi News Agency (WA’): "Imam Husayn (AS) represents Islam, humanity, and the revolution against oppression and tyranny."
Burhan adds, "The Arbaeen pilgrimage will remain a clear proclamation of the revolution of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), and this proclamation, which has lasted for centuries, has taken on multiple dimensions. The Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) were keen to express it on the twentieth of Safar, including the doctrinal dimension, which ensures the continuity of the religious bond, as well as the emotional dimension, which appeals to the heart regarding the calamities that befell the Prophet’s family (peace be upon them) on that day when their enemies stripped themselves of humanity, and even their human nature." He continues, "Nations take pride in their leaders and symbols, and this is what the visitors of Arbaeen represent when they take pride in Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), the leader of the revolution that preserved the religion of his grandfather, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)."
He points out that, "The social activities that highlight the clear Iraqi action during these days show how they have managed to spread similar movements in many cities around the world, under the atmospheres of sorrow, pain, resilience, and steadfastness. This is something many outside the Islamic geography have noticed, drawing attention to what is happening and what happened on the day when the Prophet's grandson rose to defend the religion of his grandfather (peace be upon him and his family)."