Arbain is a procession of millions of loving hearts to Karbala, where the tomb of the Lord of Martyrs, His Eminence Imam Hussain, is located. Every year, during the Arbain procession, about 20 million people symbolically cover a distance of 82 km on foot from the holy city of Najaf to the city of Karbala to gather around the tomb of Imam Hussain and make a pilgrimage. Who is he, Hussein? Where does such love for Hussein come from? Why, throughout history, the governments that led Iraq, both independent and as part of other states, prevented the ziyarat of Imam Hussain.
The story of Hussein son of Ali goes back to the distant past, through 14 centuries ago. Hussein son of Ali was born in 626. When His Eminence Imam Husayn headed the imamate caliphate, the usurper Muawiya ruled unjustly. Before his death, Muawiya appointed his prodigal son Yazid as the caliph of the entire Islamic Ummah and Muslims in his will, which was against all the norms and laws of true Islam. Muawiya was a vile, cruel and unjust ruler, but despite all these qualities contrary to a Muslim, he maintained the external Islamic precepts, including performing salah and fasting. However, his son Yazid did not follow any Islamic rules and regulations. He openly drank alcohol, gambled, was known for his passion for adultery, and committed other sinful acts; he exterminated innocent people and ruled through violence and injustice.
Naturally, the grandson of the Prophet of Islam did not recognize Yazid’s leadership and refused to swear allegiance to him, saying: “One like me should not swear allegiance to one like you.” Many Muslims at that time, especially those who cherished love for the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family) and his pure and immaculate family did not recognize the rule of Yazid. Then Yazid wrote in his decree to the ruler of the city of Medina: “If Hussein refuses to swear allegiance, kill him.”
At this time, His Eminence Imam Husain received many letters from the people of Kufa, in which they said that the people of Kufa refused to swear allegiance to Yazid and did not consider him worthy to occupy the place of the caliphate, so they called on the beloved grandson of the Prophet to come to Kufa and lead the caliphate.
Hussein gathered his family and other members of the Prophet’s family and headed towards Kufa. At this time, Yazid replaced the ruler of the city of Kufa and appointed the cruel and ruthless Ibn Ziyad. Ibn Ziyad, being cunning and cunning, and at the same time ruthless and cruel, brutally suppressed the uprising of the inhabitants of the city, and cruelly dealt with the representative of Imam Husayn and several noble people of the city.
When Husayn approached Kufa, the city was under the rule of Ibn Ziyad and the frightened inhabitants did not even dare to speak of their love for Husayn. Ibn Ziyad sent a huge army against Husayn to prevent him from entering the city. On October 2, 682 (2 Muharram 61 after the migration of the Prophet), Husayn and his family and other members of the household of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family) stayed in the town of Karbala, 80 km from Kufa. Yazid’s army surrounded Husayn’s caravan so that no one could come to it and no one could leave Husayn’s camp. On October 7 (7 Muharram), Ibn Ziyad’s troops cut off the water to Husayn ibn Ali’s camp, and for the rest of the days before the battle, they remained without drinking water in the hot and hot desert.
On the 10th of Muharram, a terrible human tragedy occurred. On this day, Yazid’s army, which according to some sources numbered at least 30,000 people, attacked Hussein’s camp, in which there were only 72 soldiers who were protecting members of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and his family). They betrayed the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, all his companions, the children of Hussain, the other great-grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family) and all the warriors. They did not spare even the six-month-old son Hussein.
The battle between good and evil on the 10th of Muharram had many aspects: courage and heroism, pure human feelings and emotions, submission to the Imam and the divine leader, loving agreements with God.
The events of this day were so rapid and great that for more than 14 centuries, during the mourning ceremonies dedicated to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, his faithful companions and members of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family), new and new events are described every time , which took place on the day of Ashura: the scene of the eldest son’s farewell to his father, Imam Hussein, before the battle; the scene when Imam Hussain asked the enemy army to give even a little water to his newborn, in response a three-headed arrow flew, which hit his throat and tore it open and Ali Asghar fell a martyr’s death in his father’s arms; scene as an 11-year-old teenager be
from arms ran empty-handed to protect Imam Hussain, scene of Abbas’s loyalty to his brother Hussain; the scene of soul-searching with Allah before his martyrdom, when, felled by the enemy’s arrows and swords, his majesty prepared to meet Allah.
The next day, the martyrs, Hussein and his associates, children, nephews and other family members of the Prophet of Islam were beheaded, and their heads were put on spears. Then, jumping on their horses, they trampled the bodies of the martyrs. The family of Husayn and all the members of the household of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family) were captured; in shackles and chains they were brought to the city of Kufa, from where Ibn Ziyad sent them in this condition to Damascus, where Yazid’s residence was.
After the death of the Prophet, Muawiyah, moving to Damascus, the capital of Sham, for 40 years, pretending to be the successor of the Prophet and caliph ruled the Muslims for 40 years. Through propaganda, he was able to make it so that all Muslims living in the territories under his control considered the family of the Prophet of Islam as enemies, and Muawiyah and his promiscuous son Yazid as defenders of Islam. Therefore, the residents of Damascus, when they brought a caravan of captives from the family of the Prophet of Islam, celebrated this event and rejoiced. But after some time, especially after the fiery and eloquent speeches of Her Eminence Zainab and Imam Sajjad, the sister and son of Hussein, who saw with their own eyes the tragedy that happened in Karbala, clarified for the people of Damascus, who is the Prophet? what is islam who are the blameless members of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family)? The false and misguided beliefs of the residents of Sham were blown to dust. Less than a week after the captive family of the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and his family) were brought to Damascus, Yazid was forced to deny his involvement in the assassination of Imam Husayn and put all the blame on Ibn Ziyad. Yazid was afraid of a rebellion of the people and in order to maintain his rule and pacify the Muslims, he was forced to retreat and ordered that the family of Imam Hussain be respectfully escorted to Madinah.
The captives of Karbala, returning home to Madinah, asked that their way pass through Karbala. 40 days after the tragic event in Karbala, the caravan of prisoners found itself in this desert again. This day was called Arbain, and in fact it was Imam Hussain’s (peace be upon him!) first ziarat on the day of Arbain. After more than 14 centuries, this tradition continues and on this day, all the loving hearts of both Muslims and non-Muslims go to the tomb of the Lord of Martyrs, His Eminence Imam Hussain.