RNA – Addressing seminary students during his advanced jurisprudence course in Qom, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi issued a statement on the occasion of the Arba’in pilgrimage in which he pointed out the duties of Iranian and Iraqi authorities to better organize the Arba’in walk.
“The Arba’in pilgrimage is considered as a great Islamic gathering worldwide therefore we must thank the Iraqi officials for their efforts in providing service to foreign pilgrims,” the revered source of emulation said.
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi also asked all foreign pilgrims to get a visa in order to enter Iraq and said, “Receiving a visa for entering Iraqi borders is essential and no one is allowed to neglect Iraq’s legal processes for entering the country. Making this pilgrimage to Iraq is regarded as recommended in Islam whereas entering a foreign country with legal documents is an obligation for all.”
Reiterating that all pilgrims must be thankful to Iraqis for their hospitality during the Arba’in pilgrimage, the senior cleric added, “We must not overlook the hospitality of Iraqi nation during the Arba’in walk since they do their best to provide safety and comfort for the pilgrims.”