RNA – Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad-Reza Estaqamat spoke at a gathering of missionaries who will be going on the Arba’in pilgrimage to the Iraqi holy city of Karbala at Qom’s Imam Kadhim Seminary. The gathering was also attended by Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shiraz, a revered source of emulation.
The deputy for propagation and prayer at the Arba’in headquarters announced the mobilization of Iran’s promotional capacities for cultural and promotional services to the pilgrims participating in the Arba’in pilgrimage.
Stressing that confrontations on the internet and on social media undermine the relationship between the two nations of Iran and Iraq, he said, “What we see on the ground is that the people of both countries are the lovers and devotees of the Ahlul-Bayt and the fabrication of the situation has had no effect on them.”
Hujjat al-Islam Estaqamat considered the epic Arba’in pilgrimage as a factor which disrupts the evil plans of the enemies and said, “If we witness that the enemies are using all of their power to attack the Arba’in pilgrimage and the march of the pilgrims of Aba Abdillah [Imam al-Husayn], it is because this religious program puts their plots and calculations into disarray.”
His Eminence referred to the astonishment of Western scholars and experts in regard to the large presence of pilgrims participating in the Arba’in march and said, “An American journal considered Arba’in to be a civilization that has reached this level due to a religious event.”
He stated that the look of the world and the media at this event is “immense” and stated, “We must look at Arba’in as a civilizational horizon and realize that all of our actions and our actions are under a microscope.”
Hujjat al-Islam Estaqamat assessed the mission of seminarians and missionaries in the intrinsic and spiritual evolution of the Arba’in pilgrims and added, “During this precious opportunity, the seminarians can create discourses by performing their duties properly and through their actions.”
He noted the plans of the enemies to create distance and detachment between the people and the clergy and stressed, “The Arba’in pilgrimage is an opportunity to demonstrate the unbreakable bond between the clergy and the people.”
It must be noted that Arba’in marks forty days after the Day of Ashura, the day Imam al-Husayn ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
On the day of Arba’in, the Shi’ah faithful traditionally walk for several days or longer to reach the Iraqi holy city of Karbala where crowds chant and march around the Holy Shrine of Imam Husayn.
This year, Arba’in will be commemorated on October 30th.
RasaNews Agency
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