AhlulBayt News Agency: By elucidating the historical and spiritual link between Ashura, Arbaeen, and Mahdism, the Iranian scholar 'Abdulmaleki' emphasizes the transformative power of this grand movement in reviving dormant consciences and shaping an ideal society.
Mohammad Mahdi Abdolmaleki writes: Arbaeen is a luminous thread in the fabric of history—a path that separates truth from falsehood, and the right course from deviation. This journey can only be traversed by the disciples of the Ashuran school of Hussain ibn Ali (AS): those nurtured in the disciplines of self-sacrifice, reverence, servitude, and insight.
From the moment of the Prophet's (PBUH) mission to today, the history of Islam has been replete with nurturing, transformative teachings. The purpose behind the prophets’ mission was to purify and cultivate human beings—men and women who, by dismantling internal and external idols, would ascend to the station of being divine servants. Yet from the outset, the devils among jinn and humankind have unleashed their efforts to lead humanity astray.
After the passing of the Prophet (PBUH), the sun of Imamate rose with Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS); however, the demons tore through the veil of justice and stole away the guiding stars from the sky of the ummah, one by one. The peak of this oppression occurred in Karbala, where Hussain ibn Ali (AS), the grandson of the Prophet, was martyred in the most innocent and noble manner. The enemies' delusion was that extinguishing Hussain’s light would forever block the path of truth. Yet the caravan of Arbaeen embraced the mission of Ashura and illuminated history for eternity.
This caravan, journeying from Karbala to Sham, carried the message of blood to the ears of the world—and with its return to Karbala, it stirred the rusted hearts awake. Arbaeen is not only a commemoration of Ashura’s epic, but a harbinger of future uprisings and a vessel to awaken slumbering consciences.
Today, Arbaeen has become the largest religious gathering in the Islamic world—an unparalleled manifestation of love for Ahlul Bayt (AS), a culture of sacrifice and loyalty. Millions of pilgrims from across the globe walk with hearts afire toward Karbala, renewing a covenant: a covenant with blood, with truth, with hope.
In this context, the connection between Arbaeen and Mahdism bears profound strategic meaning. The Arbaeen walk is a global rehearsal for the emergence of the awaited savior. The convergence of hearts, unity of ranks, unconditional service, and sacrifice along the way—these are signs of the ideal Mahdist society: a world governed by justice, dignity, and pure monotheism.
Ashura was the starting point of the truth-seeking movement; the hope for divine relief is its continuation, marching toward its ultimate summit. The Arbaeen pilgrimage is a living symbol of this historical continuity. The philosophical link between Mahdism and the Hussaini epic is encapsulated in the concepts of sacred revenge and seeking divine recompense. One of the titles of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) is The Avenger—the one who will honor the spilled blood of Karbala and establish true justice.
Arbaeen must be kept alive; it must be practiced—as a training ground for constructing a Mahdist society. The enemies’ deepest fear lies in this spiritual movement, which embodies the hope for the triumph of the truth over falsehood—a hope that, through Mahdist thought, shall engulf the world.
/129
Your Comment