AhlulBayt (AS) International News Agency — ABNA: In a world where the walls of distrust, racism, and extreme nationalism grow taller by the day, Arbaeen shines like a full-length mirror reflecting human unity and brotherhood. Millions of people from every corner of the globe — of different colors, different languages, and different cultures — come together along the road from Najaf to Karbala and paint an unmatched scene of peaceful coexistence.(1) The Holy Quran, centuries ago, laid out the philosophy behind this diversity and the path to unity in the most beautiful way.
The School of Knowing One Another: From Differences to Empathy
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." (2)
This verse is Islam's charter of equality and mutual recognition. By addressing all of humanity with the universal call "O mankind," God speaks to every human being without discrimination. He reminds us of our shared origin from "a single male and female" to shatter racial pride. Then He presents the diversity of peoples and tribes not as a flaw, but as a means for "ta'aruf" — knowing one another. Allameh Tabatabai, in Al-Mizan, commenting on this verse, writes: "The purpose of division into peoples and tribes is to create mutual recognition and human connection, not boasting and division."(3) Fakhr al-Razi also emphasizes that this verse negates all racial and tribal distinctions and holds that true perfection lies in spirituality and character.(4) At Arbaeen, this verse comes to life in the most spectacular way imaginable. An Afghan pilgrim beside a Pakistani pilgrim, an Iranian beside an Iraqi, a Turk beside an Indian, and even a Christian and a Yazidi beside a Shia — all moving along a single path, paying no heed to nationality or race.(5) At the mawkibs, an Iraqi offers his food to an Iranian, and a Pakistani repairs a Turk's shoes — without understanding a word of each other's language. It is in this space that "knowing" turns into "empathy," and false claims of racial superiority collapse. Sociologists believe Arbaeen is the largest laboratory of human solidarity in the contemporary world, displaying the theory of equality without any political or economic coercion.(6) The only lasting measure is "taqwa" and "selflessness" — exactly what has been placed deep within the heart of every Husseini pilgrim.
The Firm Divine Rope: A Unity That Shatters Division
"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you — when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers." (7)
This verse is a command for unity and a warning against division. The "rope of God" has been interpreted as the Quran, the Prophet, and the shared divine foundations that bind all believers together. The verse reminds us that before this divine affection, people were enemies to one another, but God brought their hearts together and they became brothers. Commentators hold that this verse is the Quran's greatest instruction for preserving the cohesion of the Islamic community, and it condemns any form of division.(8)
Arbaeen is the living embodiment of this "divine rope" in our time. What else could bring together millions of people from eighty nationalities — despite political hostilities and hostile media propaganda — side by side? The answer is love for Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (a), who is himself the complete embodiment of the "rope of God" and the continuer of the Prophet's path. By stepping onto this road, pilgrims in practice take hold of the divine rope and free themselves from scattering. The grassroots mawkibs are the links in this firm rope, binding seemingly estranged hearts together through selfless service.(9) The one who was an enemy yesterday becomes a brother today at the table of selflessness. This is the very "bringing of hearts together" on a global scale that politicians are powerless to achieve. Field reports show that along the route, political and ethnic disputes give way to empathy and kindness, and pilgrims experience brotherhoods that transcend lineage and race.(10)
An All-Encompassing Brotherhood: When Faith Sets Aside Lineage
"The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy." (11)
This verse offers the most definitive and beautiful definition of brotherhood. Here, brotherhood is defined not by blood or lineage, but by shared faith and belief. Under the shadow of this brotherhood, the duty of "reconciliation" — making peace between brothers — is placed upon everyone, so that the community of believers may always remain in calm and harmony. Sheikh Tabarsi, in Majma' al-Bayan, commenting on this verse, writes: "God made believers brothers to one another so that resentment and enmity would depart from among them and be replaced by affection and intimacy."(12)
On the Arbaeen walk, this spiritual brotherhood manifests in its highest form. Pilgrims who knew nothing of one another until yesterday now regard each other as "sisters and brothers in faith." Geographic, linguistic, and even religious borders (with the presence of Sunnis and Christians) fade under the shadow of this all-encompassing brotherhood. Scenes of believers helping one another — from tying shoes and massaging feet to sharing the last sip of water — are all practical translations of "innama al-mu'minuna ikhwa."(13) In this brotherly atmosphere, worldly grudges and hostilities give way to kindness and devotion, and pilgrims, through "taqwa of God," prepare the ground for God's mercy for themselves and others.
Arbaeen: The Manifestation of the Verses of Unity
Arbaeen is not merely a march; it is a dynamic, living school that teaches unity and brotherhood to the world. The verse "li-ta'arafu" teaches us to turn our differences into stepping stones of recognition. The verse "i'tasimu" commands us to hold fast to our shared divine rope and flee from division. The verse "innama al-mu'minuna ikhwa" gifts us the highest degree of solidarity — pure spiritual brotherhood. On the path of Arbaeen, these three verses are not found in books but are lived out in the behavior of millions of people, proving to us that living side by side, with all our differences, is not only possible but the sweetest form of life. This is the eternal message of Karbala, which under the shadow of love shatters geography and borders and bears witness to the "single community."
Footnotes:
1. Arbaeen Central Headquarters of Iran. Annual Performance Report 1402, Tehran, 1402, p. 15.
2. Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 13.
3. Tabatabai, Sayyid Muhammad Hussein. Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran, vol. 18, Qom: Islamic Publications of the Society of Seminary Teachers, 1363, p. 332.
4. Razi, Fakhr al-Din. Tafsir al-Kabir (Mafatih al-Ghayb), vol. 7, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1404 AH, p. 140.
5. Zavarei, Muhammad Javad. The Geography of an Epic: A Spatial Analysis of the Arbaeen Walk, Tehran: Hajj and Pilgrimage Research Institute Publications, 1396, p. 45.
6. Rezaei, Ahmad. "The Sociology of the Arbaeen Walk," Social Sciences Quarterly, no. 45, 1395, p. 125.
7. Surah Al Imran, verse 103.
8. Makarem Shirazi, Naser, et al. Tafsir Nemuneh, vol. 2, Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1353, p. 520.
9. Qaemi, Ali Akbar. The Arbaeen Epic, Qom: Dar al-Hadith Publications, 1390, p. 112.
10. Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization of Iran. Annual Reports on Arbaeen Pilgrim Statistics, Tehran, 1402, p. 34.
11. Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 10.
12. Tabarsi, Fadl ibn Hasan. Majma' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran, vol. 9, Beirut: Dar al-Ma'rifa, 1406 AH, p. 240.
13. Karimi, Muhammad Hussein. Arbaeen: Social Solidarity in the Age of Globalization, Qom: Islamic Sciences and Culture Research Institute, 1401, p. 85.
Firouzeh Deldari (researcher, media and cyberspace activist)
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