AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The director of the Quran Institute affiliated to the Astan (custodianship) of Hazrat Abbas (AS) holy shrine in Karbala announced the start of special Quranic programs for Arbaeen pilgrims.
Muhnad al-Mayali said the programs are for pilgrims visiting the holy mausoleums of Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) during the Arbaeen processions, Al-Kafeel website reported.
He added they are part of initiatives aimed at promoting and enhancing the Quranic culture among children and young adults.
They are being held during Arbaeen season for the fourth consecutive year and include Quranic courses, competitions, educational speeches, etc, he noted.
Meanwhile, the Holy Quran Scientific Assembly, which is also affiliated with the Astan, has launched the first Quranic station on the path of Arbaeen pilgrims in the Babylon Governorate to teach them correct recitation of the Surahs of Quran.
According to Jawad al-Nasrawi, an official with the assembly, 8 such Quranic stations will also be set up in the Karbala Governorate.
The Quranic stations host Quran recitation sessions, educational programs and competitions on Quranic and Islamic teachings, he added.
Arbaeen is a religious event that is observed by Shia Muslims on the fortieth day after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the 40th day of martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Shia imam, who was killed by the army of Yazid I in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
Arbaeen is also known as the Ziyarat of Arbaeen, which means the visitation of Imam Hussein’s (AS) shrine in Karbala, Iraq, where his body is buried. Ziyarat is an act of pilgrimage and devotion in Shia Islam.
Arbaeen is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with millions of Shia Muslims from different countries walking to Karbala from various cities in Iraq and neighboring countries. The distance can range from 80 km to 500 km or more, depending on the starting point.
This year’s Arbaeen falls on August 25.
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