AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Like millions of others from various world countries, many Shia Muslims from Georgia have embarked on the Arbaeen journey.
They have joined millions of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries taking part in the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage.
According to a report by the Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU), the devotees of Imam Hussein (AS) in the Caucasian country have registered for the spiritual journey since two months ago.
Since two weeks ago, they have started traveling to Iraq by bus via Turkey and Iran.
Nearly 550 Georgian Muslims, 40 percent of whom are women, have been given visas to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage this year.
They are mostly from Shia-populated cities of Marneuli and Gardabani.
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.
Georgia is a predominantly Christian country in the Caucasus region.
Islam in Georgia was introduced in the early years after the advent of the religion. Currently, Muslims constitute approximately ten percent of the country’s population.
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