Arba'een (The 40th Day)

Arba'een (Arabic: أربعين) means "forty" and marks the 40th day after Imam Husayn's (peace be upon him) martyrdom, corresponding to the 20th of Safar in the Islamic calendar. Arba'een is one of the most significant days in the Shia calendar and is associated with the world's largest annual peaceful gathering.

Every year, up to 20-25 million people from around the world walk to the shrine of Imam Husayn in Karbala, Iraq, for Arba'een. Many pilgrims walk from Najaf to Karbala — a distance of approximately 80 km — over several days. Along the route, volunteers (mawakib) provide free food, drinks, rest, and medical assistance to the walkers. This event is a unique expression of devotion and community.

The specific ziyarah for Arba'een is Ziyarat al-Arba'een, narrated from Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), who said: "The signs of the believer are five: to pray 51 rak'ah [daily], Ziyarat Arba'een, to wear a ring on the right hand, to place the forehead on earth [turbah], and to say 'Bismillahi al-Rahmani al-Rahim' aloud" (Tahdhib al-Ahkam by Shaykh al-Tusi, vol. 6).

The Arba'een tradition is historically connected with Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) and Zaynab bint Ali, who returned to Karbala 40 days after the tragedy to commemorate the fallen. For Shia Muslims, Arba'een is marked with special programs in husayniyyahs, recitation of Ziyarat al-Arba'een, and increasingly participation in symbolic walks. Arba'een is a living testimony that Imam Husayn's message lives on.