Iran07 August, 20262 min read
Ayatollah Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali Akbari Calls Arbaeen A Miracle In Tehran Friday Sermons
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Arbaeen symbolizes unity among Muslims, Akbari says. Worshippers were urged to observe God-consciousness during Friday prayers.
Arbaeen as unity
In Tehran Friday sermons, Ayatollah Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali Akbari described Arbaeen as a “miracle” and said “the million-strong Arbaeen procession is a miracle.” He framed Arbaeen as a sign of God’s will for assisting the Islamic nation, saying “Arbaeen is a wondrous and magnificent phenomenon and truly inspirational.”
Mehr News Agency reported that the senior cleric also described Arbaeen as “symbblyzing unity among Muslims when their uity is on full display,” linking the commemoration to the fortieth day after Imam Hussain martyrdom day or Ashura day. Mehr quoted him thanking Iraq, saying, “We sincerely thank the dear people of Iraq, the government of that country, the tribes, the custodians of the holy shrines, and all those who hosted the pilgrims of Imam Hussein (AS), especially the Iranian pilgrims, with love and dignity.”
Karbala pilgrimage framing
A film described the “atmosphere of Karbala” from the perspective of Arbaeen pilgrims at the Chazzabeh border, with IRNA saying a group of Arbaeen pilgrims on their way back from the Chazzabeh border spoke to IRNA. The IRNA report said the pilgrims expressed “gratitude for the exceptional hospitality of the border camps in the provinces of Iraq and the country.”
In Tehran, Hojjat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin Mohammad-Javad Haj Aliakbari, head of the National Council for the Policy-Making of Friday Prayer Imams, invited worshippers to observe God-consciousness and pointed to “the recitation of verse 90 of Surah An-Nahl.” He tied that sermon to Arbaeen by saying, “Arbaeen: a re-reading of the Zainab Kobra (peace be upon her) epic,” and described Zainab’s role in forming the first and second chapters of the movement alongside Imam Hussein and Imam al-Sajjad.
Religious authority and claims
In Tehran sermons, Haj Ali Akbari said Arbaeen is “the codename of Shi’a organization on the eve of major historical transformations,” and described the gathering as involving “nearly 30 million people” with a single destination, Karbala al-Ma’la. He also asserted that Arbaeen has “community, political, security, and geographical dimensions,” and said “this phenomenon has mystical, ascetic, spiritual, cognitive, intellectual, and educational-ethical dimensions.”
Tabnak, citing ISNA, quoted the interim Tehran Friday prayer leader saying, “The enemy has suffered a humiliating defeat and is begging; they don’t even know how to talk defeat.” In the same week’s sermons, Tabnak reported him calling on worshippers to observe God-consciousness by laying out “three commands and three prohibitions in a verse of the Quran,” and said the “combination of these equals a state of perfect piety.”