PARIS, France: With the dawn of Sha’ban, grand spiritual festive gatherings, galas and festivals began across the world at the well-illuminated and beautifully decorated shrines, mosques, husseiniyaat, ma’atam, Islamic centers and imambaras.

Sha’aban, the eighth lunar month, is the period of blessing and virtues; It possesses great excellence and merit. It would be sufficient to say for its high status that it is the month of The Best of Creatures and Chief of Messengers, Holy Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah (p).

It is reported that whenever Holy Prophet (p) would see the crescent of Sha’ban, he proclaimed: O People of Yathreb! I’m messenger of Allah; Sha’ban is my month, so Allah shows mercy to him who helps me in my month. Amir-ol Mo’mineen Al-Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (p) said: I never skipped the fast of Sha’ban since I heard these words of Holy Prophet (p).

Sayyedah Zaynab binte Ali, Imam Al-Hussein, Hazrat Abo’l Fadhl Al-Abbas, Imam Zayn ol- Abidin, Hazrat Qassem bin Al-Hassan, Hazrat Ali Al-Akbar and the last prrof of Allah on earth Imam Al-Mehdi Al-Montadhar (peace be on them) were born on 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 11th and 15th Sha’ban respectively.

These happy occasions shower more magnificence and majesty to the greatness of this month.

In the holy city of Karbala, home to the holy shrines of Al-Imam Al-Hussein (p), Al-Abbas bin Ali (p), seventh International Cultural Festival under the theme ‘from the river of Al-Imam Al-Hussein gush out streams of freedom and honour’ is being held. The week-long festival that began on Sha’ban 3 ends on Sha’ban 10. Book exhibitions, Quran nights and poetic evenings were held at husseini and Abbasi shrines compounds.

In the holy city of Najaf, different organizations, offices of Marajay and associations have organized week-long celebrations to mark the august occasion at the holy shrine of Imam Ali (p) and other venues.

In Pakistan, the first week of Sha’ban is being celebrated as “Week of Wela-e-Muhammad (p) and Aal-e-Muhammad (p)” on the call of TNFJ chief and leader of Pakistani Shias Sayyed Hamid Al-Moosavi.

In Iran, throngs of devotees began pouring at the holy mausoleums of Al-Imam Ali bin Mousa Ar-Reza (p) and his sister Sayyedah Fatimah Al-Masoumah (P) in the holy cities of Mash’had and Qom. Huge functions are being held across the country organized by various organizations, groups and missions.

In Saudi Arabia, various organizations have made arrangements to hold celebratory programs marking the occasion in the oil-rich Mo’mineen-dominated eastern parts of the kingdom.