15 Shaban A’maal, festivals in Karbala

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Atmosphere in the holy city of Karbala is filled with further spirituality, bliss and happiness as festivals and a’maal marking fifteenth Shaban (night between 14-15 Shaban) began at the holy Shrine of Al-Imam Al-Hussein b Ali bin Abi Talib (pbuh) on Wednesday.

Statistics show millions of devotees reached this beautifully bedecked holy city to observe Zyarah Ash-Shabaniyah, which is the best amal (deed) of this blessed night of 15 Shaban.

Since the beginning of the month of Shaban, devotees from across the country and other parts of the world – young and old, men and women, mostly on foot, some individually, some in caravans -, carrying white, green and red banners were heading to the holy city to achieve the honor of visiting Imam Al-Hussein (pbuh) marking 15 Shaban.

According to narrations from A’immah Ahlul Bayt (pbut), fifteenth night of Shaban is the best after the night of Qadr. The birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp)’s last descendant Al-Imam Al-Hujjah bin Al-Hassan Al-Mehdi Al-Montazar (pbuh) in Surra Man Ra’a, Iraq in 255 AH increased the honour and excellence of this night.

Wednesday was official holiday across Iraq marking fifteenth Shaban.

One side of the road to Holy Karbala was closed to vehicles to ease the flow of pilgrims as forces from the country’s fledgling National Guard manned several checkpoints along the way.

Security was tightest around Holy Karbala itself, with no cars allowed to enter the city within a radius of almost 10 kilometers (six miles).

A special grey-shirted force from Iraq’s religious authority and mainstream political parties searched all those entering the centre of Holy Karbala, home to the shrines of Al-Imam Al-Hussein (pbuh) and Al-Abbas (pbuh).

Imam Mehdi (pbuh) according to the sayings of holy Prophet (pbuh&hp) will return to deliver humanity from darkness and strife, and he will fill the earth with justice and equity as it would have been filled with oppression and injustice.

Wednesday’s A’maal will culminate with the floating of hundreds of candles and letters to Imam Al-Mehdi – Imam of the Era (may Allah hasten his reappearance) - on a river in Holy Karbala at Thursday pre-dawn.

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