Karbala absorbs five million visitors on Arafah Day

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: First visit to the holy mausoleum of Chief of Martyrs Al-Imam Al-Hussein (peace of Allah be on him) on the Day of Arafah, the Zulhijjah 9, after ouster of Saddam regime was unique with regard to number of visitors.

An estimated five million pilgrims from across Iraq and different parts of the world thronged the holy shrine on the night and day of Arafah, an occasion when a visit to the grandson of holy Prophet (peace of Allah be on him and his pure progeny), Chief of Youth of Paradise Al-Imam Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Taleb (peace of Allah be on them) is highly recommended by traditions.

There a hadith, or a saying, of Prophet Muhammad (peace of Allah be on him and his pure progeny) goes that Allah surely looks to the visitors of Hussein in Karbala before He looks to His (Allah’s) visitors in Mt. Arafat.

Visitors also converged on the holy shrine of Hazrat Abbas bin Ali bin Abi Taleb (peace of Allah be on them) in the holy city.

Streets of Karbala were crammed with visitors; special stalls for free drinks were set up to facilitate the ‘Visitors of Hussein”. They recited zyarah in front of the holy grave of the Imam (peace of Allah be on him) and performed other rituals.

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