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Karbala and the Arbeen Celebrations

Karbala, also spelled Kerbala, Kerbela or Karbila, is a city in Iraq, located about 60 miles (100 km) southwest of Baghdad. It is one of the holiest cities for Shi’a Muslims because it holds the shrine of the martyred Imam Husayn ibn Ali. Husayn’s death in the Battle of Karbala in 680, and the subsequent conflict over the succession of the caliphate, distinguish the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam. Husayn’s death is commemorated during Ashura, and many Shi’a make pilgrimages to Karbala on the Day of Ashura. Since it is traditional among both Muslims and Christian Arabs to commemorate the 40^th day anniversary of the death of a loved one, a second pilgrimage to the attend the Arbeen (40^th day) Celebrations in the month of Safar.Because of its shrines, Karbala was an important center of Islamic learning and theology. It has more than 100 mosques and 23 religious schools, including the famous Ibn Fahid, built some 440 years ago. The city of more than half a million people is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting from its religious visitors and from agricultural produce, especially dates, which are grown in the green orchards that surround the city. It is made up of two districts, “Old Karbala,” the religious centre, and “New Karbala,” the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings. Karbala is extremely ancient – its name is variously said to be derived from Assyrian, Babylonian or Persian roots, and it was in use as a Christian graveyard prior to the Islamic conquest.

At the centre of the old city is the Masjidu l-Husayn, the tomb of Husayn, who was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima az-Zahra and Ali ibn Abi Talib, which is the place of pilgrimage. Many elderly pilgrims travel here to await death, since it is said that the tomb is one of the gates to paradise. Facing the shrine of Husayn is that of his younger brother, Abass, who died in the same battle. A “souk,” or market, connects the two mosques. Another focal point of the Shīˤa pilgrimage to Karbala is al-Makhayam, traditionally believed to be the location of Hussayn’s camp, where the martyrdom of Hussayn and his followers is publicly commemorated.

Because of the tensions between Sunni and Shi’a followers in Iraq, Karbala has been the scene of much violence, primarily targeted against Shi’a pilgrims, in recent years. The pilgrimages were banned for a period under Saddam Hussein’s rule, but resumed after his government was overthrown. In spite of this violence, in which hundreds of pilgrims have been killed in bomb attacks in recent years, an estimated two million Shi’ites make the pilgrimage to Karbala to attend the Arbeen Celebrations in Karbala.

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