Alwaght- Iraqi officials says at least 27 million pilgrims participated in Arbaeen ceremonies in the Holy City of Karbala during the epitome of the grand event on Friday.
Pilgrims from over 100 countries marched all the way to Karbala from cities like Najaf and Baghdad in a show of devotion to the grandson of Prophet Muhamad SAW, Imam Hussein AS. He was brutally martyred along with 72 of his loyal companions, including family members on the day of Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram, in the battle of Karbala against the second Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, in 680 CE. Imam Hussein AS was martyred after he refused to pledge allegiance to the tyrant ruler.
Iraqi Minister of Transport Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi announced on Wednesday that the number of pilgrims attending the Arbaeen ceremony in Karbala city of Iraq had passed 26 million and predicted that the number would reach 27 setting a new record for the annual pilgrimage. Iraqi authorities said last year's Arbaeen drew 17 million pilgrims.
The faithful traditionally walk for a day or longer to reach Karbala where crowds chant and march around the holy shrine Imam Hussein AS.
This year's Arbaeen commemoration has also attracted ig Sunni Muslims and Christians. Security was tight all over Iraq and especially Karbala as the ISIS terrorist group had threatened to attend the gathering.