Millions Gather in Iraq for Arbaeen Pilgrimage, Marking Husayn's Martyrdom

On August 5, 2026, millions of Shiite Muslims will converge on Karbala, Iraq, for the Arbaeen pilgrimage that commemorates Husayn ibn Ali’s death forty days after Ashura.

Each year, Shiite Muslims travel to Karbala for Arbaeen, a pilgrimage that concludes the mourning period begun at Ashura and honors the 680 C.E. martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. The journey typically follows a 48-mile route from Najaf to Husayn’s shrine, taking about three days and punctuated by volunteer-run tents that provide free food, tea, medical care and lodging. Although the ritual was suppressed during Saddam Hussein’s rule, it revived after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and has since grown to draw more than 20 million pilgrims from around the globe.

Scholars note that the pilgrimage’s emphasis on sacrifice and injustice fuels a broader Shiite political narrative, cited during events such as the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Cultural expressions like the Urdu epic by Mir Anees further embed Husayn’s story in regional art and literature. For participants, standing at Husayn’s grave links a 14-century tragedy to contemporary struggles against oppression.