‘Arba’een should be based on unity of denominations, religions’: cleric

Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Ali Alavi Gorgani, senior Iranian jurisprudent, has issued message for the international congress on Imam Hussein (AS) in the holy city of Najaf, calling for marginalizing ethnical and tribal differences and expansion of fraternity among Shia, non-Shia and participants from other religions attending Arba’een ceremony, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

The cleric in part of the message has stressed that pilgrims who attend the ceremony on foot from across the Muslim countries should perfectly feed their cultural, ideological and religious understanding.

Ayatollah Alavi Gorgani noted,” I recommend that Shia, non-Shia and also participants from other religions stress their fraternal ties and ignore nationality or ethnical differences with only Ahlul Bayt (AS) as the focal point of their pilgrimage.”

Iranian cleric stressed that the great congregation of Muslims in Arba’een pilgrimage helps expansion of thoughts on Ahlul Bayt (AS), household of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and expressed hope that the event attended by multimillion pilgrims will greatly contribute to creation of Islamic civilization.

Arba’een is the forty days after martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), third Shia Imam and grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his 72 companions martyred in the Battle of Karbala fighting the tyrant of the time, Yazid ibn Muawiyah.

The event is annually attended by millions of Shia, Sunni and even non-Muslim pilgrims who mainly take the journey to the holy city of Karbala on foot.

KD