Arba’een
(Image of the Imam Husayn shrine during Arba’een in Karbala from al-Manar.)
Arba’een means 40 in Arabic and it is the length of time which Shi’i Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. Yesterday was Arba’een and 7-9 million Shi’a visited the Iraqi city of Karbala where Imam Husayn was killed in battle in the year 680.
People wore black. Some hit themselves. Attacks were thwarted. No one was killed.
(Image from al-Rai.)
