By Hajj Abul Hassan
Several hundreds of Muslims from different parts of Nigeria have commenced the annual Arba’een symbolic trekking from four different take off points in the country to Zaria, in Kaduna state, where the trek usually terminates, after a lecture, by the Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, on the gruesome massacre of the grandson of the holy Prophet of Islam – Muhammad (SAWA), and 72 of his righteous disciples in the plains of Karbala – Iraq, by the forces of Yazid bn Muawiyah in 61 AH
Like every other year, this year’s symbolic trek which usually takes between 5 to 6 days, kicked off today, Sunday, (03/09/2023) peacefully, comprised of both young, children, old men and women who were all dressed in blacks, and holding different types of flags with different inscriptions such as Labbaika Ya Husain!
The trekkers who were visibly in mourning moods, beating their chests and crying, while reciting different slogans and eulogies on the Karbala tragedy, comprised of both Shia and Sunni adherents of Islam.
The trekking is usually embarked upon in Nigeria by muslims who could not travel to Iraq to participate in a similar action from Najaf to Karbala in solidarity with the holy Prophet’s progeny who were chained and dragged on foot from Iraq to Syria, and were subjected to different kinds of untold and dehumanizing conditions under scorchy sun for several weeks, after the Imam was killed, his body dismembered, and his head taking to the Palace of Yazid in Syria.
Below are some of the pictures of the Arba’in symbolic trek:
