Every year, pilgrims from various nations journey on foot to reach the holy shrine of Imam Hussein, located in the Iraqi city of Karbala, to honor the occasion, which is observed on Tuesday this year. The Arba’een mourning ceremony brings together millions of people from across the world who undertake an 80-kilometer walk between the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 companions were martyred in the Battle of Karbala in southern Iraq in 680 AD while resisting the much larger army of the despot Umayyad ruler of the time, Yazid. Muslims mark Arba’een, the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), at his holy shrine in the city of Karbala, Iraq, on August 4, 2026. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)Brigadier General Ahmad Karami-Asad said on Saturday that 2.947 million Arba’een pilgrims have departed the country through various border crossings as of that day.