The mourners marched in long, orderly processions, reciting elegies and hymns commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Throughout the trek, participants raised their voices in unison, reaffirming their unwavering commitment to the path of resistance against contemporary injustice and oppression.
Many among the crowd carried Palestinian flags and banners, chanting slogans condemning tyranny while expressing profound solidarity with the Palestinian and Iranian peoples.
Historically, before the Zaria massacre of December 2015, the annual Arbaeen trek in Nigeria culminated in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, where mourners would gather at the Husainiyya Baqiyyatullah Islamic Center. On that occasion, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, would deliver a concluding address to the assembled faithful.
However, during the December 2015 massacre, the center was demolished by state authorities, along with Sheikh Zakzaky's residence and other properties and facilities affiliated with the Islamic Movement in the city. Following Sheikh Zakzaky's release from detention in 2021, the Islamic Movement relocated the majority of its major gatherings and activities to Abuja, where the leader now resides with his family.
The Arbaeen trek, observed annually on the 40th day following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, has grown into one of the most significant commemorative events on the global Islamic calendar.
This year's gathering transcended mere mourning; it served as a powerful wake-up call to oppressed peoples worldwide, urging them to rise against imperialism, subjugation, and the injustices perpetuated by arrogant global powers—chief among them the United States and Israel.
Hossein Amiri - H.Hakimzadeh
