Year
2018
Narrative:
I was thinking today, you really it’s like you’re experiencing the Zuhoor (the coming of the 12th Imam), In some ways you feel, this is the Zuhoor, and you’re experiencing it. You see people, from various races, different socio-economic backgrounds, all these different people are all walking together, walking in unity, and they all only have one goal. And this goal and achieving it is the only important thing.
If I was going to explain Arbaeen walk, I don’t think it can be done. It’s inexplicable. I had gone to ziyarat twice before to visit the Imams in Iraq, but the Arbaeen walk is completely different. The feeling you get, it’s one of a kind. Nothing else is like it.
The people of Iraq and others who serve the pilgrims serve with such sincerity, I became ashamed and humbled seeing them. The way they are giving everything. No matter where else I’ve gone in the world, I have never seen anything like this, nor a people like this. And I don’t know, maybe they’re not even like this in their everyday life but this love of the Imam and the drive to serve the imam makes them like this. On the one hand, you see the people who have the mawkebs and are serving the pilgrims, on the other hand, you have the pilgrims, even amongst our own group, if someone needed something, the rest of our group would hand it to them. They didn’t think twice, they didn’t think, maybe I’ll need this tomorrow, this medicine,
I think this is a hadith, that at the end of times, a Mo’men will put their hands in the pocket of another mo’men brother/sister, and with complete trust, that person won’t think about it twice. In some ways, you see the manifestation of that hadith in this walk.
Honestly, whatever I say, I’ve missed something else. I’ve never experienced anything like the walk. You have this feeling that whatever you’re doing is with purpose and meaningful, at that moment, like outside of the walk, outside of those steps you’re taking is meaningless. It’s a very strange thing.
You are walking towards Imam Hussain but the whole time you are thinking of Imam Mahdi and see his signs. Whether it’s the cards people have pinned to their bags and clothes with messages for the imam, whatever it is, without realizing it you’re being directed to Imam Mahdi as you’re walking to Imam Hussain. You really feel the need for your imam, it becomes really apparent in this walk.