Hawzah News Agency- Speaking on the multifaceted involvement of women in Arbaeen, Masoumeh Zahiri, Secretary of the Women and Family Strategic Staff of the Islamic Seminary, emphasized the need to distinguish between definitive historical accounts and cultural analysis when examining this profound tradition.
Quranic Foundations of Social Responsibility
Zahiri anchored her analysis in Quranic principles, noting that while verse 23 of Surah Al-Ahzab explicitly mentions "men who have been true to their covenant with God," commentators affirm that the criterion is the sincerity of faith, a truth that inherently encompasses believing women. She further cited verse 71 of Surah At-Tawbah, which declares believing men and women as guardians of one another, establishing a critical religious foundation for the social role of women in safeguarding the faith.
The First Arbaeen: The Zainabi Mission Begins
Historians widely agree that following the tragedy of Ashura, the mission of elucidating the uprising fell upon the shoulders of the Ahl al-Bayt, particularly Lady Zainab (peace be upon her). While there is scholarly debate over the exact date of the captives' return to Karbala on the 20th of Safar, her central role in preserving and transmitting the message of Ashura is an indisputable historical fact.
Zahiri highlighted Lady Zainab’s critical actions: protecting the life of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), managing the caravan of captives, exposing the tyrannical Umayyad regime in Kufa and Damascus, transforming apparent military defeat into a cultural victory, and laying the foundation for the culture of pilgrimage and Ashura commemoration. Echoing the analysis of the late scholar Morteza Motahhari, she stated, “If Zainab had not been there, Ashura would have remained confined to Karbala.”
The Hidden Resistance and Enduring Service
From the first mourners among the Hashemite women to the secret guardians of the faith under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, women were the transmitters of the Ashura tradition, organizing clandestine home gatherings and raising generations on the principles of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Their silent service continued into the modern era, particularly during the Ba'athist regime’s brutal crackdown, when Iraqi women secretly sheltered pilgrims, provided food, relayed route information, and supported the families of prisoners and martyrs.
Today, Zahiri notes, the role of women in Arbaeen has evolved far beyond participation in the march. They manage family-based Mawkibs (service stations), direct cultural and medical services, engage in media production, provide translation for international pilgrims, and conduct Quranic and educational programs.
The Civilizational Mission
Describing Arbaeen as a "school for human development," Zahiri identified three major responsibilities for Muslim women in this context: preserving the family’s religious identity by raising a generation loyal to Hussein (PBUH), waging a "jihad of clarification" to convey the authentic message of Ashura and counter distortions, and providing noble, selfless service through hosting, aid, and cultural activities. Through these roles, she declared, a woman evolves from a narrator of history into a civilizational activist.
“If Ashura is the day of jihad and martyrdom, Arbaeen is the day of elucidation and the perpetuation of the uprising,” Zahiri concluded. “From the first day after Ashura until today, women have been the primary pillar preserving historical memory. From Lady Zainab and the women of the Hashemite household to the anonymous believing women of the Abbasid era and the female servants and missionaries in today’s million-strong march, all have moved along a single trajectory: safeguarding the message of Ashura and building a society founded on faith, sacrifice, and human dignity.”
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