Hawzah News Agency- In a statement issued Tuesday, coinciding with Safar 20, 1448 AH, the shrine extended its deepest condolences to Imam al-Mahdi (AS), the grand religious authorities and the entire Islamic world on the occasion of the 40th-day martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain (AS). The shrine prayed for the protection of all Muslim lands and for the safe and honored return of pilgrims to their homelands with their prayers and devotions accepted.
AI-Powered System Tracks Unprecedented Influx
For the tenth consecutive year, the shrine's telecommunications department deployed an advanced electronic counting system powered by artificial intelligence to precisely document the number of pilgrims entering Karbala. The system operated across the five main entry points into the city: the Baghdad-Karbala Road, the Baghdad-Jamaliya route, the Najaf-Karbala highway, the Babil-Karbala corridor, and the Hussainiya-Karbala entrance.
According to the AI-driven system, the massive influx was tracked from the start of Safar until 6:00 PM on Safar 20, with the final count reaching approximately 19,999,870 pilgrims. The data was compiled and analyzed by the Al-Kafeel Center for Information and Statistical Studies, which also documented the full spectrum of services provided across the city throughout the pilgrimage period.
A 13-Century Tradition of Devotion
The shrine noted that, in keeping with a tradition spanning more than thirteen centuries, Karbala once again had the honor of hosting the devotees of the Master of Martyrs, Imam Hussain (AS), and his brother Aba al-Fadl al-Abbas (AS). The servants of the holy shrines were granted the great privilege of welcoming and offering a wide array of services to the honored pilgrims, including medical care, logistical support and mourning ceremonies.
The Arbaeen pilgrimage, which culminates a 40-day mourning period following the anniversary of Ashura, has in recent decades grown into a phenomenon that dwarfs all other mass gatherings on the planet. Pilgrims—predominantly on foot—undertake the arduous journey from Najaf to Karbala, retracing a path etched in grief and defiance. Along the route, a sprawling network of mawakeb, or roadside service stations, provides free food, shelter and medical assistance to the marchers, with Iraqi families opening their homes in a display of hospitality unparalleled anywhere in the world.
Global Gathering Defies Headwinds
Despite regional instability, economic pressures and persistent security challenges, the Arbaeen pilgrimage has continued to swell year after year, shattering previous records and defying those who seek to portray the Muslim world as fragmented. The near 20-million figure recorded this year reaffirms Karbala's status as the beating heart of a global movement rooted in the timeless message of Imam Hussain (AS): refusal to bow to tyranny, no matter the cost.
The Al-Abbas Holy Shrine concluded its statement by praying to Almighty God to safeguard Islamic lands from all harm and to return the pilgrims of Aba Abdillah al-Hussain (AS) to their homes and countries in safety and honor, with their deeds and devotions accepted.
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