Shiites hold annual Arbaeen trek in Abuja, condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as Shiites, on Thursday held their annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek in Abuja to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The Arbaeen procession, observed every year on the 20th of Safar in the Islamic calendar, marks the 40th day after the killing […]

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as Shiites, on Thursday held their annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek in Abuja to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

The Arbaeen procession, observed every year on the 20th of Safar in the Islamic calendar, marks the 40th day after the killing of Imam Hussein, the third Shi’a Imam, who was slain alongside his family and companions on the 10th of Muharram in the historic Battle of Karbala.

Thousands of participants, including women and children, took part in the peaceful procession, which began in Suleja, Niger State, and concluded at the Train Station in Abuja. A parallel trek also took place in Maraba, Nasarawa State, near the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the end of the procession, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, a senior cleric of the Islamic Movement, said the symbolic walk was meant to reflect the ordeals faced by the family of the Holy Prophet after the tragic events in Karbala.

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He recalled how the Prophet’s household was chained and dragged barefoot through the desert, from Karbala in Iraq to Damascus in Syria, following the killing of Imam Hussein, 61 years after Hijra.

Sheikh Bello also used the occasion to condemn the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, describing them as war crimes against the Palestinian people.

He called on the United Nations and the international community to take decisive action to halt the bombardments and starvation of civilians in Gaza.

“The oppressed people of Palestine are facing unimaginable suffering. The world must not remain silent in the face of these atrocities,” he said.

The Arbaeen trek has become a regular feature of Shiite religious observance in Nigeria, often drawing large crowds and serving as a platform for both spiritual reflection and political expression.