This survey captures the attitudes and beliefs of religiously observant Shiites by surveying Iranians and Iraqis on pilgrimage to Karbala for the Shiite holy day of Arba’een. When we conducted this survey in the days leading up to and during the Arba’een celebrations of 2015, 22 million pilgrims reportedly participated in the...
Read More »Digital Technology and Pilgrimage: Shiʿi Rituals of Arbaʿin in Iraq
This paper offers a study on the increasing digitization of Shiʿi Muslim rituals of Arbaʿin, observed on the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, at the battlefield of Karbala, Iraq; his shrine here is visited by....
Read More »In Photos: Arbaeen Int’l Congress Held in Karbala
The 5th edition of Arbaeen International Congress was held for two days at Khatam-ul-Anbiya (PBUH) Hall of the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) in...
Read More »Article: Karbala Mourning among the Fāṭimid-Ṭayyibī Shīʿa of India
This article transcribes, translates, and analyses the lament to showcase a distinct religious tradition within a hybrid cultural milieu...
Read More »Did Imam al-Husayn (as) Have Prior Information about his Martyrdom?
One of the doubts often raised by skeptics in connection with the event of Karbala is about the Shi‘ah belief that every imam is prescient so has knowledge of things that are hidden from most...
Read More »Imam Hussain (A.S) Tried His Best to Avoid Direct Conflict
The entire course of events that led to the battle of Karbala shows that at each and every step Imam Hussain (A.S) tried his best to avoid direct conflict and consequent bloodshed...
Read More »Understanding Karbala: Abridged and Adapted from the Original Work of The Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Saeed al-Hakeem
Based on the work of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Saeed al-Hakeem, this book looks at the driving factors behind Imam Hussain’s journey...
Read More »Book: The Martyrs of Karbala: Shiʻi Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran
This innovative study examines patterns of change in Shi'i symbols and rituals over the past two centuries to reveal how modernization has influenced the societal, political, and religious culture of...
Read More »Documentary: Imam Hussain: A Saga of Hope and Sacrifice
This documentary explores the early life of Hussain ibn Ali, the moral and political struggle he faced against Yazid, the tragic events of Ashura as well as the aftermath and Hussain's legacy 13 centuries later....
Read More »The Women of Karbala: Ritual Performance and Symbolic: Discourses in Modern Shi‘i Islam
This book deals with the minority group called Shiʻis, which today make up approximately fifteen percent of Muslims. While Iran has the single largest concentration of Shi is, our analysis will include Shiʻi communities in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, and the...
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