The founder of the Islamic Revolution also once said in a historic address that the months of Muharram and Safar have kept Islam alive.
The great leader of contemporary Muslim world also emphasized that the Islamic Revolution had been deeply inspired by message of Imam Hussein (PBUH), the grandson of the holy prophet of Islam.
Imam Khomeini said in one of the historic messages as following:
The Doyen of the Martyrs (Imam Hussein (PBUH) staged an uprising with some of his companions, family members and the ladies of his household. As it was for God, they destroyed the very foundations of that wicked person's monarchy. On the face of it, he was killed, but, in reality, he extirpated the foundations of that monarchy; one that intended to turn Islam into a tyrant form. The danger that Muawiyah and Yazid posed for Islam did not lie in their usurpation of the caliphate; this was a danger less than that of their attempting to turn Islam into the form of a monarchy. They wanted to render spiritualities into a tyrant form. By calling themselves the successors of the Messenger of God, they wanted to convert Islam into a tyrant regime. This was the important issue. The two of them wanted to do, and did, so much harm to Islam that their predecessors had not. They tried to misrepresent the basic principles of Islam to the utmost. Theirs was a monarchy. There was drinking and gambling at their parties. The successor of the Prophet attending parties where wine was being imbibed? And present at gambling sessions? And the Prophet's successor would also attend congregational prayers, such things notwithstanding! All this greatly menaced Islam. The Doyen of the Martyrs averted this danger. The issue did not concern the usurpation of the caliphate only. His uprising was against the tyrant monarchy itself; the one that wanted to show Islam in a way such that; had they succeeded, Islam would have become something else. It would have become like the 2500 year old monarchy. When Islam appeared, it wanted to put an end to the monarchies and such regimes, and to establish a divine government in the world. It aimed to destroy tyrant and replace it with" Allah". They, however, wanted to remove Allah and install tyrant instead- the same issues of paganism, the same problems of the past. The Doyen of the Martyrs being killed did not constitute a defeat as it was for God; rising for Him never ends in defeat.
Sahifeh, Vol.8, Page: 10-11 Speech, May 29, 1979
Arbaeen, which is no less important to the day of Ashura, is an annual pilgrimage to Imam Hussein (PBUH)’s holy shrine in Karbala. The divine-inspired event commemorates the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, (PBUH), forty days after Ashura.
Islamic tradition dictates that a mourning period should last for forty days.
The Arbaeen,marks an important turning point in the movement of Karbala.
A great significance had been attached to this day because the Ahlul Bayt reached the land of Karbala on this day and performed pilgrimage to the holy shrines of Imam Hussein (PBUH) and his 72 companion who gave their life for the cause of Islam.
The occasion of Arbaeen reminds the faithful of the core message behind Imam Hussein (PBUH)'s martyrdom, which has been undoubtedly establishing justice and fighting injustice.
The occasion marks the final day of the mourning rituals held in memory of the suffering which Imam Hussein (PBUH) and his family as well as his companions were subjected to at the hands of the tyrant of the time, Yazid I, an Umayyad ruler, back in the seventh century.
Another important event in the lunar calendar is the 10th day of the Muslim month of Muharram, traditionally known as Ashura, when the Imam and 72 of his companions were martyred after refusing allegiance to brutal Yazid.
The event equally draws millions of pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala each year
In recent days, Muslims from many regional countries and beyond continue to descend on the holy city of Karbala for the culmination of a 40-day mourning period for the infallible Shia imam.
The Arba’een has invariably served a driving force for Muslim unity in the face of attempts to create divergence, animosity, and misunderstanding.
Each year, followers of other religious groups join the journey to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the third Imam of Shia Muslims.
Millions of pilgrims have already arrived in Karbala ahead of the annual Arbaeen march, which marks the end of a period of mourning for Hussein bin Ali (PBUH)
Some sources have estimated that 22 million pilgrims are expected to attend this year's pilgrimage. Last year, 20 million pilgrims reached Karbala for the ceremony.