Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Ali Khadivi, Head of the Office of the Supreme Leader’s Representative at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, in his speech before the selected narrators of the Second International Arbaeen Narrative Festival, stated: “In the matter of Arbaeen, a movement and an event is being formed that will shape a greater future. We firmly believe that the Arbaeen Pilgrimage is an event for the future, not the past.”
The President of the International Arbaeen Narrative Festival further pointed to the origins of narration and narrative-making, saying: “Narration was born with Islam, and Shi’ism has never abandoned narration. Our great scholars and transmitters of hadith have recorded rich and influential examples in the history of Islam, and the culture of Shi’ism has never been distanced from narration, despite attempts by various governments to suppress it. Many devoted people endured long and difficult journeys to record even a single hadith from the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).”
Highlighting the necessity of focusing on the narration of Arbaeen within the academic community, he said: “We have a responsibility to reflect this great and beautiful movement that is unfolding internationally among the students of the Islamic world. Future generations will ask us: you were not present at Ghadir to record it properly and prevent injustice against Imam Ali (AS), but you could have documented the gathering of thirty million people in Arbaeen so that history could benefit from it.”
Dr. Khadivi emphasized the profound impacts and scope of this million-strong movement, saying: “In Arbaeen, a movement is being shaped that will bring about a greater event for the future. We believe the Arbaeen Pilgrimage is for the future, not the past, and narrating Arbaeen is not mere sentimentalism. We do not hold commemorations for something limited to the past; rather, Arbaeen belongs to today and tomorrow. The narration, the pilgrimage, and the ziyarat of Arbaeen will change the future of the world in favor of the movement of Shi’ism, reproduce the beautiful culture of Ahl al-Bayt (AS), and transmit it to the new generation.”
He concluded: “Certainly, we cannot record all the values of Arbaeen. However, we have realized that there is a vast student capacity. Therefore, we decided to set up a tent for narration and invite all those with talent and artistic ability to record and narrate as much as possible from the beauties of Arbaeen.”
