12/08/2026
Arbaeen, also known as Chehlum, is observed on 20 Safar forty days after Ashura, the 10th of Muharram.
The story begins in 680 CE, when Imam Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, stood against the rule of Yazid ibn Muawiya, the Umayyad caliph whom Shia Muslims regard as a tyrant whose rule had departed from the values and teachings of Islam.
Imam Hussain refused to give allegiance to Yazid.
He, his family and his 72 companions were ultimately confronted at Karbala. Vastly outnumbered, they gave their lives in a stand remembered by Shia Muslims as a sacrifice to preserve the teachings of Islam and to stand for truth, justice, dignity and humanity.
The events of Karbala took place during Muharram, with the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his companions on Ashura. The following weeks became a period of remembrance, leading to 20 Safar Arbaeen, the 40th day.
For Shia Muslims, Arbaeen is therefore not simply about remembering a battle.
It is about remembering why Imam Hussain stood, what he sacrificed, and what his stand continues to represent.
Justice over oppression.
Truth over power.
Dignity over submission.
Compassion and service to humanity.
And here in Zanzibar 🇹🇿, this remembrance has been carried across generations.
The island has a long history of Shia communities, while the historic Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri community established its Zanzibar Jamaat in 1881, helping preserve Arbaeen and other traditions for generations.
More than 1,300 years after Karbala, the story continues to be remembered in the streets of Zanzibar.
40 days. One sacrifice. A legacy that continues across generations.
Arbaeen, Chehlum, Arbaeen in Zanzibar, Zanzibar Arbaeen, Imam Hussain, Imam Hussein, Karbala, Battle of Karbala, Yazid, Yazid ibn Muawiya, Ashura, Muharram, Safar
