A Narrative of Pakistani Pedestrian Pilgrims of Arbaeen in Sistan and Baluchestan
By Mahdieh Palizban
Translated by Fazel Shirzad
2025-12-23
The book "Hussein is the King" is the second work by Alireza Mirshekar, an author from Sistan and Baluchestan. Over two years, in 2022 and 2023, he conducted 90 hours of interviews with Pakistani pilgrims, compiling fifty narratives.
In the book's review, the researcher explains the process of gathering the interviews. The preface also introduces Pakistan and some of the mourning rituals observed there during the month of Muharram.
These individuals had stopped in the city of Zahedan to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage. Due to the brief stays of the caravans at the mawkibs (rest stops), there was little opportunity to identify suitable subjects, and many pilgrims were unwilling to be interviewed for various reasons. Despite this, the researcher, with the help of translators and Pakistani seminary students, managed to conduct several interviews. Assistance from a female seminary student residing in Iran led to interviews with Pakistani female pilgrims; however, due to the volume of collected interviews, only the men's accounts are published in this book, with the women's memoirs slated for a separate publication.
In this book, each Pakistani pilgrim speaks of their feelings about the journey to Karbala—whether they were first-time pilgrims or individuals who had made the pilgrimage more times than the fingers on both hands. Due to limited interview time, most narratives are brief. Nevertheless, the nature of the questions and the editing style typically provide adequate information about the narrator, from their lifestyle and family background to their motivations and preparations for the journey.
The book portrays the purity and devotion of Pakistani Shia Muslims to Imam Hussein (pbuh) and shows how, despite all financial and security challenges, they undertake this arduous journey to participate in ceremonies held in the name of the Master of Martyrs. At first glance, especially given the book's title, one might assume its content is purely religious. However, the narratives also attempt to address social issues within Pakistani society.
This book speaks of the role of Imam Hussein (pbuh) in the lives of people who, out of love and devotion for him, willingly endure the hardships of a two-thousand-kilometer journey to Karbala—ordinary people, each engaged in work and life in their own villages or cities, who share the ups and downs of their destinies along the road to Karbala.
As the researcher notes in the book's introduction, to avoid monotony, the narratives are arranged based on their appeal.
In their accounts, individuals frequently speak of their motivations for the journey and the role and presence of devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt (pbuh) in their daily lives. Within these conversations, they also refer to social customs, mourning practices, and the style of religious ceremonies in Pakistan—from their great attention to Imambargahs (spaces used for mourning during Muharram) to refraining from holding mourning ceremonies for those who pass away between Muharram and Arbaeen, based on the belief that mourning for Imam Hussein (pbuh) takes precedence over any other grief.
The special devotion of Pakistani Shia Muslims is reflected in these narratives: for instance, their children are often named after the Ahl al-Bayt (pbuh), particularly Hazrat Zahra (pbuh) and Imam Hussein (pbuh), to the extent that sometimes all children in a family are given these names. Additionally, the narratives highlight the profound belief of these individuals in the presence and influence of Imam Hussein (pbuh) in their lives. They speak of changes that their faith and devotion have brought to their lives—their livelihood and lifestyle, events they attribute to the Ahl al-Bayt (pbuh), and their desire for this pilgrimage, which, due to financial and social conditions, often takes years to fulfill.
These narratives also recount the social and economic conditions in Pakistan, including the removal of Persian language instruction from schools since the mid-1980s and the prohibition of Shia ceremonies in schools. Additionally, reference is made to a group of volunteer youth for the propagation of Shia Islam in the country called ISO (Imamia Students Organization Pakistan), which has branches in all universities across the country.
At the beginning of each narrative, the narrator's details—including occupation, age, and city of residence—are provided, and at the end of most accounts, a photo of the narrator is included. At the end of the book, a map of the routes taken by Pakistani pilgrims through Iran to reach Karbala, along with images of mawkibs and pilgrim guesthouses at the Iran-Pakistan border, are presented.
In writing the book, fidelity in recounting the narratives has been prioritized, and the author has avoided exaggeration. The writing style is journalistic and reportorial, maintaining distance from a narrative tone.
The geographical distribution of the pilgrims' residences—from cities like Karachi and Hyderabad to Lahore and Quetta—ensures that the narratives cover various Shia ethnic groups in Pakistan. However, given that most Shia Muslims reside in the two provinces of Sindh and Punjab, a larger share of Arbaeen pilgrims belong to these two provinces, and thus, the number of narratives from these regions in the book is greater than from other areas. Nonetheless, due to differences in age, residence, and occupation, there is diversity in the accounts.
The book's title is derived from the first line of a famous ancient poem by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, which explains the movement of Imam Hussein (pbuh). This poem, despite its simplicity and profound meanings, remains popular among devotees of Imam Hussein (pbuh) in Pakistan, even eight centuries after its composition:
Hussein is the King, Hussein is the Sovereign Hussein is the Faith, Hussein is the Guardian of the Faith He gave his head but never gave his hand to Yazid Truly, the foundation of "La ilaha" (There is no god) is Hussein
This poem has always been prevalent in religious ceremonies and rituals in Pakistan—where religious sentiments are strong—without creating any ethnic or religious sensitivities, often being recited in gatherings held by Sunnis and Sufis alike.
Given the special devotion of Pakistani pilgrims to Hazrat Ruqayyah (pbuh), the book is dedicated to her.
"Hussein is the King" has been published by Soureh Mehr Publications in 2024, priced at 345,000 tomans (Iranian currency).
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