The time for the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has finally come. It has been more than four months since Khamenei's death and now the process of his funeral is going to start in Tehran this week. Iran is bidding farewell to its greatest leader with full honour. Leaders of many countries of the world including India are arriving to be a part of Khamenei's last journey. Not only this, Khamenei's body will also be taken to Iraq. Khamenei had not been able to go here for the last 69 years while he was alive, now his body wrapped in a shroud will be taken here. Khamenei's body will be taken to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, just a day before his burial in Mashhad, Iran, on July 9.
The spokesman for Khamenei's funeral ceremony said that the martyred leader would once again get the honor of pilgrimage to Iraq's holy sites after 69 years. He told that Khamenei's last visit to Karbala and Najaf was in 1957. Although he had planned to go to Iraq in 1968, he could not go due to the ban on leaving the country. On July 8, the body of Ali Khamenei will be taken to the holy sites of Imam Ali, Imam Hussein and Abbas Ibn Ali.
Not only do the borders of Iraq and Iran connect with each other, the people of both the countries also have a deep religious connection with each other. Especially, both these countries are very important for Shia Muslims. Shia Muslims are completely in power in Iran. More than 90 percent of the population here is Shia Muslims. Iraq too has more than 50 percent Shia Muslims. However, the representation of Shias in power here has been less. There are two cities in Iraq where Shia Muslims from all over the world come and go throughout the year. These cities are Najaf and Karbala.
Najaf is a religious city. It is about 150 km away from Iraq's capital Baghdad. In this city is the tomb of Imam Ali, the son-in-law of the last prophet of Islam, Prophet Mohammed. Imam Ali is revered by all the Muslims around the world but the attachment of Shia Muslims towards him is more visible in practical terms. Shia Muslims respect Ali as the first Imam. There is also a mosque of Imam Ali in Najaf. Pilgrims from other countries including India go here throughout the year.
Like Najaf, Karbala is also a very important place from the point of view of Islamic history. The grave of Imam Hussain, son of Prophet Mohammed and grandson of Imam Ali, is in Karbala. It was here that he was martyred. Muharram is celebrated every year in his memory. It is about 90 km away from Baghdad. The battle of Karbala is one of the biggest battles of the Islamic era. Yazid's army had martyred Imam Hussain along with his step brother Abbas here. Abbas's mosque is also in Karbala.
That is, these two cities of Iraq are where the roots of the faith of Shia Muslims lie. Khamenei's death is being considered as martyrdom, but when his body reaches these holy places, it will definitely strengthen the faith of the Shia community to see Khamenei's shroud. This scene will be recorded in the pages of Islamic history. Some people are also drawing political implications of this. Certainly, for Iran, which has lost a lot in the war, Khamenei's funeral procession will send a big message among its own supporters.
