The Shia community observes Arba’een, the traditional fortieth day of mourning for the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei and his family, on April 8. Currently, the atmosphere of faith is a blend of theology and crisis. By framing the recent assassinations as sacred martyrdom, the Islamic Republic aims to turn a geopolitical shock into a narrative of divine-endorsed resilience.
In Shia Islam, Arba’een (the Arabic word for forty) signifies the spiritual and psychological completion of a cycle. The tenth day of Muharram is remembered as Ashura, symbolising the trauma of sacrifice, but the fortieth day, in a sense, turns grief into an established form of memory. Typically, Arba’een is observed on the 20th of Safar, the second month of the Islamic calendar. During this time, millions of followers—including non-Shia and non-Muslims—walk from Najaf to Karbala, Iraq, to visit the shrine of Imam Hussain.
This 40-day period is based on a belief system where the soul reaches a state of maturity. Besides this, the number 40 holds significance in Islamic metaphysics and is often linked to the spiritual growth of Prophet Muhammad and the Quranic journeys of Moses. Historically, Arba’een marks the return of Imam Hussain’s captive family to Karbala, symbolising the triumph of the victorious over the defeated. In this context, it is the peak of mourning because it turns a tragic event into a lasting revolutionary symbol. By the fortieth day, the story of the deceased shifts from a private loss to a communal "witnessing" (Shahada). In this way, it becomes a vital tool for political and spiritual mobilisation. This enables the community to preserve the legacy of the martyr and to renew their dissent, if any, ensuring that the martyr's impact remains a lasting socio-political force rather than fading away.
Building on the completion of the forty-day cycle, the theology of emotions in Shiism suggests that grief (Gham) is not a passive state of despair but an active, sacred force. This view transforms the individual’s internal sorrow into a collective sense of resistance. Therefore, by engaging in ritualised lamentation, the believer not only mourns a loss but also connects their understanding to the historical tragedy of the Ahl al-Bayt. In this way, personal trauma becomes a form of defiance.
In today's political landscape, this emotional background acts as a powerful tool for mobilization. The same pattern is often seen when, through poetry, Latmiya, and public processions, the Iranian state channels the intense feeling of Gham into a disciplined, revolutionary language.
At the same time, it is equally important to recognise that in the intellectual history of Shiism, martyrdom is never just a fixed historical event; it remains a living paradigm. While the 40th-day rituals look back to the tragedy of the death, the theological perspective moves forcefully forward, turning the grief of mourning into the "Red Shi’ism" of active resistance instead of concentrating on “Black Shi’ism,” which views Shi’ism as a religion of mourning. This view was mainly promoted by thinkers like Ali Shariati, who argues that the martyr (Shaheed) is a witness who, through their death, reveals the oppressor's illegitimacy. The Iranian government has effectively applied this paradigm to the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei and his family by detaching the loss from a specific place, transforming it from a local setback into an eternal struggle.
Beyond its theological importance, the Arba’een period marks a particularly volatile time at the intersection of religion and mass mobilisation. This creates a high-risk environment for several reasons. Firstly, decentralized public gatherings occur on such a large scale that they become a logistical nightmare for security forces and a tempting target for opponents of the system. Additionally, the previously mentioned moral theology of emotions can quickly shift from ritual mourning to acts of defiance. This is because a community is already energised by a sense of ‘injustice’. Furthermore, the intense atmosphere of grief and devotion to martyrdom, along with associated memories, can greatly influence sensitivities and escalate minor conflicts. Therefore, although Arba’een is a peaceful and spiritual event, its scale, symbolism, and geopolitical setting can cause underlying tensions to surface and sometimes lead to conflict or violence.
As such, Arba’een serves as a bridge between history and politics. The forty-day cycle, which evolves from a personal rite of passage into a powerful tool of statecraft, ensures that the remembrance of the martyr remains disruptive in collective social memory. Therefore, in today’s geopolitically charged environment, the combination of religious devotion and political mobilisation weaves a compelling narrative of resilience. This effectively turns the vulnerability of crisis into a lasting model of revolutionary resistance.
Mohammed Shoaib Raza is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.