Chehlum

chehlum is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who was killed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Imam Husayn ibn Ali and 72 of his companions were killed by Yazid’s army in the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH.

Arba’een or forty days is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. Arba’een is one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth, in which up to 45 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq.