Dr. Noor Zaidi Leads Major Project to Preserve Sayyida Zainab Shrine Archives

The Shia Muslim Foundation commends Dr. Noor Zaidi for leading an important international effort to preserve, restore, and digitize the Sayyida Zainab shrine archives in Damascus. The project brings serious academic scholarship together with the knowledge and stewardship of the families and institutions that have protected this history for generations.

A recent UMBC feature details the work of Dr. Zaidi, an assistant professor of history at UMBC whose research focuses on the Middle East and South Asia, gender, sectarianism, and Shi’a Islam. Her current project centers on the Makam of Sayyida Zainab, one of the most important sacred sites in Shi’a Islam and one of the comparatively few major Islamic shrines associated with a woman.

Dr. Zaidi is working with Father Columba Stewart and the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library in Minnesota, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon, and the Mourtada family of Damascus. UMBC reports that the Mourtada family has served as custodians of the shrine for more than 800 years. The result is an international interfaith preservation effort that respects scholarly standards and the local custodianship that kept these records alive.

Years of patient scholarship

Dr. Zaidi first visited the shrine with her family more than two decades ago and has researched it for about fifteen years. She began archival work at the shrine in 2012. During the conflict, Hani Mohsen Mourtada opened the family archive to her, including photographs and legal records. After his death, Sayed Mazen Al Mourtada continued that cooperation and preserved materials that had been moved to Beirut for safekeeping.

“The Makam (Shrine) of Sayyeda Zainab in Damascus is not merely a religious site; it is a historic institution whose significance extends across centuries, borders, and communities. Associated with Zainab bint ‘Ali, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, the shrine has preserved traditions, archives, and religious practice that constitute an important part of the cultural and historical heritage of Syria and the wider Islamic world.”

Her persistence is visible throughout the project. War in Syria, threats to the shrine, difficult travel, and the pandemic interrupted the research. Zaidi returned to the work when conditions allowed.

“The continued independence of the Shrine of Sayyeda Zainab is of profound historical importance. Its autonomy allows the shrine to remain a living religious and cultural institution rather than becoming an instrument of changing political interests or state agendas.”

Recording what was lost

The digitization project will not treat the surviving archive as complete. UMBC reports that missing or destroyed documents will be identified as such. Future scholars will be able to see not only what survived, but where war, displacement, and time broke the record.

"Shia sacred history is too often discussed in public only through conflict or geopolitics. This project preserves another record: religious life, community memory, legal documents, craftsmanship, architecture, and the people who cared for the Makam across generations. It also gives students and scholars a stronger basis for studying Sayyida Zainab as a religious, historical, and cultural institution."

UMBC notes that the shrine has attracted visitors across communities and that renovations at the Makam preserved local Damascene tilework and craftsmanship. Zaidi’s work takes that layered history seriously. It does not reduce the shrine to a single political era or a single modern narrative.

Dr. Zaidi deserves real credit for staying with this research through years of instability and for building a project that places Shi’a history within serious academic study while respecting the people who preserved the archive. Her work also shows what can happen when universities, religious institutions, archivists, and local custodians cooperate with care and transparency.

SMF congratulates Dr. Zaidi and the full project team. The digitization of the Sayyida Zainab shrine archives can become a lasting resource for scholars, students, and communities seeking a fuller understanding of one of Shi’a Islam’s most significant sacred sites.

Read the full UMBC feature on Dr. Noor Zaidi and the Sayyida Zainab archive project.

American Shia Muslims Observe Arbaeen in Peaceful Rememberances Thrroughout the United States

August 4, 2026

Washington DC -- The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) marks the observance of Arbaeen, which falls this year on August 4, 2026. Arbaeen, an Arabic word meaning "forty," commemorates the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam al-Husain ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, and the massacre of his companions on the plains of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH (680 CE). It is among the most profound and widely observed occasions in the Shia Muslim tradition, and it draws what is consistently documented as the largest annual peaceful human gathering on earth.

Arbaeen in America

American Shia Muslim communities mark Arbaeen with gatherings, Majalis, and commemorative walks in cities across the United States. For those who are unable to make the pilgrimage to Karbala, these local observances serve as a spiritual connection to the global community of mourners and a reaffirmation of the principles of the Imam. In recent years, symbolic Arbaeen walks have been organized in American cities, drawing participants of diverse backgrounds who find in the event a powerful expression of solidarity and conscience.

The Shia Muslim Foundation calls upon civic leaders, interfaith partners, and the broader American public to recognize and respect the significance of Arbaeen for the American Shia Muslim community. We also invite all people of goodwill, regardless of faith or background, to reflect on the enduring human message of Karbala: that justice is worth standing for, that the voice of conscience must not be silenced, and that solidarity with the oppressed is among the highest expressions of our shared humanity.

The Tradition of the Fortieth Day

In many cultures and faith traditions, the fortieth day after a death carries special spiritual significance as a period of mourning, remembrance, and communal solidarity with the deceased and their family. In Shia Islamic practice, this principle finds its most powerful expression in Arbaeen, the fortieth day after Ashura.

Classical Shia tradition holds that on the 20th of Safar, 61 AH, the surviving members of the Prophet's household, led by Imam al-Hussain's sister Lady Zainab bint Ali and his son Imam Zayn al-Abidin, were making their way back from captivity in Damascus toward Medina. The great companion of the Prophet, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, is recorded as having traveled from Medina to Karbala to be among the first to visit the grave of Imam al-Hussain on this day, accompanied by Atiyya al-Awfi. This visit is regarded as the origin of the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a tradition of Ziyarat, of traveling to honor and commune spiritually with Imam al-Hussain, that has continued unbroken across fourteen centuries.

The Arbaeen Walk: A Global Phenomenon

Every year, tens of millions of pilgrims converge on the city of Karbala, Iraq, to mark Arbaeen. The pilgrimage is notable not only for its extraordinary scale but for its character. Millions of people walk on foot from the city of Najaf, site of the shrine of Imam Ali, to Karbala, a journey of approximately 80 kilometers, or roughly 50 miles. Along this route, local Iraqi families and volunteers set up thousands of stations offering food, water, medical care, and rest to the walkers at no charge, an expression of hospitality and devotion that has no parallel in scale anywhere in the world.

The gathering has been estimated in recent years to draw upward of 20 million participants, surpassing every other recurring human assembly on the planet. Pilgrims travel from Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and dozens of other nations. The Arbaeen walk is notably diverse, drawing not only Shia Muslims but Sunni Muslims, Christians, and people of other faiths who are moved by the story and the spirit of Karbala.

What Arbaeen Means for Shia Muslims

For Shia Muslims, Arbaeen is more than a commemoration of grief. It is an annual renewal of allegiance to the values for which Imam al-Hussain gave his life: justice, dignity, the refusal to submit to tyranny, and the willingness to stand for truth even at the greatest personal cost. The act of walking to Karbala, of choosing hardship as an expression of love and solidarity, reflects the Shia conviction that the message of Imam al-Hussain must be actively lived, not merely remembered.

Imam al-Hussain himself is quoted in Shia tradition as having declared on the day of Ashura: "If you do not believe in any religion and do not fear the hereafter, at least be free in your present life." This appeal to the universal human conscience, to the inherent dignity of every person and the moral obligation to resist oppression, is what Shia Muslims carry with them to Karbala on Arbaeen and what they bring back to their communities around the world.

About the Shia Muslim Foundation

The Shia Muslim Foundation is a national organization dedicated to the civic, legal, and community advancement of Shia Muslims in the United States. SMF engages with government officials, civil society, and interfaith partners to ensure that the voices and rights of Shia American communities are represented and protected.

United States and Saudi Arabia Strike Iraq Days Before Arbaeen

At least 20 Iraqi personnel killed as millions of worshippers travel toward Karbala

The United States and Saudi Arabia conducted joint airstrikes across Iraq overnight Tuesday, killing at least 20 members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces and wounding 32 others. The attacks occurred as millions of civilian worshippers travel toward Karbala for Arbaeen, which falls on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

United States Central Command confirmed that American and Saudi fighter aircraft struck weapons and logistics facilities on July 28. The Popular Mobilization Forces reported attacks in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala. The PMF, commonly known as the Hashd al Shaabi, operates as an official component of Iraq’s state security system.

According to the PMF, the attacks killed at least 20 personnel and wounded 32. The organization described the figures as preliminary and reported damage to buildings, vehicles, equipment, and other property.

The deadliest publicly documented attack occurred in the Nineveh Plain at approximately 3:20 a.m. Wednesday. The Nineveh PMF command said seven airstrikes hit the headquarters of the Fourth Regiment of Brigade 30 and a facility operated by the Directorate of Anti Armor Fighters. Eight Brigade 30 personnel and two Anti Armor Directorate personnel were killed. Six others were wounded.

The Nineveh command called the operation “a highly dangerous escalation” and “a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

A separate strike hit the PMF Operations Command headquarters in Basra, wounding two personnel. Iraqi authorities have not released complete information about the individual sites struck in Baghdad, Wasit, Kirkuk, Karbala, or Diyala.

United States and Saudi Arabia acknowledge responsibility

Responsibility for the airstrikes is confirmed. United States Central Command said American and Saudi forces conducted the operation together.

“United States and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq,” CENTCOM said in its official statement.

The command said the operation answered more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the preceding 72 hours. It accused armed groups in Iraq of targeting American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further United States military response,” CENTCOM said.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry separately acknowledged Saudi participation.

Major General Turki al Malki, the ministry’s official military spokesperson, said drones targeting Saudi petroleum facilities had come from Iraqi territory. He accused armed groups supported by Iran of conducting the attempted attacks.

Al Malki said Saudi Arabia reserved the right to respond “at the appropriate time and place.”

He also said the kingdom had an inherent right to defend its territory and national assets. Following the airstrikes, the Saudi Defense Ministry said the kingdom did not seek further escalation but would respond to any attack against it.

Allegations remain disputed

Iran denied directing attacks against Saudi Arabia. An Iranian military official described the accusations as a “major miscalculation.”

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also denied responsibility for the drone attacks and called the Saudi claims fabricated. Neither Washington nor Riyadh has publicly released evidence identifying the Iraqi units that allegedly launched the drones.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi had ordered an investigation into the alleged drone launches before the airstrikes occurred. Iraq said it would not permit its territory to be used for attacks against neighboring countries.

The identity of the countries that conducted the airstrikes is therefore confirmed. The allegation that the specific PMF personnel and facilities struck were responsible for the preceding drone attacks remains contested.

Iraq condemns violation of its sovereignty

The Iraqi presidency condemned the attacks as an unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and an assault on official state security institutions. The presidency called on all parties to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and refrain from actions that could threaten its security and stability. The prime minister called an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security.

President Donald Trump reportedly said the operation was coordinated with the Iraqi government. Iraqi officials have not publicly confirmed approving the strikes. The Iraqi government’s condemnation raises questions about the nature of any claimed coordination.

No individual American military commander has publicly addressed the civilian implications of conducting strikes across Iraq during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. The American military response has so far come through CENTCOM’s institutional statement.

Arbaeen pilgrims enter an expanding conflict zone

The attacks come during the final days before Arbaeen, one of the largest annual religious gatherings on earth. Arbaeen takes place on the twentieth day of Safar and marks forty days since the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680. Iraqi religious authorities have placed this year’s observance on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Pilgrims are already walking toward Karbala from Basra, Najaf, Baghdad, and other parts of Iraq. Others are entering through Iraqi airports and land crossings.

These innocent worshippers include families, children, elderly visitors, religious students, volunteers, and people with disabilities. They come from Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Gulf states, Africa, Europe, North America, and other regions. Iraqi figures show the international scale of the gathering. In 2025, more than 4.1 million foreign pilgrims from 140 countries entered Iraq for Arbaeen. Total attendance in Karbala exceeded 21 million.

More than 1.27 million foreign pilgrims had already entered Iraq during the current religious season by July 25, according to Iraqi security officials.

Volunteers operate thousands of roadside service stations that provide pilgrims with free meals, water, medical care, transportation, and places to rest. UNESCO recognizes this tradition of service and hospitality as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

One of the provinces struck was Karbala, the destination of the pilgrimage. Other affected provinces sit along routes used by worshippers traveling toward the holy city.

There is no verified evidence that the latest airstrikes deliberately targeted pilgrims or that Arbaeen worshippers were among the casualties. However, conducting military operations across several Iraqi provinces during the pilgrimage creates a serious risk of civilian harm, panic, disrupted transportation, and further escalation.

Arbaeen pilgrims are peaceful civilians participating in a religious observance with a history stretching back more than a thousand years. Governments and armed forces involved in the conflict bear responsibility for protecting worshippers and keeping pilgrimage routes, border crossings, airports, service stations, religious sites, and civilian gathering areas away from military operations.

Sources

United States Central Command: https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PUBLIC-RELEASES/Article/4558191/us-saudi-forces-strike-iran-backed-terrorist-sites-in-iraq/

Reuters on the strikes and Iraqi response: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-saudis-attack-iran-backed-groups-iraq-threatening-intensify-conflict-2026-07-29/

Reuters on the Saudi account: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-says-drones-launched-iraq-targeting-oil-facilities-intercepted-2026-07-28/

National Iraqi News Agency: https://ninanews.com/website/News/Details?key=1307903

Saudi Press Agency: https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2588234

Iraqi Arbaeen participation figures: https://imamhussain.gov.iq/index.php/english/47012

UNESCO on Arbaeen service and hospitality: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/provision-of-services-and-hospitality-during-the-arba-in-visitation-01474