The night walk of Arbaeen pilgrims


This story was repeated by many authors after Ibn Tawus, even though several scholars before Ibn Tawus reported only the Arba’in pilgrimage of Jabir. The veracity of Ibn Tawus’ account has therefore been questioned by some, including the Shia scholar Husain Noori Tabarsi (d. 1902) and the Islamicist Mahmoud M. Ayoub (d. 2021).  Ayoub adds that Arba’in is not mentioned in Kamil al-ziyarat, an early and authoritative hadith collection by the Shia traditionist Ibn Qulawayh (d. c. 978).  Whatever the case, such narratives may have helped establish Arba’in in Shia culture.