Among the various dimensions of the Arbaeen ceremony, the mawkib holds a key place. Mawkibs are not only recognized as grassroots service-providing institutions, but are also a symbol of solidarity, hospitality, and organized social capital.
According to official data, in 1394 (2015/16) only 52 Iranian mawkibs held an official permit to provide services at Arbaeen. But this figure has seen striking growth in less than a decade; so that in 1402 (2023/24) the number of permitted mawkibs passed the 3,300 mark.
Also at Arbaeen 1403 (2024/25), about 3,500 Iranian mawkibs with an official permit were stationed along the routes, at the borders, and on Iraqi soil.
The upward trend in the number of Iranian mawkibs at Arbaeen is a sign of the gradual organization of a large voluntary institution; an institution that today is undergoing a civilizational transformation not only in quantity but also in quality, and has the capacity to become a "model of cultural-religious services."
Read the full note "Arbaeen in the mirror of statistics; from millions of pilgrims to thousands of mawkibs" on the Namafar website.
See the original infographic (Persian)
Machine-translated from Persian by Namafar; the Persian original is authoritative. Read the original in Persian