 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم one of the powerful images that is indeed witnessed from the 40 commemoration in Iraq is the multi-million walk towards the city of Karbala in honor of the sacrifice of the Ahl al-Bait peace and blessings be upon them and to visit the shrines of Imam Al-Hussein عليه السلام ابن فضل عباس صلوات الله وسلامه عليه and all the Shahada of the day of Ashura but one thing that perhaps people may ask is why the walk could these pilgrims could these individuals not go via other means of transportation why can't they take cars why can't they take for example a train or perhaps just be taken towards the shrine by any other means why walk for days and days it's hot there are security problems perhaps it's congested people of different age groups come the elderly children people who are even disabled or some even who are blind and so on and indeed this is an important question why walk to Karbala of course there are many narrations authentic established about the merits and the excellence of taking steps and walking towards the shrine of Imam Al-Hussein عليه السلام in fact there are chapters dedicated to this in books such as Kamil al-Ziyarat which highlight the great benefits of every step towards the Ziyarat of Imam Al-Hussein but one thing I would like to ponder reflect upon is the Quranic basis for walking see in the holy Quran in chapter 22 verse number 27 الله سبحانه وتعالى says وإذن في الناس بالحج يأتوك رجالا وعلى كل ضامر يأتين من كل فجن عميقة and proclaim the Hajj to people they shall come to you on foot and on lean camels coming from all kinds of distant places this verse although clearly demonstrating the importance and the obligation of the pilgrimage of Hajj has also another key learning point Quran talks about walking on foot before other means of transportation and you find some of the Sunni scholars such as Fakhruddin Al-Razi and Al-Qurtubi have come forward and said this verse highlights the benefit and the superiority and the much reward of those who walk towards the pilgrimage and the sacred house of Allah rather than those who take other means of transportation and that's why the Ahl al-Bayt عليه السلام is being recorded that they indeed used to walk Imam Al-Hasan عليه السلام 25 times Imam Al-Hussain عليه السلام similar number and so other members of the Ahl al-Bayt عليه السلام so that's number one but number two why more effort why more struggle in the teachings of the religion of Islam we are told that the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم when he was presented with two options or two ways to do something he would choose that which is more difficult in fact this is a narration which is found in Al-Kafi Shari volume 8 page 130 that Imam Al-Baqar عليه السلام says when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم was presented with two options both resulting in the pleasure of Allah he chose that which was more difficult and exactly the same we find as far as description of Imam Ali عليه السلام given by Imam صادق عليه السلام one of our great scholars علام الحل على الله تعالى مقامة he says that the reward of attaining or doing certain tasks it directly proportional to the degree of hardships and he says that without the necessary difficulty that reward diminishes greatly the higher on the more difficulty the greater the reward now we begin to understand how walking for Ziyara is so significant in a narration of Imam صادق عليه السلام in the Shia volume 11 page 78 it is said that he said that Allah is not worshipped through a greater or better way than by walking so notice the brilliance of walking to Imam Al-Hussein عليه السلام it's not only because the Ahlul Bayt have mentioned and that by itself is sufficient and not only the fact that the Ahlul Bayt themselves did this but because when we take a harder option it is what it is to refine ourselves it's a matter of self struggle it is more rewarding because we are following the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام now of course that is why so many of our scholars followed this and walked towards the shrine of Imam Al-Hussein عليه السلام for example Mirza Hussain An-Nuri when it has been documented by Aghabo Zorga Tahrani he says that during the time of sheikh Al-Ansari the walk by foot towards the master of martyrs was well established afterwards because of poverty he says less people paid attention to it but when sheikh Al-Ansari noticed this he paid attention to the issue and became adherent to the walk during the visitation of Aidal Abha he would carry his belongings and walk alongside his companions and in the last year he says I was honored to serve the sheikh who was walking after the ziyarah he also returned to Najaf by foot and so you recognize that this was a practice of the ulama and many others followed in the same way when we walk we honor the sacrifice of the أحل البيت عليه السلام but especially remember the caravan of the captives who were dragged, who were beaten who were abused, who were humiliated and of course when we walk we have the water we have the comfort and the food but we remember the suffering and we pledge allegiance to the principles that they stood for and established a great sign of Allah which keeps alive the beautiful religion of Islam