Safar is the second month of the Islamic calendar. It is marked with many important events in Islamic history but one of the most important of these is Arbaeen (20th Safar). In Arabic language it means forty and in Islamic history it marks the 40th day of mourning period following Ashura, the 10th of Muharram when Hussain ibn Ali (AlaihisSalam), the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) was killed and beheaded along with his family members and companions by the army of Yazid in 61 Hijri. In this month, millions of people from around the globe gather in Iraq’s holiest city of Karbala to commemorate Arbaeen and to pay tribute to the martyrs of Karbala.
Arbaeen pilgrimage or Arbaeen walk is widely recognised as the single largest annual peaceful gathering in the world where people swarm together and walk towards the shrines of Imam Husain (AlaihisSalam) and Hazrat Gazi Abbas (AlaihisSalam) to pay tribute to their greatest sacrifice. The son of Bibi Fatima (AlaihisSalam) and Imam Ali (AlaihisSalam) left an everlasting legacy 1378 years ago which is still inspiring the mankind and will keep on inspiring till the existence of this world. This is not an ordinary journey and neither those people are ordinary who get the opportunity to take a part in this spiritual walk. The people who take part in this walk are called Zair-e-Imam Hussain (visitors of Imam Hussain) (AlaihisSalam).
Arbaeen is marked with long walks – from Najaf ul Ashraf or Basra to Karbala-e-Moalla. People come from different parts of the world belong to different colours, cultures, races and sects. They make their journey on foot. The journey from Najaf to Karbala is almost 85kms and it takes about 3 to 4 days, whereas from Basra it is about 500kms. Zaireen (pilgrims) coming from Najaf-al-Ashraf start their journey from the shrine of Imam Ali (AlaihisSalam) In this human crowd marching towards Karbala there is no discrimination of rich or poor, young or old, men or women. Children walk with parents in short steps, elderly who can barely walk cover this journey on wheelchairs, even the disabled hobble along, step-by-step, supported by nothing but crutches and an iron will to voyage and to salute Imam Hussain (AlaihisSalam). The only one thing which is common in all these people is that every eye is moist, every heart is torn with grief and they are all chanting ‘Labbaik Ya Hussain (AlaihisSalam)’ in one voice. They all believe that Imam Hussein (AlaihisSalam) is a universal, borderless, and meta-religious symbol of freedom and compassion.
During Saddam's era this pilgrimage was banned. At that time people used to perform it secretly and their number was too low. It was revived when his government was toppled in 2003 and since then the number of Zaireen started to increase every year. Last year this number was more than 20 million even against the threats of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). This year it is estimated that more than 25 million Zaireen are visiting Karbala.
Under ordinary conditions, it seems impossible to make arrangements for more than 20 million people travelling this long. But surprisingly, thousands of local people gathered to help these visitors and the level of service they provide is unprecedented. They set up thousands of tents with makeshift kitchens to serve these Zaireen. These tents are called Mawakebs which are devised with the aim of providing accommodation, food, beverage, medical services and practically anything the pilgrims could possibly need to complete their spiritual journey. Dwellers render their services without any charge and try to provide maximum comfort to the Zaireen. If someone gets tired mid way, then the houses on way open their doors to comfort him and the owners feel themselves privileged to be at their service. These houses and Mawakebs have the best facilities to fulfil the needs of Zaireen.
Zaireen do not need to carry anything on this journey except the clothes and shoes they wear. What is more astonishing is that Mawakeb organizers beg these pilgrims to accept their hospitality. They intercept their path and plead them. They provide them every minor thing like tissue paper, tooth pick etc. Their cloths are washed and ironed, shoes are mended and all of course complimentary. Those who have nothing to offer, serve them by massaging their feet and legs. In short they do not leave even a single opportunity to serve them. They consider the acceptance of their offers as a bestowing honour on them. After witnessing such love and passion of these service providers one is left in bewilderment that either these are humans or angels disguised as service providers.
The
hike and pilgrimage of the holy shrine of Imam Hussein on the Day of
Arba'in has a historical root because Jaber ibn Abdullah Ansari and
Attiy Awaf moved to Medina in 1281, on the foot of the hill, and in the
morning the first Arbaeen that passed through the testimony of Hazrat
Seyyed al-Shohada (AS) Arrived
in Karbala, and according to what is seen in authentic Shiite sources,
on the day of Arbaeen, Zaynab Kobra and Imam Sajjad, along with
eighty-four people entered Karbala, after talking with Jaber Abdullah
Ansari, the grave of Imam (AS) And pilgrimage from Arbaeen began.
Ahl
al-Bayt (PBUH) against Islam, when they arrived in Karbala, saw Jaber
ibn Abdullah Ansari (5) who came with some of Bani Hashem and the
Prophet's family for the pilgrimage of Hussein (peace be upon him), at
the same time arrived in Karbala with them, and they grumbled and
groaned They
slapped their faces and grunted their groans, and the women of the
nearby villages also joined them, Zaynab Alihas Salam came to the crowd
of women and choked, and said to the voice of the devil who hurt the
hearts: "O Muhammad! Wow! Wait for the Messenger and Ibn Makka and you! And Ibn Fatemeh al-Zahra! And ibn ali almurtizi! Oh oh, oh! "So he became unconscious.
Then
Amlkhthum hurt his face and said with a loud voice: today, Mohammad
Mostafa, Ali Morteza and Fatima Zahra have died, and other women have
been slapping and crying.
Sakineh cried out like this: "Wa Mohammad!" Separate! How
hard it is for you to tolerate what you have done with your love, they
have driven them from the blade, and then they were falling down!
Atiyah
Afo says: "With Jaber ibn Abdullah, I came to the pilgrimage of the
grave of Hussein Ali al-Salam, and when we arrived at Karbala, Jaber was
near the Shrine of Euphrates, and he was bathing and wounding like a
Mahrar, and opened the couch with a smell, and he himself And every step he took to mention God said he reached the sacred grave and told me to put my hand on the grave! Because of this I went to the grave.
I poured water on Jaber, so it came to life, then he said three times: "Hussein!"
Then
he said: "Habib la Yajib Habib!" And then he added: "What do you want
to answer that Hussein is smeared in his blood and split between his
head and body!" And
he said: "I testify that you are the son of the best prophets and the
great son of believers; you are the son of the son of Allah and guilty,
and the fifth among the companions of Qasa and Abba'i, you are the great
son of Nighiban and the son of Fatima Sayyid, and why is not the hand
of Seyyed al-Murslin You
have been eating and cooked in the midst of the godfearing, and you
have been breastfeeding from the breast of faith, and you have been
clean and clean, and you have been distressed, and you have saddened the
hearts of the believers from your separation, so God's peace and
blessings be upon you; you went to the same way that your brother Yahya bin Zakaria was a martyr. "
Then
he turned his eye around the grave and said, "Hi, I salute you the
spirits that fell down alongside Hussein, and I testify that you have
performed the prayers, and you have paid Zakat, and you have forbidden
the famous and forgiving, and with the proximate Khawr
did battle and jihad, and worshiped God until you died. "He added:" To
the God who brought the Prophet to justice, we are partners in what you
have become martyrs. "
Attiya says: I said to Jaber: We did nothing! They are martyred, said: "O my God! I
heard from Habib the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah), peace be
upon him, saying: "I am in control of the law and I take the practice of
the people of Escher-phi-Amalm." Anyone who likes a group will be
gathered with the same, and whoever loves the act of communion, Will be a partner. "
Rehabilitation of Arbaeen's Walk by Sheikh Mirza Hossein Noori
Archean's hike will then be forgotten in a lamb from time to time and eventually restored by Sheikh Mirza Hussein Nuri.
This
great scholar first went to Eid al-Adhaf on a walk from Najaf to
Karbala, which was on the way for three days and accompanied by him to
about thirty of his friends and relatives, with whom he later decided,
Mohaddes Noori. Every year, he repeats this, he went to visit the holy shrine of Abbas Abdullah Hussein (PBUH) in the year 1319 AH
