Share event with - 20th Safar Chehlum/Arbaeen (40th day after Ashura) Why Arbaeen 20TH Safar is observed as the day of Arba-een the 40th day,after martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.), his friends and relatives in Karbala on the 10th Muharram. According to Imam Hasan bin Ali Al Askaree (A.S.) today it is highly desirable to: 1) Pray 51 Rakat Namaaz during the 24 hours of the day of Arbaeen, (17 Rakats in obligatory, and 34 Rakats in Naafilah Salaats). 2) Be in Karbala for Ziyaarat of Imam Husayn and other martyrs, if not possible, recite Ziyaarat of the Holy Imam and other martyrs of Karbala. 3) To wear a ring in the right hand. 4) To put the forehead on the earth (preferably on the earth of Karbala) in prostration. 5) To pronounce Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem in clear and loud voice while praying the salaats. 6) Imam Jaafar bin Muhammad Al Saadiq (A.S.) had advised the faithfuls to recite the following Ziyaarat on the day of Arbaeen: Why Arbaeen? Significance of Arbaeen and the Performance of the Ziyarat of Arbaeen Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a.s.) includes the performance of Ziyarat-e-Arbaeen as one of the five marks for a believer, in addition to reciting 51 raka of sala, audible recitation of Bismillah, wearing a ring on ones right hand, and doing sajda on dust. (This hadith has been narrated by Sheikh Tusi in the book Tahthib). Why is so much importance given to the performance of the Ziyarat of Arbaeen and the observance of Arbaeen (40 days of mourning)? Ziyarat, as we all know is a visitation, which in essence, is the act of speaking with and visiting our role models. Of course the physical manifestation of the ziyarat is actually being present in Karbala to perform the Ziyarat of Arbaeen, but, in reality, that is not possible for every believer. So does making ziyarat while not in Karbala give one the same benefits? Ahadith tell us that performing the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s.) far from Karbala would hold the same significance as being in the land of Karbala, as long as the person performing the Ziyarat has truly understood the status of the Imam and seeks to emulate him. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) states that the heavens wept over Imam Hussain (a.s.) for forty mornings, rising red and setting red. As we complete 40 days of remembrance of our Imam, we re-assert our pledge of obedience and loyalty to him, I bear witness that you are the Imam (who is) the upright, the pious, well-pleased (with Allah), the pure, the guide and the rightly-guided. I bear witness that you fulfilled the pledge of Allah and you struggled in His way...I am a friend of whoever befriends him ... By performing the Ziyarat of Arbaeen, we pledge that we will continue to follow the path of justice and righteousness and will reject injustice and speak up against the oppressors of the time, I am an enemy of whoever is his enemy. In essence, we make a promise to continue to mold our lives according to the teaching of Imam Hussain (a.s.).But why is it that we mourn and remember Imam Hussain (a.s.) for a period of forty days and then move on? Our Prophet has said, The earth mourns the death of a believer for forty mornings. Therefore it appears that the deceased should be remembered and mourned over for a period of forty days. Performing an act for a continuous period of forty days is also known to help one to not just form a habit, but also to carry on the practice for the rest of his life. If we look at studies dealing with bringing a lifestyle change, we notice the time period emphasized to bring about a change is usually 6 weeks which is about the same time period as 40 days (to be exact it is 42 days). In the book 40 Days to Personal Revolution: A Breakthrough Program to Radically Change Your Body and Awaken the Sacred Within Your Soul, the author Baron Baptiste explains the significance of forty days: Why forty days? Because the number 40 holds tremendous spiritual significance in the realm of transformation. Jesus wandered in the desert for forty days in order to experience purification and come to a greater understanding of himself an
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:03:33 +0000
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