Arba'in: Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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| ⚫ | The Arba'een pilgrimage has been observed since the year 61 [[Hijri year|AH]] of the [[Islamic calendar]] (October 10, 680), after the [[Battle of Karbala]], or the following year. The first such a gathering took place when [[Jabir ibn Abd-Allah]], a [[List of companions of the prophet Muhammad|companion of Muhammad]], made a pilgrimage to the burial site of Husayn. He was accompanied by [[Atiyya bin Saad]] due to his infirmity and probable blindness. His visit coincided with that of the surviving female members of Muhammad's family and Husayn's son and heir Imam [[Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin|Zain-ul-Abideen]], who had all been held captive in Damascus by [[Yazid I|Yazid]], the Umayyad Caliph. Imam [[Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin|Zain-ul-Abideen]] had survived the [[Battle of Karbala]] and led a secluded life in deep sorrow.It is said that for twenty years whenever food was placed before him, he would weep. One day a servant said to him, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Is it not time for your sorrow to come to an end?’ He replied, ‘Woe upon you! [[Jacob]] the prophet had twelve sons, and Allah made one of them disappear. His eyes turned white from constant weeping, his head turned grey out of sorrow, and his back became bent in gloom,{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#12:84 Quran, 12:84]}} though his son was alive in this world. But I watched while my father, my brother, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family were slaughtered all around me. How should my sorrow come to an end?’{{efn|From Shaykh as-Sadooq, al-Khisal; quoted in al-Ameen, A’yan, IV, 195. The same is quoted from Bin Shahraashoob’s Manaqib in Bih’ar al-Anwar, XLVI, 108; Cf. similar accounts, Ibid, pp. 108-10}} <ref name="sharif al-qarashi">{{cite book|last=Sharif al-Qarashi|first= Bāqir|year=2000|title=The Life of Imām Zayn al-Abidin (as)|others=Translated by Jāsim al-Rasheed|location=Iraq|publisher=Ansariyan Publications, n.d. Print}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Imam Ali ubnal Husain|title=Al-Saheefah Al-Sajjadiyyah Al-Kaamelah|year=2009|others= Translated with an Introduction and annotation by Willian C. Chittick With a foreword by S. H. M. Jafri|publisher=Ansariyan Publications|location=Qum, The Islamic Republic of Iran}}</ref> |
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Arba'een pilgrimage has been observed from the year 61 A.H. after the [[Battle of Karbala]] or the following year. Since then Arba'een has been very important so that each and every Shiite believer will try to perform during his life. This is because [[The Fourteen Infallibles|Shiite Imams]] encouraged their followers to come together in [[Karbala]] to commemorate the fortieth day after the [[Battle of Karbala|tragedy of Karbala]].<ref name="Shaykh Saleem Bhimji">{{cite web|last1=Shaykh Saleem Bhimji|title=Arbaeen of Imam Husayn|url=http://www.al-islam.org/arbaeen-imam-husayn-shaykh-saleem-bhimji/arbaeen-imam-husayn|publisher=www.al-mubin.org}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The first such a gathering took place when [[Jabir ibn Abd-Allah]], a [[List of companions of the prophet Muhammad|companion of Muhammad]], made a pilgrimage to the burial site of Husayn. He was accompanied by [[Atiyya bin Saad]] due to his infirmity and probable blindness. His visit coincided with that of the surviving female members of Muhammad's family and Husayn's son and heir Imam [[Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin|Zain-ul-Abideen]], who had all been held captive in Damascus by [[Yazid I|Yazid]], the Umayyad Caliph. Imam [[Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin|Zain-ul-Abideen]] had survived the [[Battle of Karbala]] and led a secluded life in deep sorrow.It is said that for twenty years whenever food was placed before him, he would weep. One day a servant said to him, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Is it not time for your sorrow to come to an end?’ He replied, ‘Woe upon you! [[Jacob]] the prophet had twelve sons, and Allah made one of them disappear. His eyes turned white from constant weeping, his head turned grey out of sorrow, and his back became bent in gloom,{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#12:84 Quran, 12:84]}} though his son was alive in this world. But I watched while my father, my brother, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family were slaughtered all around me. How should my sorrow come to an end?’{{efn|From Shaykh as-Sadooq, al-Khisal; quoted in al-Ameen, A’yan, IV, 195. The same is quoted from Bin Shahraashoob’s Manaqib in Bih’ar al-Anwar, XLVI, 108; Cf. similar accounts, Ibid, pp. 108-10}} <ref name="sharif al-qarashi">{{cite book|last=Sharif al-Qarashi|first= Bāqir|year=2000|title=The Life of Imām Zayn al-Abidin (as)|others=Translated by Jāsim al-Rasheed|location=Iraq|publisher=Ansariyan Publications, n.d. Print}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Imam Ali ubnal Husain|title=Al-Saheefah Al-Sajjadiyyah Al-Kaamelah|year=2009|others= Translated with an Introduction and annotation by Willian C. Chittick With a foreword by S. H. M. Jafri|publisher=Ansariyan Publications|location=Qum, The Islamic Republic of Iran}}</ref> |
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Arba'een's performance has been banned in some periods, the last of which was when [[Saddam Hussein]], was president of Iraq. For nearly 30 years under Saddam's regime, it was forbidden to mark Arba'een publicly in Iraq. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the observance in April 2003 was broadcast worldwide.<ref>Vali Nasr, ''The Shia Revival''. New York: Norton, 2006; pp 18–19.</ref> |
Arba'een's performance has been banned in some periods, the last of which was when [[Saddam Hussein]], was president of Iraq. For nearly 30 years under Saddam's regime, it was forbidden to mark Arba'een publicly in Iraq. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the observance in April 2003 was broadcast worldwide.<ref>Vali Nasr, ''The Shia Revival''. New York: Norton, 2006; pp 18–19.</ref> |
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Arba'een (Arabic: الأربعين, "forty"), Chehelom (Persian: چهلم, Urdu: چہلم, "the fortieth [day]") or Qirkhi, Imamin Qirkhi (Azerbaijani: İmamın qırxı, امامین قیرخی, "the fortieth of Imam") is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, which falls on the 20th day of the month of Safar. Imam Husayn ibn Ali and 72 companions were killed by Yazid I's army in the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). Arba'een or forty days is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. Arba'een is one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth, in which over 31 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq.[1][2][3][4][5]
Background
The Arba'een pilgrimage has been observed since the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar (October 10, 680), after the Battle of Karbala, or the following year. The first such a gathering took place when Jabir ibn Abd-Allah, a companion of Muhammad, made a pilgrimage to the burial site of Husayn. He was accompanied by Atiyya bin Saad due to his infirmity and probable blindness. His visit coincided with that of the surviving female members of Muhammad's family and Husayn's son and heir Imam Zain-ul-Abideen, who had all been held captive in Damascus by Yazid, the Umayyad Caliph. Imam Zain-ul-Abideen had survived the Battle of Karbala and led a secluded life in deep sorrow.It is said that for twenty years whenever food was placed before him, he would weep. One day a servant said to him, ‘O son of Allah’s Messenger! Is it not time for your sorrow to come to an end?’ He replied, ‘Woe upon you! Jacob the prophet had twelve sons, and Allah made one of them disappear. His eyes turned white from constant weeping, his head turned grey out of sorrow, and his back became bent in gloom,[a] though his son was alive in this world. But I watched while my father, my brother, my uncle, and seventeen members of my family were slaughtered all around me. How should my sorrow come to an end?’[b] [6][7]
Arba'een's performance has been banned in some periods, the last of which was when Saddam Hussein, was president of Iraq. For nearly 30 years under Saddam's regime, it was forbidden to mark Arba'een publicly in Iraq. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the observance in April 2003 was broadcast worldwide.[8]
Annual pilgrimage
Arba'een is consistently among the largest peaceful gatherings in history. The city of Karbala in Iraq is the center of the proceedings to which many pilgrims travel miles on foot to reach there. The distance between Basra and Karbala is a long journey[clarification needed] even by car, but it is traveled annually on foot by Iraqi pilgrims, which takes them two weeks, or approximately one month to come from other countries like Iran. The crowds become so massive that they cause a blockade for hundreds of miles. In 2008, approximately nine million religious observers converged on Karbala to commemorate Arba’een.[9] However, in 2009, the number of people visiting Karbala on Arba'een significantly increased. According to the official website of BBC News and Press TV (Iran), over ten million people had reached Karbala one or two days before Arba'een. The number of pilgrims was expected to rise to 18 million during the next two days; Arbaeen reached 20 million in 2013.[10][11][12]
That would consist of 60% of Iraq's population, which would exceed the number of Mecca pilgrims by a factor of five. Kumbh Mela is more populous than Arba'een, but it is not held annually. There are also thousands of tents set up by local villagers around the pilgrims' path, from which the pilgrims get nearly everything they need, from "fresh meals to eat and a space to rest, to free international phone calls to assure concerned relatives, to baby diapers, to practically every other amenity, free of charge",[13] so the pilgrims do not need to carry anything other than clothes they wear. The daily distribution of 50 million meals, which would add up to 700 million during the pilgrimage, "all financed not by the United Nations or international charities, but by poor laborers and farmers who starve to feed the pilgrims and save up all year round so that visitors are satisfied," should be recorded in Guinness World Records.[13] Everything on the pigrims' path including security is provided by volunteers. "To know what Islam teaches", says one organizer, "don't look at the actions of a few hundred barbaric terrorists, but the selfless sacrifices exhibited by millions of Arbaeen pilgrims."[12][13]
As Mahdi al-Modarresi put it, therefore, Arba'een should be listed in the Guinness Book in several categories: biggest annual gathering, longest continuous dining table, largest number of people fed for free, largest group of volunteers serving a single event, all under the imminent threat of suicide bombings. The question here is that why one may have never heard of it. The answer that al-Modarresi give to this is related to the fact that the press is concerned more with negative and sensationalized tabloids, than with positive,inspiring narratives, particularly when it comes to Islam.[13]
Ziyarat Arbaeen
The Ziyarat Arba'een is a prayer which is usually recited in Karbala on the day of Arba'een. It is been narrated from Safwan al-Jammaal from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shiite Imam in which the Imam instructed him to visit Imam Husayn's mosque, and to recite a specific visitation prayer on Arba'een by which believer should reaffirm their pledge to Husyin's ideals. The Ziarat or prayer is a revered text which states the status of Husayn, calling him the "inheritor" of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
The important point in proclaiming Husayn in that manner is that "Hussein's message of truth, justice, and love for the oppressed is viewed as an inseparable extension of all divinely-appointed prophets." And it is interesting to note that, while Arba'een is considered as a Shitte spiritual exercise, Sunnis, even Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians, and Sabians take a part in both the pilgrimage and serving of his followers. This is because they see Husayn as a universal and meta-religious symbol of freedom and compassion.[16][13]
The day of Arbaeen
The Muslims and the Shi'ah in particular come to that place from different parts of the world and send greetings to the persons who performed the feats of highest, bravery, devotion and honor. The ceremonies of homage can be performed and one's attachment to the sacred mission of the martyrs can be expressed in any words and language.
Safwān bin Mehrān Asadi, this person who was one of the companions of Imam Sadiq and Imam Kazim took Imam Sadiq from Madina to Iraq a number of times and the Imam used to hire his camel. Safwān himself also used to accompany the Imam. He identified the grave of Imam Ali which had not been identified till then, and remained in attendance upon it for twenty years.[18][19] Safwān is one of the narrators and has narrated traditions from the Imams. Amongst them are Ziyārat Waritha, the well-known homage of Āshura of Imam Husayn, Alqama's supplication, and a homage of Imam Ali. In his book entitled Misbahul Mutahajjid Shaykh Tusi has quoted Ziyarat Waritha from Imam Sadiq through Safwān. He (Shaykh Tusi) has also quoted Ziyarat Āshura through two media -one from Imam Muhammad Baqir through Alqama bin Muhammad Hazrami, and one from the sixth Imam through Safwān Jammal.
Safwān said to Sayf bin Umayra: "I was with Imam Sadiq when he performed homage at this place in this manner and recited this supplication (i.e. Alqama supplication)". What is surprising is that the supplication which is known as 'Alqama supplication' and is recited after Ziyarat Āshura has been quoted by Safwān from Imam Sadiq and not by Alqama from [Imam Baqir]. It should, therefore, have been called 'Safwān's Supplication' and it is not known as to why it has been called 'Alqama's supplication'. This very Safwān has also quoted one of the two homages of Arba'in of Imam Husayn from the sixth Imam.[19][20]
The second homage of Arba'in is the one, which was recited by Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari while paying the homage r to the grave of Imam and which has been quoted by Atiyya bin Sād bin Junada from the distinguished companion Jabir. The sentences of the Ziyarat Arba'in of Safwān, as translated below are well known. They are the same sentences which, according to Safwan, were uttered by the sixth Imam while performing the homage to [Imam Husayn]: "I testify that you were alight in your noble fathers and the wombs of your pure mothers. The uncleanliness of ignorance did not contaminate you. The darkness of polytheism, blasphemy and perversion did not put its clothes on you. I testify that you are a pillar of the faith, a support for the Muslims and a refuge for the believers. I testify that you are the righteous, pious, praiseworthy and pure Imam, you guide and are yourself guided. I testify that only the Imams who are your descendants are the paragon of virtue and piety, the signs of guidance, the dependable medium and reliance for the people of the world".[19][20]
Other religions and countries in the Arba'een
While the Arba'een is a distinctively Shi'a spiritual exercise, Sunni Muslims and even Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians, and Sabians partake in both the pilgrimage as well as serving of devotees. Pilgrims from European countries including Sweden, Russia and even a delegation from Vatican City have joined in past observances. Some Iraqi Christian religious leaders also joined the delegation from the Vatican.[13][22]
Many delegations from various African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Senegal have also participated in the Arba'een.[12]
Political significance
Having refused to pledge allegiance to the caliph Yazid I, Hussain, his family, and companions were surrounded in the desert of Karbala and beheaded in the most horrible manner, the account of which has been narrated from pulpits every year since that day.
Mahdi al-Modarresi notes: "If the world understood Hussein, his message, and his sacrifice, they would begin to understand the ancient roots of Daesh (ISIS) and its credo of death and destruction." Shaykh Saleem Bhimji adds: "That is maybe why nothing infuriates the terror group more than the sight of millions of Shiite pilgrims coming together for their show of faith. What makes this scene more important is that as the security conditions become worse, even more people are encouraged to challenge the terrorist threats. The pilgrimage, hence, is not just a religious rite, but a loud announcement of defiance."[16][13]
Since the first Arba'een, it has influenced subsequent Shi'ite uprisings against Umayyad and Abbasid rule. Arba'een has also been used as a political protest, at least in Iran. It was first used there to protest the killing of supporters of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Qom on June 5, 1963 when a general strike was announced. A cycle of Arba'een public observance of mourning rituals of martyred protestors — where an Arba'een observance was held to commemorate those killed in the preceding Arba'een protest demonstration — is often credited as part of the reason for the success of the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,[24] although that explanation has also been questioned.[25]
Significance of the number 40
- In the Hebrew Bible, forty is often used for time periods, forty days or forty years, which separate "two distinct epochs".[26] Goliath challenged the Israelites twice a day for forty days before David defeated him. (1 Samuel 17:16)
- Moses spent three consecutive periods of "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai:
- Before his temptation, Jesus fasted "forty days and forty nights" in the Judean desert. (Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2)
- Forty days was the period from the resurrection of Jesus to the ascension of Jesus. (Acts 1:3)
- Muhammad was forty years old when he first received the revelation delivered by the archangel Gabriel.
- God forbade the Fasiqun (the non-believers) from entering the Holy Land for 40 years to separate them from Musa (Moses) and his brother.[27]
- Musa (Moses) spent 40 days on Mount Sinai where he received the 10 commandments.[28]
- It is said that a person’s intellect attains maturity in forty years, everyone according to his own capacity.[29]
- There is also a hadith from Mohammad that the prayers of a person who gossips would not be accepted for forty days and nights. (Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 400)
Arba'een in the Gregorian calendar
While Arba'een is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year due to differences between the two calendars, since the Islamic calendar, the Hijri calendar (AH), is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. Furthermore, the method used to determine when each Islamic month begins varies from country to country (see Islamic calendar).
See also
Notes
- ^ Quran, 12:84
- ^ From Shaykh as-Sadooq, al-Khisal; quoted in al-Ameen, A’yan, IV, 195. The same is quoted from Bin Shahraashoob’s Manaqib in Bih’ar al-Anwar, XLVI, 108; Cf. similar accounts, Ibid, pp. 108-10
References
- ^ "El Paso Inc". El Paso Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ uberVU - social comments (2010-02-05). "Friday: 46 Iraqis, 1 Syrian Killed; 169 Iraqis Wounded - Antiwar.com". Original.antiwar.com. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ Aljazeera. "alJazeera Magazine - 41 Martyrs as More than Million People Mark 'Arbaeen' in Holy Karbala". Aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ "Powerful Explosions Kill More Than 40 Shi'ite Pilgrims in Karbala | Middle East | English". .voanews.com. 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ Hanun, Abdelamir (2010-02-05). "Blast in crowd kills 41 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq". News.smh.com.au. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
- ^ Sharif al-Qarashi, Bāqir (2000). The Life of Imām Zayn al-Abidin (as). Translated by Jāsim al-Rasheed. Iraq: Ansariyan Publications, n.d. Print.
- ^ Imam Ali ubnal Husain (2009). Al-Saheefah Al-Sajjadiyyah Al-Kaamelah. Translated with an Introduction and annotation by Willian C. Chittick With a foreword by S. H. M. Jafri. Qum, The Islamic Republic of Iran: Ansariyan Publications.
- ^ Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival. New York: Norton, 2006; pp 18–19.
- ^ Official website of Multi-National Force - Iraq
- ^ "زيارة الاربعين: 18 مليون زائر ونجاح امني كبير". Al-Alam. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
- ^ http://z313.ir/132//%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%8C%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%B1(%D8%B9%D8%AC)-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%87%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B8%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1/ , December 2014
- ^ a b c http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/one-of-the-worlds-biggest-and-most-dangerous-pilgrimages-is-underway-9882702.html December 2014
- ^ a b c d e f g Al-Modarresi, Mahdi. "World's Biggest Pilgrimage Now Underway, And Why You've Never Heard of it! huffingtonpost". Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ namehnews.ir "Holding the world's longest tablefor the Arbaeen's pilgrims". Retrieved 2014-12-11.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13930922000083. Retrieved 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Shaykh Saleem Bhimjiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ [1]
- ^ Dr. Ibrahim , Ayati, A Probe into the History of Ashura, Islamic Seminary Publications; Karachi - The Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
- ^ a b c "The Day of Arbaeen". Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ a b Dr. Ibrahim , Ayati, A Probe into the History of Ashura, Islamic Seminary Publications; Karachi - The Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
- ^ "Christians in Karbala in Arbaeen". Retrieved 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Christians in Karbala in Arbaeen". Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ "Millions of Shia Muslims from across the globe have come together in the Iraqi city of Karbala to mark the Arbaeen ritual, which marks the 40th day following the seventh-century martyrdom of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein, Press TV reports".
- ^ Kurzman, Charles, The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran, Harvard University Press, 2004, p.54-5
- ^ Kurzman, The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran, (2004), p.57
- ^ Michael David Coogan, A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in Its Context, Oxford, 2008, p. 116
- ^ Qur'an 5:25-26
- ^ Qur'an 7:142
- ^ Qur'an 46:15