20th Safar- /Arbaeen (Chehlum - 40th day after Ashura)

Thursday 23^rd Dec 2013 / Friday 24^th Dec ,is the day of ' Arbaeen

 

According to Imam Hasan bin Ali Al Askari (as) The signs of a true believer are five:-

 

1) Recite 51 Rak—a’t Salaat during the 24 hours of the day (17 Rak—a’ts obligatory, + 34 Rak—a’ts in Naafilah Salaats).

2) Be in Karbala for Ziyarat of Imam Husayn (as)/other martyrs, or at least recite Ziyarat of the Holy Imam as given below

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-Rah’maanir-Rah’eem” in clear and loud voice while praying the salats.

Why Arba'een?
 

Significance of Arba'een and the Performance of the Ziyarat of Arba'een:-

Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a.s.) includes the performance of Ziyarat-e-Arba’een 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 one’s 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 Arba’een and the observance of Arba’een (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 Kerbala to perform the Ziyarat of Arba’een, but, in reality, that is not possible for every believer.  So does making ziyarat while not in Kerbala give one the same benefits?  Ahadith tell us that performing the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s.) far from Kerbala would hold the same significance as being in the land of Kerbala, as long as the person performing the Ziyarat has truly understood the status of the Imam and seeks to emulate him.

Imam Muhamed 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 Arba’een, 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).

Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad Al Sadiq (as) had advised  to recite the following “Ziarat” on the day of Arbae’en:


Thanks to : www.duas.org