The Fortieth Day [Arbaeen] of Ashurah: A Symbol of Unity

The twentieth of the month of Ṣafar is known as the Day of Arbaeen. In a literal sense, the Arabic term Arbaeen means the fortieth day and it is used to denote the forty days after the Day of Ashura, which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Husain (peace be upon him); the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Household) who was martyred along with 72 members of his family and loyal Companions at Karbala on Muharram 10, 61 AH (equivalent to October 10, 680).

There are numerous discussions among the experts and others about the number forty. In the daily conversations of people or other religious circles, there are mentions of forty in which some of these beliefs are rooted in hadiths and religious texts. Muslim scholars, especially those who have a mystical background, consider the number forty important in the field of self-improvement, and they attribute a special effect to this number in the actualization of human talents, the perfection of moral attributes, and the advancement of knowledge.

The term “Arbaeen”, which means forty is one of the topics that has a special place in the Qur’an and hadiths, and up to date, numerous books have been written about it. In the Holy Qur’an, this term is found in four verses and related to three topics.

In verse 15 of Chapter 46 of the Qur’an (Surah Al-Ahqāf), human beings have been enjoined to be kind to their parents and they should continue with this good act until they reach their full growth and reach the age of forty. Then, they solicited divine support at the age of forty to be able to acknowledge the blessings of Allah on them and their parents: “We have enjoined man to be kind to his parents. His mother has carried him in travail and bore him in travail, and his gestation and weaning take thirty months. When he comes of age and reaches forty years …”

Verse 51 of Chapter 2 (Surah Al-Baqarah) and verse 142 of Chapter 7 (Surah A’raf) discuss the forty nights’ meeting of Moses with his Lord: “And when We made an appointment with Moses for forty nights …” (Qur’an 2: 51) and “We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and completed them with ten [more]; thus, the tryst of his Lord was completed in forty nights.” (Qur’an 7: 142)

Similarly, verse 26 of Chapter 5 (Surah al-Ma’idah) mentions about forty years of prohibition of the Children of Israel (Israelites) from entering the Holy Land and forty years of their wandering in a piece of land due to their refusal to obey Moses: “He said, ‘It shall be forbidden them for forty years: they shall wander about in the earth” (Qur’an 5: 26)

In addition to the aforementioned verses of the Qur’an, the Arabic term “Arbaeen” (i.e., forty) has also been used in hadith. For instance, the Prophetic sayings on memorizing forty hadiths have made most scholars compile and publish books with the title “Forty Hadith”, sincerity of action for forty days, non-acceptance of ritual prayer or good deeds for forty days due to certain sins perfection of intellect at the age of forty, praying for forty believers, testimony of forty believers for the deceased person, observing worship for forty nights, recitation of supplication of pledge (Dua al-‘Ahd) for forty mornings, appointment of the majority of Prophets of Allah at the age of forty are among those instances buttressing the significance of forty in Islam.

Furthermore, the fortieth day of the birth and the death of an individual is also considered an important day in the life of a Muslim. The fortieth day of death is believed to be one of the points of reunion of the soul with the body after its separation in this world. Thus, commemoration and marking of such day with supplication, and charity are highly recommended.

Meanwhile, the origin of the fortieth day [Arbaeen] of Imam Husain, peace be upon him, can be traced back to 61 Hijra, when a renowned companion of the Prophet, Jābir ibn Abdullahi Anṣārī arrived in Karbala on the twentieth of Ṣafar and found the graves of Imam Husain and his companions on the plains of Karbala. And when he was informed of the details of the tragedy that transpired in Karbala on the day of Ashura, they all began to recite eulogies and mourn the martyrs. This good custom was also carried out during the years of the presence of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) despite the brutality and bloodshed of the Umayyad and Abbasid rules. (Dhakāwat, 1395: 13)

Since ancient times, scholars and saints of God have attached great importance and status to the pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Chief of Martyrs on the day of Arbaeen, and they used to travel on foot from the noble city of Najaf to Karbala.

It is pertinent to mention that after the fall of Saddam Hussein of Iraq in 2003, the world has been witnessing millions of pilgrims who annually travel to Iraq to mark Arbaeen by walking from Najaf to Karbala over a couple of days. Although Arbaeen Walk is deeply rooted in Shiite traditions, it draws people from various faiths and different parts of the globe.

One of the most famous traditions on Arbaeen of Imam Husain (PBUH) is a popular report attributed to Imam Al-Askarī, peace be upon him in which he says “The signs of a believer are five, 51 units of prayers, visitation of Arbaeen, wearing the ring on the right hand, prostrating one’s forehead on the ground, and reciting Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, loudly in prayers.”

Furthermore, a narration from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, where he told one of his companions to pay visitation and send salutations to Imam Husain, peace be upon him on the 40th day of his martyrdom is an indication of the significance and the recommended nature of visiting the Imam on this specific day.

In the light of the above, it can be established that the act of visitation to Imam al-Husain, peace be upon him, on the fortieth day of his glorious martyrdom is not an innovation, rather, it is from the teachings of the Prophet’s pure Household [Ahl al-Bayt], the inheritors of Prophet’s knowledge and the leaders of the Muslim community.

According to some narrations, walking to the Ziyarah of Imam al-Husain, peace be upon him, is itself relevant and has lots of rewards. In one narration, Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, says: “Whoever comes to the grave of Husain while walking, Allah writes a thousand good deeds for him in every step, erases a thousand sins, and raises him a thousand levels.”

On the reward of visiting Imam Husain, peace be upon him on foot, Imam Ṣādiq peace be upon him, said: “Whoever visits Imam Husain on foot, God will write one good deed for him, remove one sin from him for every step he takes and raise his rank by one degree. When he goes for the visitation (Ziyarah), the Almighty God will appoint two angels for him and order them to write down every good that comes out of his mouth and omit whatever is bad and evil. And when he returns, they will be with him and say farewell to him, saying: “O saint of God! Your sins have been forgiven, and you are among the party of God (Hizbullah), the party of the Messenger of God, and the party of the Prophet’s pure Household (Ahl al-Bayt). We swear by God! You will never see the Hellfire and the fire will never see you and will never be its prey.” (Ibn Qulawayh, 1377: 134)

In a statement of his Eminence, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei on the fortieth day of Ashura, he said thus: The first blossom of Ashura and the first bubbles of the spring of love for Husain bloomed in Arbaeen. The attractive magnetism of Imam Husain attracted the first hearts to himself during Arbaeen; Jābir ibn Abdullah and Atiyah’s visitation of Imam Husain (PBUH) on the fortieth day (Arbaeen) after his martyrdom was the beginning of a blessed movement that has been continuously and successively more glorious, more attractive and more passionate throughout the centuries until today and has made the name and memory of Ashura more alive in the world day by day. (Khamenei, 1385)

It is pertinent to mention that apart from the spiritual benefits associated with the Ziyarah of Imam Husain peace be upon him, in Karbala, this great gathering which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world transcends boundaries of nationality, ethnicity, and sect. It promotes unity and understanding among the adherents of Islam as Muslims from different sects participate annually in this spiritual gathering. Similarly, this annual gathering fosters interfaith dialogue and understanding among the adherents of Islam and religions of the world as Muslims and non-Muslims alike participate in this event. Thus, the fortieth day [Arbaeen] of Ashura serves as a powerful symbol of unity, promoting peace and harmony in a world often divided by differences.

In light of this, the fortieth day of the martyrdom of Imam Husain ibn Ali which is marked is an annual spiritual event which brings together pilgrims from all over the world in Karbala. The gathering is characterized by a remarkable display of love, sacrifice, brotherhood and unity, as people from diverse backgrounds join together to mourn and commemorate the Imam’s martyrdom.