It is occasion of Arba’een or the traditional 40th day following the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) on Ashura, the 10th of Muharram. It is the day that refreshes our grief for history’s most heartrending tragedy and provides us the opportunity to renew our allegiance to the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (Blessings of God upon him and his progeny), who granted dignity to mankind by preferring to court death in heroic combat against heavy odds, rather than acknowledge the Godless rule of the usurper Yazid bin Mu’awiyyah. Now we have a special feature in this regard.
These days all roads lead towards Karbala for commemoration of the 20th of Safar. Devotees are converging in millions at the rendezvous of martyrs from all over Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, India, Africa, Europe and other parts of the world. A majority of pilgrims are trekking towards Karbala on foot. Some of them are barefooted in respect to the sufferings of the children and ladies of the Prophet’s Blessed Household, who, following the Tragedy of Ashura, were dragged in chains towards Kufa in Iraq, and thence to Damascus in Syria to the court of the tyrant Yazid – through an arduously circuitous route that traversed what are now the border areas of Turkey and Lebanon, in order to avoid towns and cities where people were sympathetic to the Ahl al-Bayt.
Clad in black, and chanting “Ya Husain (AS)” the roaring sea of the faithful is not afraid of the dastardly terrorists who have threatened to target them with bombs and missiles. A testimony in this regard is the presence of women, children, toddlers in prams, the elderly in wheelchairs, and even physically handicapped persons moving slowly but surely on their disabled feet with whatever strength that is left in their worn out bodies.
The eyes of the world are glued to this greatest ever annual congregation, which is remarkably disciplined, cognizant of the Omnipresent Creator, obedient to the instructions of the Prophet, brimming with love for the Ahl al-Bayt, punctual in performing the obligatory 5-times-a-day ritual prayers, observing hygienic rules, and overflowing with fraternal affection for fellow pilgrims, for whose rest and refreshments, the general public, under supervision of the Iraqi and Iranian governments, is vying with each other to provide necessary amenities.
There are lessons to be learnt here for the Saudi regime, which is in illegal occupation of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and which every year indulges in mismanagement on a massive scale of the annual Hajj by misbehaving with the “Guests of God”. It cannot be forgotten that last year, the heretical Wahhabis orchestrated a deadly stampede at Mena, resulting in the death of some eight thousand Hajj pilgrims, and this year they barred Iranian Muslims from performing the obligatory pilgrimage to the House of God. As the Almighty Creator informs us in the holy Qur’an in ayah 36 of Surah Anfaal:
“Indeed the faithless spend their wealth to bar from the way of Allah. Soon they will have spent it, then it will be a cause of regret to them, then they will be overcome, and the faithless will be gathered toward Hell.”
Hopefully, the day will soon come when Hijaz will be liberated from the Aal-e Saud minority regime, like the ignominious end of tyrannical Ba’thist rule in Iraq. Then only will World Muslims be able to fulfill the obligation of Hajj with peace of mind, tranquility of heart, and in physical safety and security. Amen.
Today, on the day of Arba’een, it is worth recalling that on the 1st of Safar when the severed heads of the Martyrs of Karbala were placed before him, the Godless Yazid, who masqueraded as caliph without having the least faith in Islam, poked a cane in a blasphemous manner at the blessed head of Imam Husain (AS), and exultingly uttered:
“A day for a day: this day is (in revenge) for Badr”.
He was referring to the death of the maternal uncles and grandfather of his father, Mu’awiyya, who were slain by Muslim defenders, especially the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), when they imposed the first-ever armed encounter upon Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). He, his courtiers and his Omayyad clan members, especially Marwan ibn Hakam, thought that their hypocrisy has finally succeeded, and by posing as Muslims (like the modern day ungodly Takfiri terrorists) they had succeeded in obliterating the Hashemite clan.
How wrong they were. The eloquently wise sermons of the martyred Imam’s sister Hazrat Zainab (peace upon her) and his surviving son and successor, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), turned the tables on Yazid, compelling him to free the noble Ahl al-Bayt.
Today there is no trace of the graves of the Omayyads, let alone their palaces, while Imam Husain (AS) rules the hearts of the faithful from Syria, through Iraq, and in every direction tens of thousands of kilometers beyond Rayy or modern Tehran, for whose governorship, Omar ibn Sa’d – son of a companion of the Prophet, martyred the Prophet’s grandson.
Let us join the Prophet’s loyal companion, Jaber ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, who despite old age and poor eyesight, made his way from Medina to Iraq in grief on hearing of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), and reached Karbala on the Day of Arba’een, in saluting the Chief of Masters:
“I bear witness that you kept your promise made with Allah, and strove in His way until what was certain came upon you; so curse of Allah on those who killed you, and curse of Allah on those who oppressed you, and curse of Allah on those who came to know of it and approved (it).”
Imam Husain (AS), with the permission of Almighty Allah is indeed watching us and our actions, since as the Holy Qur’an says in ayah 169 of Surah Aal-e Imran: “Do not suppose those who were slain in the way of Allah to be dead; rather they are living and provided for near their Lord.”
Once, the great-grandson of the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), was asked by Abdullah ibn Bakr, if the grave of Imam Husain (AS) is excavated, will anything be found in it?
The 6th Imam replied:
“O Son of Bakr, how abstruse is your question. Imam Husain (AS) along with his mother, his father and his brother Imam Hasan is in the (heavenly) House of the Messenger of Allah (SAWA). He is living there, and receiving his sustenance. If in the early days had his grave been opened, he would have been found there, but now he is alive in the presence of his Lord.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) then added:
“He is watching those who cry for him, prays for their forgiveness and also requests his ancestors to seek forgiveness for those crying for him. And he says, ‘0 you who are crying! Had you known what all I have arranged for you, then you will be more joyous than sorrowful. All the angels in the skies and in Karbala, hear him and seek forgiveness for him (the crying one). Consequently, he returns such that his records no longer contain any sins.”
