Reason Behind the Arba‘een Movement
According to an article by Ijtihadnet.com, the Arba‘een Walk has 3 dimensions: ziyāra, mourning and the walking; thus the main reason behind this great movement is in regard to the ziyāra and the revival of mourning of Imam Hussain (PBUH), and secondly it is about going to ziyāra on foot. Ziyāra, giving heed to the Infallible Imam, mourning and its upholding are all of a valid cultural concept and the Arba‘een Walk is another aspect of this concept.
• Ziyāra
In Arabic lexica ziyāra literally means, to intend and to incline, and as an expression it
implies the presence of the pilgrim next to that which is to be visited in order to revere and honor the visited. Since human spirit lives on and is transferred from a smaller world to a greater world after the death of human body, when the pilgrim visits the Turbah and the burial place of a person and a spiritual interrelation is established, this relationship is between a living being and another living being. Shaikh al-Ra’is ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037) has said that The pilgrim- who with his material and spiritual beings goes on pilgrimage to visit a grave- seeks assistance from the soul of the visited in order to gain a benefit or to avert a loss; and Since the soul of the visited has been separated from the body, it will be effective, more completely and amply; and since the pilgrim has gone on pilgrimage both with his body and his spirit, he will gain both material and spiritual benefits. When ziyāra is considered in this sense, whether the visited is alive or deceased, makes no difference to the pilgrim, and he will regard
the visited as present and seeing. Many Hadiths, implicitly or explicitly, assert that for the Infallible Ones (PBUT) life and death are the same. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & HP) has said that anyone going to his ziyāra after his demising would be like he who has met him during his lifetime, and that he (PBUH & HP) would, in both cases, be a witness over him and would intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection. (Kāmil al-Ziyāra,p. 45)
The fact that in some ziyāra supplications profession is made that the visited is alive, is to remind the pilgrim that he is visiting and talking to a living person. As we read in the ziyāra supplication of Imam Hussain (PBUH):
“I bear witness that you hear my voice and answer me.” (Mafatih al-Jinan, The Ziyāra of ImamHussain (PBUH) on 15th of Rajab)
• Ziyāra on foot
While going to ziyāra itself holds a lofty status, yet in Shi’i beliefs special attention has also been paid for going on foot. Perhaps it can be said that when human leaves material interests behind and travels on foot, his spirit will flow in a more sublime milieu. Walking slowly and disregarding the fast pace of modern life itself will add to human concentration. The pilgrim on his way patiently and far from all excitement and anxiety, whispers supplications. Perhaps he pays more attention to whom he is going to visit, i.e. Imam Hussain (PBUH), and perhaps he finds more opportunity to concentrate on and spiritually confide in his living Imam, the Baqiyatullah Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his reappearance). Multitude of pilgrims glorifying Allah and here and there reciting the Faraj (Relief) Supplication for Imam Mahdi (PBUH) together, proves this claim. When and where so many people can take their time together to give heed to God and God’s Hujjats (Proofs) (PBUT)?! Perhaps these are some of the reasons why Imam Sadiq (PBUH) in regard to going to ziyāra on foot has said:
“Allah SWT for every single footstep of a person who leaves his house intending ziyāra of Imam Hussain (PBUH), writes a good deed and obliterates a bad deed, until when the person reaches the Haram (Shrine), then Allah writes him among al-Muslihin al-Muntajabin (the Chosen Righteous), when he finishes the rituals Allah writes his name among al-Fa’izin (the Victorious Delivered), and when the person wants to return an angel faces him and tells him that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH & HP) has said Salaam to him and has asserted that he is to restart his deeds, for, all that was passed has been forgiven.” (Kāmil al-Ziyāra, pp. 132-135).
It is truly this way; this forgiveness of past deeds and purification of one’s Book of Deeds after the Arba‘een Walk is something that the Believer feels with all his heart and soul. This great reward is indeed for the heed given to the most significant creation of the world of existence and the essence of the Religion and that is the heed given to the Proof of Allah; which shall soon be explained more.
