Issue No: 183
20th December 2013
16th Safar 1435 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
The Number Forty:
Performing an act for a continuous period of forty days /occasions is known to help one to form a habit and be able to carry on the practice for the rest of his life.
“Whoever dedicates himself to God for forty days, will find springs of wisdom sprout out of his heart and flow on his tongue.”
Noble Prophet Muhammad SAWW
From the traditions it can be seen that the number forty has significance to the spiritual development of the nafs / self of a person. There are recommended practices such as reciting a dua for forty days, or reciting it fortytimes or forty people gather to recite in congregation.A reason for this may be that the effectiveness of the deed of supplication is highly increased for Divine response.
40 Days of Azadari:
During the period of mourning in the months of Muharram and Safar, a believer performs various deeds of Azadari. Great sacrifices of time, efforts and resources are done to devotedly mourn over the martyrs of Karbala. All this is done for the sake of attaining nearness to Allah SWT.
Has one’s azadari for these 40 days been fruitful in leading one to committoupholding the values for which Imam Husayn and his noble companions achieved martyrdom?
Indeed Allah SWT is the Best Knower of our intentions.
20th Safar: Arba’in:
Next week we shall be, InshAllah, commemorating the Arba’in-forty days- since the martyrdom of the Chief of martyrs Imam Husayna.s. on the day of Ashura. One of the actions done on Arba’in is the recitation of ZiyarahArba’in.The recitation of this Ziyarah is among the five signs of a mumin, as related by our eleventh Imam Hasan Al Askari.
In reciting this ziyarah, after re-iterating the lofty status of Imam Husayn, one re-asserts pledge of loyalty and obedience to the Imam stating:
“..I bear witness that you are the Imam who is the upright, the pious, well pleased with Allah, the pure and the rightly guided.....I am a friend of whoever befriends him.....I am an enemy of whoever is his enemy ..…I declare that I have full faith in you……I am fully committed to the laws of my religion……”
As we sincerely recite the ZiyaratalArba’in and re-assert our pledge of loyalty and obedience to the Imam in the foregoing words, reflect how committed our deeds are to uphold the values of Islam, how worthy is ones’ selfof being by the side of Imam Husayna.s. andhow onefulfils pledge to always be with Aba Abdillah?
Is Arba’in the end of all?
With the observance of Arba’in the formal period of azadari is concluded.
Does the Vision of Imam Husayn when exiting Madina to the occurrence of the tragedy of Karbala end by observing Arba’in ceremonies?
Do not the values and message of Imam Husayn need to be upheld by us at all times?
We are often reminded that,”Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala.”
For Imam Husayn stated:”.... and for you, I shall be an examplar.”
May Allah SWT enable us to mould our living with Imam Husayn as our role Model.
A’dhamallahuujuranawaujurakumbi musaabinabil-Husaynalayhissalam (May Allah make great our reward and your reward, for our grief on Husayna.s.)
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat