Ziarat Arbaeen

Ziarat al Arba’een (Arabic: زيارة الأربعين) is a Ziarat-text (a written text for pilgrimage) recited by Shi'a to salute Imam al-Hussain and to commemorate the Battle of Karbala and martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his followers. It is highly recommended to be recited by which believers should reaffirm their pledge to Imam Hussain. In general, Arba’een refers to 20^th of Safar which corresponds with forty days after the tragic events of Karbala and martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

Significance

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi has transmitted from Safwan al-Jammal in al-Tahdhib:

"About ziyara al-Arba'in, my master Imam al-Sadiq told me, 'when a part of the day is passed, recite ziarat al-Arna’in. Then perform two rak'as of prayer and supplicate for what you want.’”

Also Imam Hassan Al-Askari includes the performance of Ziarat of Arbaeen as one of the five marks for a believer. In his books Tahdhib and Misbah, Al-Shaykh al-Tusi narrates from Imam al-Hasan al-Askari that the signs of a believer are five:

1. Recing 51 Rakat Namaaz in a day.

2. Performing Ziarat of Arbaeen.

3. Wearing a ring in the right hand.

4. Doing Sajdah on mud.

5. Recing “BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHIM” (بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم ) loudly.

Content of Ziarat al-Arbaeen

Sending greetings upon the Master of the Martyrs

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلىٰ وَلِیِّ اللهِ وَحَبِیبِهِ،

Peace be upon the intimate friend of Allah, and His beloved!

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلىٰ خَلِیلِ اللهِ وَنَجِیبِهِ.

Peace be upon the close friend of Allah, and His confidant!

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلىٰ صَفِیِّ اللهِ وَابْنِ صَفِیِّهِ

Peace be upon the choicest confidant of Allah, and the son of the choicest confidant [of Allah].

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلىٰ الْحُسَیْنِ الْـمَظْلُومِ الشَّهِیدِ،

Peace be upon Hussain, the oppressed, the martyr.

أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلىٰ أَسِیرِ الْکُرُبَاتِ وَقَتِیلِ الْعَبَرَاتِ

Peace be upon the hostage surrounded by the tightening circle of sorrow and grief, killed by a horde of savages.

Bearing of witness in regards to the greatness and lofty status of Imam Hussain

أَللَّـهُمَّ إِنِّی أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ وَلِیُّکَ وَابْنُ وَلِیِّکَ وَصَفِیُّکَ وَابْنُ صَفِیِّکَ الْفَائِزُ بِکَرَامَتِکَ، أَکْرَمْتَهُ بِالشَّهَادَةِ وَحَبَوْتَهُ بِالسَّعَادَةِ، وَأَجْتَبَیْتَهُ بِطِیبِ الْوِلاَدَةِ، وَجَعَلْتَهُ سَیِّداً مِنَ السَّادَةِ، وَقَائِداً مِنَ الْقَادَةِ، وَذَائِداً مِنَ الَّذَادَةِ، وَأَعْطَیْتَهُ مَوَارِیثَ الأَنْبِیَاءِ، وَجَعَلْتَهُ حُجَّةً عَلى خَلْقِکَ مِنَ الأَوْصِیَاءِ،

O Allah! I give witness that beyond a shadow of doubt he is Your favourite and choicest confidant, who enjoys Your confidence and favour, precisely like his father. You looked to him and elected him in Your cause, picked him and chose him for the good fortune, selected for him the best purified parents. appointed him as a guardian, a leader, and a defender of rights, a true representative (inheritor and progenitor) of guardians, leaders and defenders of rights, gave him a lot and even more from the inheritance of the Prophets, put him forward as a decisive argument, along with the other successors (meaning the twelve Imams) to all of mankind.

The goals of Imam al-Hussain in his uprising

فَأَعْذَرَ فىِ الدُّعَاءِ وَمَنَحَ النُّصْحَ، وَبَذَلَ مُهْجَتَهُ فِیکَ لِیَسْتَنْقِذَ عِبَادَکَ مِنَ الْجَهَالَةِ وَحَیْرَةِ الضَّلاَلَةِ،

He met with deadly dangers, acted justly and fairly, made use of everything belonging to him to pay full attention to give sincere advice; took pains, made every effort, and put his heart, mind, soul and life at the disposal of Thy mission to liberate the people from the yoke of ignorance and the evil of bewilderment.

A glimpse at the killers of Imam al-Hussain

وَقَدْ تَوازَرَ عَلَیْهِ مَنْ غَرَّتْهُ الدُّنْیَا، وَبَاعَ حَظَّهُ بِالأَرْذَلِ الأَدْنَى، وَشَرَى آخِرَتَهُ بِالثَّمَنِ الأَوْکَسِ، وَتَغَطْرَسَ وَتَرَدّى فِی هَوَاهُ، وَأَسْخَطَکَ وَأَسْخَطَ نَبِیَّکَ، وَأَطَاعَ مِنْ عِبَادِکَ أَهْلَ الشِّقَاقِ وَالنِّفَاقِ وَحَمَلَةَ الأَوْزَارِ الْـمُسْتَوْجِبِینَ النَّارَ، فَجَاهَدَهُمْ فِیکَ صَابِراً مُحْتَسِباً حَتَّى سُفِکَ فِی طَاعَتِکَ دَمُهُ وَاسْتُبِیحَ حَرِیمُهُ،

But an evildoer, deceived with empty hopes of mean and worthless worldly gains, had pressed heavily on him, and sold out his share (of the eternal bliss) for the meanest and a lowest bargain, betrayed his “Day of Judgment” for a vulgar return, took pride in insolence, fell into the fathom-well of his own base desires, provoked You and Your Prophet to anger, did as the harsh discordant, the hypocrite, the heavily burdened bearers of sin, condemned to Hellfire, advised to him, however, he (the Imam), steadily, rightly and justly coped with them, until in Your obedience, gave his life after which his family was set adrift.

أَللَّـهُمَّ فَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْناً وَبِیلاً وَعَذِّبْهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِیماً

O Allah, therefore, condemn them to hell as a denunciation and conviction; and crack down on them with a painful punishment.

اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ، اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَا ابْنَ سَیِّدِ الأَوْصِیَاءِ،

Peace be upon you O the son of the Messenger of Allah! Peace be upon you O the son of the first of the successors (of the Holy Prophet)

Learning life lessons from the Leader of the Martyrs

أَشْهَدُ اَنَّکَ اَمِینُ اللهِ وَابْنُ اَمِینِهِ،

I bear witness that Allah put faith in you like He had full confidence in your father,

عِشْتَ سَعِیداً وَمَضَیْتَ حَمِیداً وَمُتَّ فَقِیداً مَظْلُوماً شَهِیداً

and that you always looked for and collected good and virtue, lived a highly praiseworthy life, and departed from this world a martyr, forsaken and abused;

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ اللهِ مُنْجِزٌ مَا وَعَدَکَ، وَمُهْلِکٌ مَنْ خَذَلَکَ، وَمُعَذِّبٌ مَنْ قَتَلَکَ

And I bear witness that Allah will promptly fulfill the promise He made to you, and destroy those who left you helpless and punish those who killed you;

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّکَ وَفَیْتَ بِعَهْدِ اللهِ وَجَاهَدْتَ فِی سَبِیلِهِ حَتَّى أَتَاکَ الْیَقِینُ، فَلَعَنَ اللهُ مَنْ قَتَلَکَ، وَلَعَنَ اللهُ مَنْ ظَلَمَکَ، وَلَعَنَ اللهُ اُمَّةً سَمِعَتْ بِذَلِکَ فَرَضِیَتْ بِهِ

And I bear witness that you kept your promise made with Allah, and strived in His way until what was certain came upon you, so curse of Allah be on those who killed you, and curse of Allah be on those who oppressed you, and curse of Allah be on the people who came to know of it and approved (of all of it).

Renewal of the pledge of allegiance to the Doyen of Imam al-Hussain and the Martyrs

أَللَّـهُمَّ إِنِّی أُشْهِدُکَ أَنِّی وَلِیٌّ لـِمَنْ وَالاَهُ وَعَدُوٌّ لِـمَنْ عَادَاهُ

O Allah be my witness that I make friends with those who love him and oppose those who deny him.

بِأَبِی أَنْتَ وَأُمّی یَا بْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ

May my father and mother be sacrificed for you O the son of the Messenger of Allah.

The pure, untouched genealogy of Imam al-Hussain

أَشْهَدُ اَنَّکَ کُنْتَ نُوراً فىِ الأَصْلاَبِ الشَّامِخَةِ وَالأَرْحَامِ الـْمُطَهَّرَةِ، لَمْ تُنَجِّسْکَ الْجَاهِلِیَّةُ بِاَنْجَاسِهَا وَلَمْ تُلْبِسْکَ الْـمُدْلَهِمَّاتُ مِنْ ثِیَابِها، وأَشْهَدُ أَنَّکَ مِنْ دَعَائِمِ الدِّینِ وأَرْکَانِ الـْمُسْلِمینَ وَمَعْقِلِ الْـمُؤْمِنینَ

I know and bear witness that you were a Divinely-inspired light in the sublime loins and in the pure wombs, never touched you the dirt of ignorance, nor ever obscurity concealed you in its folds; I bear witness that you are the pillar of the religion - support of the Muslims, refuge of the faithful;

وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّکَ الإِمَامُ الْبَرُّ التَّقِیُّ الرَّضِیُّ الزَّکِیُّ الْهَادِیُ الْـمَهْدِیُّ

I bear witness that you are a truthful, well-aware, content, intelligent, rightly guided guide (Imam);

A description of the progeny of Imam al-Hussain

وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ الأئِمَّةَ مِنْ وُلْدِکَ کَلِمَةُ التَّقْوى وَأعْلامُ الْهُدى وَالْعُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقى، وَالْحُجَّةُ على أهْلِ الدُّنْیا

I bear witness that the Imams among your descendants are the symbols of “conscious piety” and signs of “true guidance”, the “safe handle”- Islam - and the decisive arguments over mankind;

The theological beliefs of the followers of the Ahlul Bayt

وأَشْهَدُ أنّی بِکُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ وَبِاِیابِکُمْ، مُوقِنٌ بِشَرایِعِ دینی وَخَواتیمِ عَمَلی، وَقَلْبی لِقَلْبِکُمْ سِلْمٌ وَأَمْرِی لِأَمْرِکُمْ مُتَّبِعٌ وَنُصْرَتی لَکُمْ مُعَدَّةٌ حَتّى یَأذَنَ اللهِ لَکُمْ، فَمَعَکُمْ مَعَکُمْ لا مَعَ عَدُوِّکُمْ

I declare positively that I have full faith in you, and I know for certain that you will return. I am fully committed to the laws of my religion and certain of my deeds, my mind and heart ready for your return and my affairs carried out in the light of your instructions, until Allah gives you permission, together with you - along with you, and not with your enemies.

Salawat (prayers of Allah) upon the noble Ahlul Bayt

صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَیْکُمْ وَعلى أرْواحِکُمْ وَأجْسادِکُمْ وَشاهِدِکُمْ وَغائِبِکُمْ وَظاهِرِکُمْ وَباطِنِکُمْ آمینَ رَبَّ الْعالِمینَ

Blessings of Allah be upon you, and upon your souls, and upon your bodies, and when you are present, and when you are absent, and upon your perceivable aspects, and upon your innermost genius, be it so, O Lord of the worlds!

Source

• Bhimji, Saleem. Arbaeen of Imam Husayn. www. Al-mubin.org