Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, the origin of the fortieth day [Arbaeen] visitation of Imam Husain, peace be upon him, can be traced back to 61 Hijrah, when a notable companion of the Prophet, Jābir ibn Abdullah Anṣārī arrived in Karbala from Medina on the twentieth of Ṣafar and found the graves of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) and his companions on the plains of Karbala. He was considered to be the first person to visit the place after the tragic incident on the Day of Ashura, 61 Hijrah [8] .

Status of Arbaeen Pilgrimage The fortieth day [Arbaeen] of Imam Husain is one of the most spiritually powerful and symbolically rich commemorations in the Islamic world. The fortieth day of Imam Husain is not merely a historical memory but a living tradition. It is deeply rooted in Islamic teachings and supported by narrations from the Imams of (AS).

Imam Hasan al-ʿAskari (A.S) famously said: “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 [9] .” This narration underscores the religious and spiritual significance of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (AS) specifically on the fortieth day.

The first fortieth day [Arbaeen] of Imam Husain was marked by the arrival of Jabir ibn ʿAbdullah al-Ansari, one of the Prophet’s companions, at the grave of Imam Husain in Karbala, where he reportedly recited salutations and wept over the tragedy [10] . This visit laid the foundation for the enduring tradition of the pilgrimage that is observed by millions today. 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, 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 (). We swear by God!