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ZIYARAH ON THE DAY OF ARBAEEN; THE TWENTIETH OF SAFAR
Shaykh alTusi, in Tahdhib alAhkam and in Misbah alMutahajjid, has reported Imam alHasan al’Askari (‘a) as saying, “The signs of a faithful believer are five: (1) offering fiftyone units of prayer (a day): seventeen units of the obligatory prayers and thirtyfour units of the supererogatory prayers (Nafilah), (2) visitation (of Imam alHusayn’s tomb) on the Arba’in Day: the twentieth of Safar; forty days after the martyrdom of Imam alHusayn, (3) wearing a ring in the right hand, (4) pressing the forehead (by very frequent prostration before Almighty Allah), and (5) raising the voice with bismillahirrahmanirrahim (basmalah: In the Name of Allah; the Allbeneficent, the Allmerciful).
Two forms of ziyarah on the Arba’in Day have been mentioned in traditions:
FIRST FORM OF ZIYARAH ON THE ARBAEEN DAY
The first has been reported by Shaykh alTusi, in Tahdhib alAhkam and Misbah alMutahajjid, from Safwan alJammal who said: My master alSadiq, Allah’s blessings be upon him, instructed me to visit Imam alHusayn (‘a) on the Arba’in Day, advisably in the early forenoon, and to say the following words:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلٰى وَلِيِّ اللّٰهِ وَ حَبِيْبِهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلٰى خَلِيْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ نَجِيْبِهِ
Peace be upon the intimate servant of Allah and His most-beloved. Peace be upon the friend of Allah and His elite. Peace be upon the choice of Allah and son of His choice. Peace be upon al-Husayn the wronged and martyred. Peace be upon the captive of agonies and victim of the shed tears. O Allah, I do bear witness that he is verily Your intimate servant and son of Your intimate servant, Your choice and son of Your choice, and the winner of Your honoring. You have honored him with martyrdom, endued him with happiness, privileged him with legitimate birth, made him one of the chiefs, one of the leaders, and one of the defenders (of Your religion), gave him the inheritances of the Prophets, and chose him as argument against Your created beings and one of the Prophets’ successors. So, he called to you flawlessly, gave advices, and sacrificed his soul for You to save Your servants from ignorance and perplexity of straying off. Yet, those whom were seduced by this worldly life, who sold their share (of reward) with the lowliest and meanest, retailed their Hereafter with the cheapest price, acted haughtily, perished because of following their desires, brought to themselves Your wrath and the wrath of Your Prophet, and obeyed the dissident and hypocritical servants of You and the bearers of the burdens (of sins) who deserve Hellfire—all those supported each other against him. However, he fought against them painstakingly with steadfastness expecting Your reward until his blood was shed on account of his obedience to You and his women were violated. So, O Allah, pour heavy curses on them and chastise them with painful chastisement. Peace be upon you, O son of Allah’s Messenger. Peace be upon you, O son of the chief of the Prophets’ successors. I bear witness that you are verily the trustee of Allah and the son of His trustee. You lived with happiness, passed away with praiseworthiness, and died missed, wronged, and martyred. I also bear witness that Allah shall inevitably fulfill His promise to You, exterminate those who disappointed you, and chastise those who slew you. I also bear witness that you fulfilled your pledge to Allah and strove hard in His way until death came upon you. So, may Allah curse those who slew you. May Allah curse those who wronged you. May Allah curse the people who, when informed about that, were pleased with it. O Allah, I do ask You to witness for me that I am loyalist to those who are loyalists to him and enemy of those who are enemies of him. May my father and mother be accepted as ransoms for you, O son of Allah’s Messenger. I bear witness that you were light in the sublime loins and purified wombs; the impurities of the Ignorance Era could not object you to filth nor could its murky clothes dress you. I also bear witness that you are one of the mainstays of the religion, the supports of Muslims, and the haven of the believers. I also bear witness that you are the Godfearing, pious, pleased, immaculate, guide, and well-guided Imam. And I bear witness that the Imams from your progeny are the spokesmen of piety, the signs of guidance, the firmest handle (of Islam), and the decisive Argument against the inhabitants of the world. I also bear witness that I believe in you all and in your Return, I have full confidence in the laws of my religion and in the seals of my deeds, my heart is at peace with you all, all my affairs are based on your commands, and my support for you all is already all set until Allah permits you. So, I am with you. I am with you, not with your enemies. Allah’s blessings be upon you, upon your souls, upon your bodies, upon the present and the absent from you, and upon the apparent and the invisible from you. Respond to us, O Lord of the Worlds.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلٰى صَفِيِّ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنِ صَفِيِّهِ
You may then offer a twounit prayer and then pray Almighty Allah for anything you like. Then, you may return.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَظْلُوْمِ الشَّهِيْدِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلٰى اَسِيْرِ الْكُرُبَاتِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيۤ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّهُ وَلِيُّكَ وَ ابْنُ وَلِيِّكَ
وَ صَفِيُّكَ وَ ابْنُ صَفِيِّكَ
الْفَاۤئِزُ بِكَرَامَتِكَ
اَكْرَمْتَهُ بِالشَّهَادَةِ
وَ حَبَوْتَهُ بِالسَّعَادَةِ
وَ اجْتَبَيْتَهُ بِطِيْبِ الْوِلَادَةِ
وَ جَعَلْتَهُ سَيِّدًا مِنَ السَّادَةِ
وَ قَاۤئِدًا مِنَ الْقَادَةِ
وَ ذَاۤئِدًا مِنَ الذَّادَةِ
وَ اَعْطَيْتَهُ مَوَارِيْثَ الْاَنْبِيَاۤءِ
وَ جَعَلْتَهُ حُجَّةً عَلٰى خَلْقِكَ مِنَ الْاَوْصِيَاۤءِ
فَاَعْذَرَ فِيْ الدُّعَاۤءِ
وَ بَذَلَ مُهْجَتَهُ فِيْكَ
لِيَسْتَنْقِذَ عِبَادَكَ مِنَ الْجَهَالَةِ
وَ قَدْ تَوَازَرَ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ غَرَّتْهُ الدُّنْيَا
وَ بَاعَ حَظَّهُ بِالْاَرْذَلِ الْاَدْنٰى
وَ شَرٰى اٰخِرَتَهُ بِالثَّمَنِ الْاَوْكَسِ
وَ تَغَطْرَسَ وَ تَرَدَّى فِيْ هَوَاهُ
وَ اَسْخَطَكَ وَ اَسْخَطَ نَبِيَّكَ
وَ اَطَاعَ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ اَهْلَ الشِّقَاقِ وَ النِّفَاقِ
وَ حَمَلَةَ الْاَوْزَارِ الْمُسْتَوْجِبِيْنَ النَّارَ [لِلنَّارِ]
فَجَاهَدَهُمْ فِيْكَ صَابِرًا مُحْتَسِبًا
حَتّٰى سُفِكَ فِيْ طَاعَتِكَ دَمُهُ
وَ اسْتُبِيْحَ حَرِيْمُهُ
اَللّٰهُمَّ فَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْنًا وَبِيْلًا
وَ عَذِّبْهُمْ عَذَابًا اَلِيْمًا
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ سَيِّدِ الْاَوْصِيَاۤءِ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ اَمِيْنُ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنُ اَمِيْنِهِ
وَ مُتَّ فَقِيْدًا مَظْلُوْمًا شَهِيْدًا
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مُنْجِزٌ مَا وَعَدَكَ
وَ مُهْلِكٌ مَنْ خَذَلَكَ
وَ مُعَذِّبٌ مَنْ قَتَلَكَ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ وَفَيْتَ بِعَهْدِ اللّٰهِ
وَ جَاهَدْتَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِهِ حَتّٰىۤ اَتَاكَ الْيَقِيْنُ
فَلَعَنَ اللّٰهُ مَنْ قَتَلَكَ
وَ لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ مَنْ ظَلَمَكَ
وَ لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ اُمَّةً سَمِعَتْ بِذٰلِكَ فَرَضِيَتْ بِهِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيۤ اُشْهِدُكَ اَنِّي وَلِيٌّ لِمَنْ وَالَاهُ
وَ عَدُوٌّ لِمَنْ عَادَاهُ
بِاَبِيۤ اَنْتَ وَ اُمِّيْ يَا ابْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ كُنْتَ نُوْرًا فِي الْاَصْلَابِ الشَّامِخَةِ
وَ الْاَرْحَامِ الْمُطَهَّرَةِ [الطَّاهِرَةِ]
لَمْ تُنَجِّسْكَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ بِاَنْجَاسِهَا
وَ لَمْ تُلْبِسْكَ الْمُدْلَهِمَّاتُ مِنْ ثِيَابِهَا
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ مِنْ دَعَاۤئِمِ الدِّيْنِ
وَ اَرْكَانِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ
وَ مَعْقِلِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ الْاِمَامُ الْبَرُّ التَّقِيُّ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ الْاَئِمَّةَ مِنْ وُلْدِكَ كَلِمَةُ التَّقْوٰى
وَ الْعُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقٰى
وَ الْحُجَّةُ عَلٰى اَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنِّي بِكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ وَ بِاِيَابِكُمْ
مُوْقِنٌ بِشَرَاۤئِعِ دِيْنِيْ وَ خَوَاتِيْمِ عَمَلِيْ
وَ قَلْبِيْ لِقَلْبِكُمْ سِلْمٌ
وَ اَمْرِيْ لِاَمْرِكُمْ مُتَّبِعٌ
وَ نُصْرَتِيْ لَكُمْ مُعَدَّةٌ
حَتّٰى يَأْذَنَ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ
صَلَوَاتُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَ عَلٰىۤ اَرْوَاحِكُمْ وَ اَجْسَادِكُمْ [اَجْسَامِكُمْ]
وَ شَاهِدِكُمْ وَ غَاۤئِبِكُمْ
وَ ظَاهِرِكُمْ وَ بَاطِنِكُمْ
اٰمِيْنَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ۔
SECOND FORM OF ZIYARAH ON THE ARBAEEN DAY
The second form of ziyarah of Imam alHusayn (‘a) on the Arba’in Day is reported from Jabir. ‘Ata has reported the following:
I was accompanying Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah alAnsari on the twentieth of Safar (the Arba’in Day). When we arrived at alGhaziriyyah,( ) he bathed himself from the water of its river and then put a pure (i.e. clean and ceremonially pure) shirt that he had carried with him. After that, he asked me, “Do you carry with you any fragrance, ‘Ata?” As I answered in the affirmative, I handed some fragrance over to him and he put some of it on his head and other organs. He then walked barefooted until he stopped at the side of Imam alHusayn’s head. He then repeated three times the Takbir statement. He then fell to the ground fainted. When he recovered consciousness, I could hear him saying these words:
Peace be upon you all, O Household of Allah. Peace be upon you all, O elite of Allah...
This is the very form of ziyarah previously cited under the title “Form of Ziyarah on the Fifteenth of Rajab.”
Yet, there is a difference in a very few statements, which, as maintained by Shaykh alTusi, came from the difference in the manuscripts of this form of ziyarah.
Hence, one can say the previously mentioned form of ziyarah on the fifteenth of Rajab.