Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani:‎

Arba’in al-Husayn has been kept alive more than ever before

Rasa – The revered source of emulation said that the Arba’in pilgrimage is a culture that ‎must be kept ‎alive so that Islam can live again.‎

News ID: 440777

Date: 01 October 2018 - 22:18

RNA – In a meeting with the organizers of a Qom-based Arba’in al-Husayn station at his ‎office ‎in the holy city, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad-Ali Alavi-Gorgani said, “God ‎Almighty ‎called Imam al-Husayn ‘Thar Allah’ which [literally] means the ‘blood of God’ and ‎this indicates ‎the fading of the essence of Imam al-Husayn into God Almighty.”‎

The revered source of emulation said, “This means that Imam al-Husayn sacrificed ‎‎everything that he had for God and the God Almighty will do everything that Imam al-Husayn ‎‎demands in appreciation of the movement of this Imam. God Almighty also has placed ‎great ‎love, passion and enthusiasm for this pilgrimage in the hearts of the people.”‎

He added, “This meaning [of ‘Thar Allah’] was asked from the late Ayatollah Mohammad ‎Bahr al-Uloum and this ‎scholar responded in the same manner. Imam al-Husayn sacrificed ‎everything and in ‎appreciation of his actions, God must give something to Imam al-Husayn ‎which is equal to ‎his actions.” ‎

Ayatollah Alavi-Gorgani emphasized that we must take advantage of the opportunity of the ‎stopover in Qom of many pilgrims traveling to Karbala for cultural use in the best possible ‎manner and ‎said, “The pilgrims on the way to participate in the Arba’in al-Husayn pilgrimage ‎have prepared and ‎clean hearts and are ready to accept religious and cultural teachings.”‎

His Eminence said, “On the day of Arba’in, all these women and children embark on foot ‎‎toward Karbala. This shows that God has ignited the heat of love for the Ahlul-Bayt and ‎‎Imam al-Husayn in the hearts of the believers and the lovers.”‎

He said, “Arba’in al-Husayn is a culture that must be kept alive so that Islam can live again.” ‎

In the meeting, Hujjat al-Islam Ahmad Hoseynzadeh noted that in the past two years, ‎‎‎140,000 people from sixteen countries have been served by the Arba’in Station in Qom ‎‎before leaving for the Iraqi city of Karbala.‎

It is estimated that this year, pilgrims from sixteen countries will again be served by the ‎‎Arba’in Station in Qom. In the past few years, these pilgrims were housed in the Qods ‎Prayer ‎Hall before they left for Iraq but this year, with the ‎cooperation of the Holy Shrine of ‎Lady Fatimah al-Ma’sumah, the pilgrims will be housed in ‎the Jawad al-Aimmah Courtyard for ‎three days. These pilgrims will be mainly from Pakistan.‎

Referring to the fact that the Arba’in Station in Qom is ready to host Iranian and non-Iranian ‎‎pilgrims, he said, “Many foreign pilgrims, especially the Pakistani pilgrims, have travelled a ‎‎long way and require rest and bathing facilities and thus, we have prepared a place of rest ‎‎for these foreign pilgrims for three days and we have provided a one day place of rest for ‎‎Iranian pilgrims.”‎

Hujjat al-Islam Ahmad Hoseynzadeh added, “We increased the number of prominent ‎‎Pakistani speakers to provide promotional and cultural services along with welfare ‎services ‎for these pilgrims.”‎

The Arba’in of Imam al-Husayn is commemorated on the 20th day of Safar in the Hijri Lunar ‎‎calendar and it is the anniversary of the fortieth day after the Battle of Karbala when Imam ‎‎al-Husayn and his companions were martyred on the Day of Ashura (Muharram 10, 61 ‎‎AH/October 13, 680). It is reported that the captives of the Battle of Karbala came to visit ‎‎Imam al-Husayn in Karbala on 20th of Safar 61 AH (November 22, 680) on their return from ‎‎Syria to Madinah.‎

Since the pilgrimage of Arba’in has been strongly recommended, Shi’ah, especially the Shi’ah ‎of ‎Iraq, move towards Karbala every year on the occasion of Arba’in. This procession, which ‎is ‎usually made on foot, is considered as one of the most crowded gatherings of people in ‎the world.‎

‎Rasa News Agency

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