Name: Fatema-e-Kubra

Title: Masooma, Alema-e-Ale Aba,

Karima-e-Bayt, Mohaddesa-e-Ale Muhammad,

Tahera,Hamida, Rashida, Taqiyya,

Raziyya, Naqiyya,Marziyya, Ukhtur-Raza

Father's name: Imam Moosa-e-Kazim A.S

Mother's name: Najma Khatoon

Born: On the 1rst Zilqaad 173 A.H

Wafaat: On the 4th Rabi-ul-Awwal in 203 A.H

Buried: In Qum (Iran)

 

 

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Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a.s.) includes the performance of Ziyarat-e-Arba’een as one of the five marks for a believer, in addition to reciting 51 raka of sala, audible recitation of Bismillah, wearing a ring on one’s right hand, and doing sajda on dust.  (This hadith has been narrated by Sheikh Tusi in the book Tahthib).

Why is so much importance given to the performance of the Ziyarat of Arba’een and the observance of Arba’een (40 days of mourning)?

Ziyarat, as we all know is a visitation, which in essence, is the act of speaking with and visiting our role models.  Of course the physical manifestation of the ziyarat is actually being present in Kerbala to perform the Ziyarat of Arba’een, but, in reality, that is not possible for every believer.  So does making ziyarat while not in Kerbala give one the same benefits?  Ahadith tell us that performing the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s.) far from Kerbala would hold the same significance as being in the land of Kerbala, as long as the person performing the Ziyarat has truly understood the status of the Imam and seeks to emulate him.

Imam Muhamed al-Baqir (a.s.) states that the heavens wept over Imam Hussain (a.s.) for forty mornings, rising red and setting red.  As we complete 40 days of remembrance of our Imam, we re-assert our pledge of obedience and loyalty to him,

“I bear witness that you are the Imam (who is) the upright, the pious, well-pleased (with Allah), the pure, the guide and the rightly-guided.
I bear witness that you fulfilled the pledge of Allah and you struggled in His way…I am a friend of whoever befriends him ...”

By performing the Ziyarat of Arba’een, we pledge that we will continue to follow the path of justice and righteousness and will reject injustice and speak up against the oppressors of the time,

I am an enemy of whoever is his enemy

In essence, we make a promise to continue to mold our lives according to the teaching of Imam Hussain (a.s.).

But why is it that we mourn and remember Imam Hussain (a.s.) for a period of forty days and then move on?

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Unity and Brotherhood - Lecture 9
11thJanuary 2011

1. We know that actions and changes in our societies can be accomplished quicker and with higher standards when we work together, in unity. Brotherhood and Unity are two very important keys to realising change on a wider scale. The Quran reminds us that all believers are brothers and that any barriers between them should be overcome.


[49:10] The believers are but brethren, therefore make peace between your brethren and be careful of (your duty to) Allah that mercy may be had on you.
2. According to Islamic tradition and history, when one takes on a brother, they should treat them as their own blood-brother. We find in history, that when the Prophet entered Madina, he instructed the Ansar to take on a brother from the Muhajiroon. Interestingly, we find that once brothers had been selected, many of the Ansar gave their brothers half of what they owned as a gift. One would give half their land, the other would give half his livestock and so on. Such was their brotherhood, that even in their wills they would write one another’s name as inheritors.
“Many a brother was not born by your mother”
Imam Ali (PBUH)

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