Arbaeen pilgrimage is one of the most important ceremonies in Shia culture in which people come to Karbala for visiting the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) and commemorating his sacrifice. Actually, Arbaeen pilgrimage is an exhibition of Shias’ lifestyle and because of that, Shia Imams pointed out the importance of Arbaeen pilgrimage many times.  

Arbaeen Pilgrimage in Hadiths

There are many hadiths quoted from our Imams about the significance of visiting the shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) and also about the rewards that Allah Almighty blesses the pilgrims with:
Imam Baqir (AS) said:

If the people knew about the profusion of Allah’s rewards to the pilgrims of Imam Hussain (AS), they would die due to their excitement and enthusiasm (1)

Imam Sadiq (AS) said:
If a person went to the shrine of Imam Hussain (AS), Allah will reward him as He rewards him for a Hajj plus an Umrah (another kind of the pilgrimage of Ka’bah) (2)

He (AS) also said:

Anyone who wants the Paradise to be their abode and refuge, they must not forget about visiting the grave of the Oppressed [means Imam Hussain (AS)] (3)

There are also hadiths which say we must visit the shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) on Arbaeen day:
Imam Hassan al-Askari (AS), the Eleventh Imam, says:

The signs of faith are five: praying 51 Rak’ats during the day, the pilgrimage of Arbaeen, putting ring on the right hand, putting frontal on dirt (during Sajdah), and saying “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” by a loud voice (4)

Because of these hadiths, many Shias come to Karbala in Arbaeen to visit the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS). Not only Shias, but also many Sunnis or even Christians, jews and many other faiths participate in this grand ceremony. 

Help and Dedication is the Most Important Lesson of Arbaeen

During these days when millions of people from all around the world come and visit some cities of Iraq including Karbala, Najaf, Samarra and Kazimain, all services to the pilgrims are provided by the Iraqi people themselves like food, water, places for rest, clinical services, etc. 

The generosity of Iraqi people in these days shows all the visitors that Imam Hussain’s message (AS) is different from any other hero in this world. They learn that in a world where everybody thinks only of their interests, we can be different just like Imam Hussain (AS). Iraqi people have exhibited a new lifestyle in which people are not individuals but a community led by one person, that is Imam Hussain (AS), regardless of their nationality, age, color, language, etc. and they are ready to sacrifice anything for their faith in Imam Hussain’s message (AS). 

Actually, this is what our awaited Imam, Imam Mahdi (AJ), wants. It is quoted from Imam Mahdi (AJ) that he said:

If the hearts of our followers where united based on accomplishing their covenant with us, it wouldn’t take long for them to meet us and they would be blessed with seeing us so soon. (5)

Iraqi people’s sacrificial deeds have made it so easy for people to do as Imam Mahdi (AJ) in this Hadith says. When Shia Muslims sacrifice all they have for their Shia brothers and sisters, it is called “Musavat” which means thinking of your bother and your sister as yourself and share everything you have with him orher. What we see in Iraq during the Arbaeen ceremony is actually the culture and the lifestyle which Shi’ism suggests: a society without poverty and cruelty; the society of Musavat. 

In this regard Imam Baqir (AS) says:

O son of Artat! [one of the Shias] how do you Shiites help each other?
 He said: very well O Aba-Jafar! [Imam Baqir (AS)]. Imam Baqir (AS) said: is it possible for any of you to put their hand in the pocket of their brother andmtake what they need when they need it so much?
He said: no, we do not allow that.
Imam Baqir (AS) said: if you did, there would be no needy among you. (6)

Fighting against Oppression and tyranny is the massage of Imam Hussain (AS)

Some concepts are valued everywhere in the world. For example, if you sacrifice your life to save another human being, you will be considered as a hero. The soldiers who fight for their nation’s freedom and dedicate their lives to save others are respected by anyone in their countries. Just like that, Imam Hussain (AS) sacrificed his life and the lives of his companions to save all the humanity from ignorance, misdirection and violence. In the Arbaeen prayer (a suggested prayer by the Shiite Imams that you read when you visit the shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) on Arbaeen) we say:
[O God!] Imam Hussain (AS) sacrificed the blood in his heart for your sake, so that he would save your worshipers from ignorance and the confusion of misdirection (7)

Imam Hussain (AS) showed the humanity that we must not accept the tyranny of any king, president, prime minister, or any person. Every person is important and we are responsible for their lives and we even should sacrifice our lives to save theirs. Clearly, this lesson creates a worldwide peace if everyone was familiar with it and put it in practice. 

How lady Zeinab (AS) can be a role-model for women? 

Lady Zeinab (AS) is Imam Hussain’s sister (AS) who accompanied him on his journey to Karbala and she was captured as a slave with the other women after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS). She was a patient woman who endured all these problems including loss of her darlings, slavery, the enemies brutal behavior, humiliation and so forth; But she didn’t lose her control and she stood against the Yazid in Damascus and made some speeches that woke people up and made them aware of Yazid’s cruelty and bloodthirst. She actually was the messenger of Imam Hussain (AS) to the whole world and was commissioned to fight against oppression without a sword in her hands. 

Women must take lady Zeinab as an example and learn that if they cannot fight like men in the battlefields, it doesn’t mean that they have no responsibility for fighting against injustice. They can change the culture of a society if they believe in themselves. 
 
 Resources 

1.  Vasa’il ash-Shia, Sheik Hurr al-A’meli, vol.10, Pg.353
2. Bihar al-Anvar, Allamah al-Majlesi, vol.101, Pg.39
3.  Kamil az-Ziarat, Ibn Qulavaih, Pg.147
4.  Iqbal al-A’mal, As-Seyyed ibn Tavuss, vol.2, Pg.589
5.  Al-Ih’tijaj, At-Tabarsi, vol.2, Pg.325
6.  Bihar al-Anvar, Allamah al-Majlesi, vol.78, Pg.185
7. The same, vol.98, Pg.331

Have you ever thought about sacrificing what you love most? How would you feel then? What if you lose that to gain a better thing; something that would make you a better person, more worthwhile? If you can sacrifice what you love most, to give it away or leave it behind, and if you do that to get near to your merciful sustainer, Allah, then you can feel the spirit of eid al-Adha with all your heart. In what follows, we will delve more into one of the most significant occasions in the Islamic calendar, eid al-Adha.    

What Is Eid al-Adha? When Is It Celebrated?

Eid al-Adha or eid al-Qurban is the second greatest feast among Muslims which is celebrated on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah every year around the world. This day, also marks a part of Hajj rituals at a place called Mina near Mecca, where the pilgrims are supposed to offer a sacrifice to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s (PBUH&HP) act in submitting to Allah’s will and sacrificing his son, Ishmael (PBUH), for His sake [1]. We will recount Abraham’s (PBUH) moving challenge in the following paragraphs.

What Do Muslims Do to Celebrate Eid al-Adha?

Doing Ghusl (ritual bath): 

Doing Ghusl on the day of Eid al-Adha is highly recommended (mustahab).

Eid Prayer:

This prayer is precisely the same as the Eid al-Fitr prayer [i]. 

Offering a Sacrifice:

It is compulsory upon those participating in Hajj whether Hajj al-tammattu or Umrah. This act is also recommended for the Muslims who haven’t been attended the Hajj rituals. It is also recommended to share the sacrificial meat with other people, especially those in need so that everyone would have a part in the joy of this day.

Reciting Takbirs of this Eid:

Those who are present in the desert of Mina on this day must recite these Takbirs after daily prayers, starting from the noon prayer on the day of Eid and ending in dawn prayer of the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah. However, those who are not present in the desert of Mina on Eid's day should recite the Takbirs after ten daily prayers, starting from noon prayer of Eid's day, to the dawn prayer of the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah. These Takbirs are as follows:

اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ، لا اِلـهَ اِلاَّ اللهُ وَ اللهُ اَكْبَر اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ، و للهِ الْحَمْدُ اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ عَلی ما هَدانا ااَللهُ اَكْبَرُ عَلی ما رَزَقَنا مِنْ بَهیمَةِ الانعامِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی ما أبْلانا

"Allah is great, Allah is great, there's no god but Allah and Allah is great, To Allah be the praise, Allah is great for He has guided us, Allah is great for he has given us sustenance from cattle, Praise be to Allah for He has tested us." [1]

Recommended Supplications:

Some of the supplications recommended for this day include Du'a al-Nudba, 48th supplication of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which starts with: “O God, this is a blessed and fortunate day …”, and the 46th supplication of this book as well.

Forbidden Actions:

Note that fasting (Sawm) on this day is forbidden (Haram), just like Eid al-Fitr. 

What Does Eid al-Adha Mean?

The Arabic word “eid” literally means, “to go back” and generally is a name given to special Islamic celebrations, such as eid al-Fitr, eid al-Mab’ath, eid al-Ghadir, etc. In other words, the Islamic celebrations are in essence a reminder for Muslims to stop and look back at their actions so far, repent from their sins and promise to follow Allah’s lead which has been brought to them by Prophet Muhammad and his progeny (PBUTh). 

Al-Adha roots back to the word “Dhuha” in Arabic meaning “the time when the sun is rising before noon.” This word refers to the time when the pilgrims are supposed to offer their sacrifices, which is at the sunrise. Al-Qurban, however, which means “sacrificing,” refers to the act of offering a sacrifice done by pilgrims on this day.

What Is the History behind this Eid?

At his old age, Prophet Abraham (PBUH&HP) saw in a dream that he had been sacrificing his beloved son, Ishmael (PBUH), his first child, after many years of being deprived of one, for whose birth he married Hagar and dearly prayed to Allah. He knew that this dream was a message from Allah, and there was no way for him to disobey his Lord. He retold the dream to Ishmael, and he, despite his youth, surrendered to Allah’s will and said, “Father! Do whatever you have been commanded. If Allah wishes, you will find me to be patient” (37:102).

 It wasn’t a simple task for a father, for sure. But Abraham’s (PBUH) unbending faith in Allah gave him the strength to pull himself together and follow the command. He took Ishmael to an altar and was about to cut his throat when the glad tidings came from Allah that, “You have indeed fulfilled your vision! Thus indeed do We reward the virtuous! This was indeed a manifest test.”(37:105-106). Abraham’s (PBUH) submission, patience, and trust in Allah were, thus, rewarded and a heavenly ram was sent to him to sacrifice instead. 

Therefore, every year, Muslims celebrate prophet Abraham’s (PBUH) success in sacrificing what he held dearest for the sake of his dear Lord, leaving no doubt in his sincere love and submission to Him.

What Is the Philosophy behind this Eid?

Abraham (PBUH) made a sacrifice to remove any barrier between himself and Allah and get as close to Him as possible. Thus, Eid al-Adha is the day to sacrifice anything, which has separated us from Allah and has deprived us of feeling His presence in our lives. The reason behind the commemoration of this day and the significance of Abraham’s story is to remind us that one should ignore his/her whims, sacrifice his/her inclinations and attachments to this world, the dearest of which children and the loved ones, for the sake of Allah and His Will. 

In other words, Abraham’s adherence in following Allah’s command, despite the pain he felt and all the fluctuations he might have faced on his way to perform this duty, shows us that for a person who desires to be among the chosen creatures in Allah’s regard, nothing gets in the way between him/her and his/her Lord’s decrees. Nothing is dearer for this person, not even his/her family and children than his/her beloved Creator, Allah. Thus, His will, no matter how hard and painful it may be, goes beyond the love for family and children.  On the other hand, when Allah saw Abraham's (PBUH) utter submission to His will even at the expense of sacrificing his son, He considered the test done and granted them a high status in this world and the hereafter. That is the case with every other person who demonstrates the same attitude toward Allah.     

 In fact, we do not sacrifice for Allah, since He is self-sufficient and not in need of our sacrifices. About sacrificing an animal the Quran says: “It is not their flesh or blood that reaches Allah; rather, it is your piety that reaches Him. Thus has He disposed them for your benefit so that you may magnify Allah for His guiding you. And give good news to the virtuous.” (22:37) 

We sacrifice for ourselves, to be a better version of ourselves, to reach perfection. On the path toward perfection, one is always faced with tests and hardships. Trials are signs for us to realize that Allah has seen us worthy of becoming one of His desired creatures. And in every trial, one is required to make a sacrifice; this can be sacrificing your wealth, your life, your selfishness, your grudges, anger, etc. [3].   

Notes:

[i] Eid prayer consists of two rak'as. After Sura al-Fatiha in each rak'a another sura from the Qur'an is recited; however, it is better to read Sura al-Shams in the former and Sura al-Ghashiya in the latter or Sura al-A'la and Surat al-Shams respectively. After reciting sura in the first rak'a, there are five takbirs followed by five qunuts and in the second rak'a, four takbirs with four qunuts. Any supplications or prayers will suffice in the qunuts, like the other prayer, but it is better to read a special supplication [4].

References:

1. eid al Adha
2. (37:102-105)
3. Eid
4. Khomeini, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, vol. 1, p. 273.