By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
         
“Fortunate are those who are with Husain and unfortunate are those who leave him. Know that Husain is one of the gates of Paradise; and his enemies will be deprived by God of even the fragrance of Paradise.”
The above Hadith is indeed an excellent description of the merits and virtues in the Sight of God of the Younger of the Two Leaders of the Youths of Paradise, Imam Husain – the grandson of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to all mankind with the universal message of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
great was the sacrifice of Imam Husain (AS) that the saga of his martyrdom has continued to resonate with increasing devotion every year, inspiring seekers of truth and inviting the firm of faith to his shrine from all over the world, especially on the occasion of Arba’een (Safar 20) or the anniversary of the traditional 40th day of the immortal epic of Ashura (Muharram 10).
They come in millions to Karbala, the rendezvous of martyrs, undeterred by the threats of terrorists, the soaring temperatures surmounting 50 degrees, and the dangers posed to the faithful by warmongers. 
Pilgrimage to holy sites is an act of worship that dates back to the dawn of creation and the Father of mankind, Adam (AS). On Divine Commandment Adam built the holy Ka’ba in what is now Mecca as the Symbolic House of God the Unseen but Omnipresent. It is said that although Adam travelled around the Earth and lived in different places, he made it a point to visit the holy Ka’ba, and at least 70 times he performed pilgrimage to the House of God. 
If worship is accompanied with hardships, irrespective of its rewards, it is indeed a great pleasure, since the driving force is faith in God and devotion to His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), followed by love and reverence for the Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt, as commanded by the holy Qur’an. 
Thus, in view of the numerous hadith from the Prophet, there are special merits attached for pilgrimage to the holy shrine of his younger grandson and third Infallible Heir, Imam Husain (AS), who sacrificed his life and that of his near and dear ones in order to grant eternity to Islam and all humanitarian values.
The pilgrims tread the footsteps of the Prophet’s loyal companion, Jaber ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, who in spite of his old age, poor eyesight, and the tyranny of Yazid’s rule, had left Medina for Iraq on hearing of what had befallen the Leader of the Youths of Paradise, and reached Karbala on the 40th day of the tragedy of Ashura, along with his companion, Atiyya bin Sa’d al-Kufi.  
Imagine the spectacle that had greeted the Jaber on the first ever Arba’een, 1382 lunar years ago, as he stumbled at every step while making his way to the grave of Imam Husain (AS), after having bathed in the River Euphrates.
For Jaber it was the height of grief as he threw himself over the tomb crying incessantly with the words “habib man la ya’raf al-habib” (how could a friend not recognize a friend”). 
In his salutation to the person whom he had often seen as a child in the lap of the Prophet, he outlined the lofty humanitarian ideals for whose preservation Imam Husain had sacrificed his life.
Today, in the footsteps of Jaber, devotees from all over the world, converge on Karbala on the Day of Arba’een to pay respects at the shrine of the Chief of Martyrs, with chants of “Labbayk Ya Husain (AS)”.
It means “Here we are O Husain” to your call that went unanswered on the Day of Ashura when surrounded by the bloodthirsty Omayyad army you raised the cry: “Hal min naserin yansurouni” (Is there any helper to help me). 
Atiyah bin Sa’d al-Awfi, one of the famous Hadith transmitters who accompanied Jaber to Karbala relates: 
“On Arba’een, we reached Karbala. Jaber took a dip in the River Euphrates, cleansed himself from the dust of the journey and put on neat clothes. He then moved at a slow pace, with tears flowing down his eyes, towards the holy grave of the Prophet’s grandson. At every step, he would supplicate to God and glorify Him for having bestowed this blessed opportunity. On reaching the grave, Jaber, who had almost lost his eyesight, asked me to help me place my hand on the grave. Upon touching it, he cried and fainted. On regaining consciousness, he cried out three times, Ya Husain! Then he said: “Doesn’t a friend know his friend?” Then he said: How can Husain (AS) answer while his jugular vein has been cut off and his head separated from his body? I testify that you are the Son of the best of the Prophets, the Master of Messengers.
“Jaber then turned towards the graves of the other martyrs, saying: “Greetings to you, O blessed souls that reside beside Husain (AS). I testify that you truly maintained prayer, gave alms, enjoined good, forbade evil, waged jihad against the infidels, and properly worshipped God, thereby reaching the status of certitude. Then he said: “By Him Who granted prophethood to His Messenger, we share in what you achieved (of the rewards).” 
“I asked him: How do we have a share, when we were not present on that day in that place, didn’t go through any hardship and didn’t fight with the sword, while these dear ones sacrificed their lives, their heads were separated from their bodies, and their children imprisoned! 
“Jaber said: Atiyah, I heard the Messenger of God say, “Anyone who (whole-heartedly) supports a group will be resurrected with it (on Judgement Day) and anyone who supports the deed of a person will have a share of it.”
According to a narration, on day of Arba’een, while Jaber was in Karbala, the caravan of the released captives also arrived from Damascus at the grave of Imam Husain (AS), led by Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) and his aunt Hazrat Zainab (SA). Jaber embraced Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) and the two wept bitterly recounting the magnitude of tragedies that had befallen the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt. They stayed in Karbala for three days and held mourning ceremonies for the Imam and the rest of the martyrs.    
Many Arbaeen pilgrims start their march to Karbala from Holy Najaf after homage at the shrine of Imam Husain’s (AS) Father, the Commander of the Faithful, the Gateway of the City of Knowledge, the Symbol of Justice, the Epitome of Valour, the Prophet’s Divinely-designated Heir, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). A hadith from the Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja\far as Sadeq (AS), reads: “When the pilgrim visits the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, the gates of heaven will open for him.” 
Abu Shu’aib Khorasani narrates that he asked the Prophet’s 8th Infallible Heir Imam Reza (AS), about pilgrimage to Najaf. The Imam answered: “Imam Husain (AS) attained martyrdom in a tragic and brutal manner with profound grief in the way of God; so, it is obligatory on God that no one goes for pilgrimage to his tomb but God the Exalted removes his grief and returns him happy; yet the superiority of reward for pilgrimage to (the shrine of) Imam Ali (AS) is the supriority of Father over the Son”
“Peace upon Husain, the oppressed, the martyr. Peace upon the one surrounded by a tightening circle of sorrow and grief; killed by a horde of savages.”