Arbaeen March A Combination of Joy, Perfectionism and Love
Ethics is a field of knowledge that assesses people’s behaviors and labels them as acceptable and unacceptable. Philosophy of ethics or moral philosophy, meanwhile, talks about the foundations of good and evil and should and shouldn’t.
If the rational foundations of Islamic ethics are not explained, reasoning from the Quran and Hadiths will not be accepted by others and our ethical world will be worlds apart with that of other people. In that case, we will not be successful in promoting religion.
One ethical school considers moral statements as orders from God that must be obeyed. Another one sees them as recommendations that urge people to be truthful, honest, etc. Another one says people express their feelings along with moral acts or moral statements.
And then there is hedonism that says good is that which has pleasure and joy. Its advocates mostly are concerned with physical pleasure.
The literature of the Holy Quran is based on joy and suffering. There are more than 2,000 verses about resurrection and how people end up in paradise or hell.
The literature about paradise is all about joys. In supplications and prayers there are many such concepts but, unfortunately, we have not developed models for enjoying the recitation of the Quran and prayers.
We need Wahy (revelation) because the intellect cannot help us reach all aspects of joy and there may be pleasures and joys in the next world while the intellect can only discover pleasures in this world.
In the Arbaeen march, people are acquainted with the name and remembrance of Imam (AS).
People who go on the Arbaeen pilgrimage face difficulties and hardships but the joy and pleasure of this spiritual trip are such that they do not want to abandon the journey.
