Secrets of Arbaeen
The numbers used in verses of the Quran are of two kinds. This is of course not special for the Arabic language but exists in the Persian language as well. Some of these numbers have codes and secrets and others don’t.
The numbers 5, 7, 14, 40 have secrets. In the Quran, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is told that even if he prays 70 times for Musrikeen (unbelievers) to be forgiven, they will not be forgiven. Here the number 70 is not a special number but it shows the high frequency of something.
Whether some number have or don’t have secrets is determined by studying the verses and Hadiths. For example, the number 7 has secrets as Hajj pilgrims are required to circumambulate the Kaaba seven times and do the Saay between Safa and Marwah seven times. The number of skies is also seven. Why are there 12 Imams and 14 Infallibles? (These are secrets). Arbaeen (40th) also has secrets.
Some of the secrets can be seen in Quranic verses and Hadiths:
1- In Verse 51 of Surah Al-Baqarah, God says: “Then We called Moses for an appointment of forty nights.” And we read in Verse 142 of Surah Al-Aaraf: “We told Moses to stay with Us for thirty nights (in the mountains) but added ten nights more so his appointment with his Lord came to an end after forty nights.”
2- When the Bani Isra’il committed sin and went astray, they were stranded for 40 years to be purified and get the permission to the enter the holy land.
3- Verse 15 of Surah Al-Ahqaf points to the stages of man’s growth until the age of 40. So here the number 40 shows reaching perfection and proves that 40 has secrets.
4- It has been narrated from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that if someone purifies himself for God for 40 days and performs acts of worship during this period, springs of Hikma (wisdom) will flourish from his heart to his tongue.
The fact that Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred on the Day of Ashura and his Arbaeen is commemorated every year signifies secrets.
Arbaeen is a Yawm Allah (day of God), just as Ashura is a Yawm Allah. All days belong to God but some of them have been given higher status by God.
Why are Arbaeen and Ashura Yawm Allah? Because the entire truth stood against the entire falsehood, and the entire faith stood against the entire Kufr and hypocrisy, and the entire light stood against the entire darkness on those days.
Arbaeen is the commemoration of Ashura and has secrets.
God says in Verse 23 of Surah Ash-Shura: “This is the glad tidings that Allah gives to His worshipers, who believe and do good works. Say: ‘For this I ask of you no wage except the love of the (Prophet's) relatives.’”
Arbaeen signifies the love for Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) and this love is the wage and reward for the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) prophetic mission.
