The Head of Research Center for Islamic Systems Studies in Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought added: If we are going to spread Shia-based civilization all over the world, even though Western civilization has spread to all dimensions, we must make sure that the phenomenon of Arbaeen is not limited to these few weeks and that the possibility of learning, attractiveness and development is available for it. The origin of this phenomenon is Imam Hussain (AS), but it should not be limited and exclusive to this place and time period.
Do not make Arbaeen exclusive to Shia
This researcher emphasized: These rituals should not be only Shia-oriented and Shia-centered, it should be attractive and we should produce ways and methods for it so that it becomes the dominant culture. Now, in some countries they gather together to throw tomatoes or fight bulls, why can’t we make the phenomenon of Arbaeen so attractive that even a non-believer can be absorbed to it? The atmosphere should be humane and pleasing enough to attract many people to achieve that goal.
He added: Arbaeen can become popular and social regardless of the government’s approach and this culture can be injected everywhere and this logic can practically be expanded in terms of geography, logic and time.
The Head of Research Center for Islamic Systems Studies in Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought said: Arbaeen has the ability to be compatible with the existing western civilization and is based on foundations that have stability, coherence and survival, and of course it has become a civilization and its objective manifestation exists.
According to Khorasan Seminary News Agency, Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Seyyed Sajjad Izadehi, in a scientific meeting with the subject of “Arbaeen and the future of the Shia world (capabilities and strategies)” which was held on the occasion of Arbaeen Hosseini (AS) and with the initiative of the politics department of this institute, said: Sometimes Arbaeen is discussed from the aspect of Ashura and sometimes from its own one; In Hadiths, it is stated that the signs of a believer are payment of Khums and Arbaeen, and since the meaning of this Arbaeen was not clear, later the Arbaeen pilgrimage referred to it.
He said: It seems that this tradition refers to the behavior and appearance and concrete external examples and indicates that how a person is a Shiite. Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage and Muslims gather there with the focus of monotheism; so color, race, clothing, capital, etc. fade there. Now if we express a symbol for Shia that gathers all Shia together regardless of any kind of value, it is Arbaeen.
The Head of Research Center for Islamic Systems Studies in Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought stated that Arbaeen has characteristics that are not only distinct but also distinguished: Everyone knows that Western civilization with all its charms is on the decline and naturally in this historical turn, civilizations will come and go and each one has a specific time and place; At one time, we had a semi-Islamic civilization that had a relatively long geographical and time span, and after that it was replaced by the Western civilization and it is still alive.
Arbaeen has the power to confront the western civilization
Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Izadehi added: Arbaeen has the ability to be compatible with the existing western civilization and is based on foundations that have stability, coherence and survival, and of course it has become a civilization and there is an objective manifestation of it; Western civilization is based on humanism and self-foundation of man, and the result is the loneliness of man in the society despite all kinds of advantages.
He said: In Arbaeen, “individuals” do not have a distinct presence, but everything is collective, while individual identity is also preserved; suddenly, several millions of people go on this journey, and it is efficient in practice. In the Hajj, we see that they manage three million people with difficulty, and in the past few years, a large number of people died, and there are even problems in collecting garbage, etc., but in Arbaeen, everyone is at the service of each other, regardless of the government.
Contrast of comfort and peace in Western civilization
The Head of Research Center for Islamic Systems Studies in Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought added: Basically, Western civilization has invested in comfort and well-being, but it has prioritized comfort over peace, and this is the reason that the more civilized the society, the higher the percentage of suicides, restlessness, disturbances, etc., and happiness is less. But in this phenomenon, even though they suffer many hardships, people still feel happy and want to go next year. The peace resulting from this process is incomparable to anything despite all the hardships and people go to find peace. Comfort is not the opposite of peace.
He stated: The logic of Western civilization is the originality of capital, but in this phenomenon, capital is collected to be distributed and spent in Arbaeen. A civilization that is formed based on the distribution of capital and justice and Takaful based on collectivism and self-sacrifice and prioritizing other needs can definitely replace the existing western civilization. In this phenomenon, everyone gathers with the centrality of Dar al-Aiman, and the geographical demarcation and the boundaries of the governments of the nations are not effective in it.
Returning from the borders of the nation state to Dar Dar al-Aiman
Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Izadehi said: Returning from the borders of the nation state to Dar al-Aiman will remove the dominant culture, and this is the basis of a civilization that has a different function and appeal, and whoever goes to Arbaeen, has a greater desire to go again. Here, the goal of Imam Hussain (a.s.) is freedom and elimination of discrimination and realization of justice, etc. In this path, like any process and revolution, technology may advance the work, but the focus is on good intentions, spirituality, social contributions, etc. Referring to the civilizational empowerment of Arbaeen, he stated: What higher power than that millions of people go to Arbaeen at the same time and all have the same call and the same goal. The capacity of mobilizing so many people with a specific goal does not exist in any ceremony in the world, and Arbaeen has the ability to create such a power of the people’s foundation. Consolidation of power in a specific area also has good privileges.