Virtual Walk 2021
When the caravan led by Imām as-Sajjād (a) and Sayyidah Zaynab (a), arrived in Karbala from Damascus, they came to renew their promise to Imām Ḥusayn (a). This promise was to spread the message of ḥaqq and truth, to the world. May Allah swt guide our communities in Singapore and elsewhere to continue to spread true Islam.
Following a most memorable virtual walk of 2020, we aim to once again observe at least virtually this inspiring journey of love and passion in 2021. Our young volunteers have set up the whatsapp group, around 130 lovers of Ahlulbayt (a) are on board, instructions on use of app to measure the distance covered have been issued.
Labbayk Ya Hussain
Its the eve of 15th Safar. Excitement is in the air. Momineen have started posting. There are pictures of their pilgrimages and messages of labbayk Ya Husain. And an offer by a participant to coach us on physical fitness for the walk which is gratefully accepted. In no time we find ourselves in a zoom session learning very useful concepts and exercises for correct posture, relief from joint pains and more. Here is a video link.
The session ends with interesting experiences related by 4 participants of their pilgrimages and real Arbaeen walks. May we all be blessed with hajj and ziaraat of Masumeen (a). Aameen.
Day 1 Highlights
As the clock struck midnight, the journey commenced with these messages:
Labbaik Ya Hussain (AS)
Labbaik Ya Abbas (AS)
🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Please pray for the hastening of the reappearance of our Imam (AJ) with every step you take 🌹
السلام علی الحسین
و علی علی ابن الحسین
و علی اولاد الحسین
و علی اصحاب الحسین
علیه السلام۔
لبیک یا حسین
A participant shared a beautiful video that contained some amazing pictures from our Arbaeen virtual walk of 2020. This was highly appreciated.
Walaykum Salam
Masha’Allah great memories
Masha’Allah as always connecting all of us into such spiritual deeds.
LETS PRESERVE THESE MEMORIES. Just think, if these pics brought such beautiful memories after one year, how much more valuable they would be when viewed years from now. and how much they would inspire generation after generation long after we have left this world !!!
A video popular with kids was shared:
For parents, grandparents in the Group with toddlers at home… the little ones will love this. Walking to Karbala _ Sayed Ali Alhakeem 3D English Animated Latmiya_Noha
Much support voiced for Green initiatives:
We should also try to push our community to be more sustainable- cut out single use plastics completely like bottled water, hand sanitizer plastic bottles, shopping bags etc.
If we want out future generations to continue the message of Imam Hussein we need to act as the leading community in Singapore.
The Green Pilgrim aims to make Karbala and Najaf plastic free. Sheikh Jafer Ladak also gave a lecture on it recently.
Blood Donation Drive is in progress:
The Give Blood for Al Hussein movement our community started in 2015 was a huge success, having 35 Blood donation registration and 28 pints of blood collected. Over the years we have had similar scaled down blood drives and reduced in the number of participants. We are hoping, a virtual blood drive would spur our community to donate and continue this movement, in the name of Aba Abdillah Al Hussein a.s. Our Target for the Give Blood for Al Hussein a.s 2021 (Virtual)
-50 Pints/bags of Blood
Day 2 Highlights
The day started with momineen and mominaat sending in details of their walk of love and passion and beautiful pictures of the serene surroundings they chose for their walk.
A senior citizen talking about depth of the Walk said: In his majalis series that started yesterday, Sheikh Asad Jaffri is teaching us about the depth of salat. Aim is to pray in a way that the effects/rewards of our salat do not disintegrate with our body at the time of death. Instead they should be deep enough to get etched on our soul indelibly so that they accompany our soul eternally …. in the grave and beyond. Hope the same concepts can be incorporated in the arbaeen walk, real or virtual.
A young participant walked the talk: Within hours, the senior citizen saw his prayer answered when this passionate youth sent his posts. He had started his walk after doing jummah salat at AECC. The video of him reciting poetry and noha of Hazrat Abbas (a) while doing matam near a river inspired and fired up the group. A walk with a depth. Its fruits will in sha Allah accompany his soul for eternity.
Poetry of Hazrat Abbas (AS) on reaching Furaat: “There is Hussain, drinking [from the spring] of death, And you [dare to] drink from the cold water?!”
Dariya Pe Jo Pohoncha Asadullah Ka Pyara
Lalkar Ke Phir Fauj Ko Ghazi Yeh Pukara
Tum Sab Yehi Kehty Thay Keh Dariya Hai Hamara
Ab Dekho Ke Dariya Hai Hamara Keh Tumhara
Lo Cheen Lo Ye Hum Hain Ye Qabza Hai Hamara Darya Hai Hamara
Quantity vs Quality: Quantity is important but quality is very important as well. Wish we can have a software that measures not just the km walked but also the quality….. purity of intention, what were the eyes and ears doing during the walk, what were the thoughts going thru the mind, (any plans being made to improve spiritually and spread the message to others?), what was happening in terms of the imagination: were we imagining walking on a spore street or perhaps in a group walking from najaf to Karbala or, better still, walking among the prisoners of the camp of Imam Hussain a.s. as they tread their weary way towards the cruel battlefield of Karbala after release from the prison of shaam.
“L𝔞𝔟𝔟𝔞ik Y𝔞 H𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔶𝔫!
Every year in Arbaeen millions of people walk towards Karbala. They do this to show their love for Imam Husayn (a), his family and companions and to pay allegiance to them.
This walk symbolizes that we are ready to walk on path of Husayn (a) in our lives, in our lands. Because every land is Karbala. Every moment in our life there is a battle between truth and falsehood. With each step we take in this walk towards Karbala on Arbaeen we desire to defeat falsehood that exists within and outside us. We walk to reform ourselves and the society. We walk to be a part of the army of Imam Mahdi (a).
In this walk we give this message to the entire world that wherever we are, in whichever land we are, we will work hard to serve Imam Husayn’s (a) mission of spreading truth and justice. We will always be present wherever there is oppression to support the oppressed and oppose the oppressors. We will never submit to humiliation and disgrace. We will always remain free men.
1400 Years Ago, our Master Husayn (a) standing alone in the battlefield of Karbala cried out for help. No one answered his call that day. But today millions of voice are calling out, “Labbayk Ya Husayn”.
“L𝔞𝔟𝔟𝔞ik Y𝔞 H𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔶𝔫!”.
Day 3 Highlights
Score at mid day: Total community distance walked by the lovers of Ahlulbayt (a): 365.66 km
Safar 17 martyrdom of Imam Reza(a): We were asked to remember the ghareeb Imam with every step of our Walk on this day.
Recalling the immensely painful walk of Imam Sajjad(a): Salam everyone, today when i went for a walk, i came across these stones paths and I decided to walk on them, as i walked on them, i recalled Imam Sajjad (as) who had to walk on stones, and sharp grounds, he was thrown stones at, and i started to recite few paragraphs on the troubles he faced, as i recited, i felt the pain on my feet and i couldn’t recite even more than 2 paragraphs. This reminded me that our Imam Sajjad ( Mosiba ) and the ahlulbayt went through so much.
Some thoughts on where to walk: During times when AECC is not open, what are the other preferred places to include in or end the walk at? How about mazar of Habib Noh – a descendant of Ahlulbayt? Visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday 9am to 12pm. Those who would like to visit, you may do so tomorrow Insha’Allah. Also, does someone know if there is a hadith that says that if one cannot go to ziarat of holy places like Karbala, the next best thing is to go to graves of one’s parents/relatives?
Noha contributed by a passionate member:
Some of the oldest pictures of Karbala:
