Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Arbaeen Ziyarah takes place on Arbaeen day only, but some narrations expand it
The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadegh Hosseini Shirazi was held on Wednesday, 28 of Muharram, 1445. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudence issues.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi discussed the time and virtue of Arbaeen pilgrimage, and said: Arbaeen Ziyarah happens on the day of Arbaeen, not the day before, nor the day after, nor even the night of Arbaeen. However, based on certain jurisprudential details, my opinion and the fatwa of most jurists is that there can be legitimate expansion for all acts of Mustahab in terms of place, time and other aspects, and Arbaeen Ziyarah is one of these cases.
His Eminence went on to say: “For example, if someone went on this Ziyarah shortly before the Day of Arbaeen, but could not stay on this day, or arrived a few days after Arbaeen, Jurisprudential evidence indicates that this is acceptable as long as the gap is accepted by the “collective common sense of the faithful”, as in other acts of Mustahab.
He further emphasized that such permissible gap approved by the “collective common sense of the faithful” includes a few days before or a few days after, not that someone goes for Ziyarah on the first of the month of Safar or in the month of Rabi.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi continued that within these circumstances, the effects and rewards for such a Ziyarah are similar to the Night Prayer, which, although its best time is midnight, but if it is recited before midnight or during the day for some reasons, the reward of the night prayer is awarded.
