Dr. Amjad Karim Al-Fadhil / University of Karbala – College of Islamic Sciences

I occasionally read and hear about the attempts of a number of beloved, patriotic people in Iraq who seek to develop programs for the commercial, industrial, agricultural, and political investment of the Arbaeen pilgrimage, among others.

Despite their good intentions, I find that
all attempts to control the Arbaeen pilgrimage and manage it, even for the benefit of Iraq in terms of politics, economy, agricultural, industrial, and commercial investment, have ended in complete failure.
Also, all attempts to appropriate it by any religious or political entity, whether sectarian, party-based, individual, or collective, have failed.
This is not a conclusion but a reality I have personally followed and witnessed on the ground for the past seventeen years.

Despite the greatness of the attempts and the depth of their planning, some of which are known and some of which were hidden by God’s will for me to see, all have failed.
This led me to deep reflection, and finally, I concluded that the Arbaeen pilgrimage is not a practical project for people to manage or direct.

Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) has a single rightful heir — the one seeking his revenge. He is the one who manages the mobilization for the pilgrimage and directs the hearts of the believers toward the grave of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) for the purpose of renewing the covenant, pact, contract, and allegiance for the great divine event that is coming.

Our economic and political needs appear small and insignificant in comparison to the divine mission of the rightful heir seeking revenge, because these are transient service needs that we have failed to address due to our corruption, deviation, infighting, division, ignorance, and barbarity.
However, it seems that the change the rightful heir seeks is far greater than what we can imagine with our simple minds and limited knowledge, compared to his vast knowledge, mighty abilities, and vision for the future of all humanity.

It also seems to me that we have confined Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to a narrow framework of our own immediate needs and management with limited horizons.
I also think that what is required from us is what our Imam, the heir to knowledge and will, has decreed in the text known to us as the “Dua of the Time of Occultation”:
“So I do not dispute with you in your management.”
Are we not disputing with him in his management when we take on the task of managing with our inadequacies and shortcomings?

Have we realized the truth that we have a leader to whom we are not allowed to advance or delay?
And that we, who are incapable of managing our affairs, should not aspire to manage the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which is a matter of God, because Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is God’s revenge?
And no one can manage, direct, or invest in this matter except the one appointed by God?
Have we realized this truth?

Usually, we ask the leader what he wants from us and what we should do if we are his followers, not suggesting to him or planning his affairs as though we are wiser than him!
Surely, we will find his orders and the execution plans for those orders in his noble texts, which he sent to us and reached us through various means, filling our ancient books.

If we are not his followers, it is better to leave the matter, for his command is wiser and more significant than we can penetrate or intervene in, and we, who are incapable of managing our affairs, are even more incapable of managing his.

Engaging in the program of the infallible Imam is more important than attempting to bypass it for those who believe.
And for those who do not believe, our Imam said in the initial statement known as Al-Yasin:
“Do you not understand his command? And do you not accept from his allies? A wise command, but what will warnings do for a people who do not believe?”