Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460 AH) speaks about Ziyarat al-Arba’een in his book Misbah al-Mutahajjid, page 787:

“And on the twentieth day of (Safar), it was the day of return of the women of our master Abi Abdilah Al-Husayn ibn Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them both, from al-Sham (Levant) to the city of the Rasul Allah, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family. 

And it is the day on which it was reported that Jabir ibn Abdillah ibn Haram al-Ansari, the companion of the Messenger of God, came from Madina to Karbala to visit the tomb of Abi Abdullah, peace be upon him, and he was the first person to visit it. And it is desirable to do ziyara of him (Imam Husayn) during this day, and it is what is known as Ziyarat al-Arba’een.”

Al-Qurtubi (d. 671 AH), the famous Andalusian Sunni mufasir and theologian says in his book al-Tadhkira (http://www.islamport.com/w/akh/Web/2811/242.htm):

“The Imamiyya say that the head (of Husayn) was returned to the body in Karbala after 40 days from the killing. And it is a known day for them, they call Ziyara in it – Ziyarat al-Arba’een.”

 

Answered by: John Andaluso

Reviewed by: Shaykh Azhar Nasser