Today is Tuesday, 6th of the Iranian month of Farvardin 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 19th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1440 lunar hijri; and March 26, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1431 lunar years ago, on this day in 9 AH, the Expedition to Tabouk occurred, when Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) on hearing reports of plans by the Roman Empire to attack Muslims, led a force of 30,000 to Arabia’s frontiers with Syria, but no military engagement took place since the Romans and their Arab Christian allies did not turn up. Tabouk is in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the only expedition in which the Prophet did not take along with him his brave cousin and son-in-law, Imam Ali (AS). He appointed him as vicegerent in Medina since the presence of Imam Ali (AS) was more important in the capital of Islam, where hypocrites lingered waiting to strike at the roots of Islam. While leaving Medina, the Prophet expressed the famous statement: “The position of Ali to me is like that of Aaron to Moses”, which is a reference to Prophet Moses’ leaving behind Aaron as his deputy amongst the Israelites, during his seclusion on Mount Sinai. An important event during the Tabouk expedition was the unmasking of the plot of the hypocrites from among the companions of the Prophet, when they plotted to assassinate him in a ravine at night. God Almighty, however, sent a streak of lightning that illuminated the sky and stayed for quite a while instead of a brief flash, in order to expose the hypocrites lying in ambush and to identify them to the Prophet’s loyal companions, such as Hudhayfa al-Yamani.

1097 solar years ago, on this day in 922 AD, the Iranian Muslim mystic, Hussein ibn Mansour al-Hallaj, was executed in Baghdad by the Abbasid caliph, Muqtadar-Billah, on charges of heresy for uttering blasphemous remarks such as “there is nothing in my turban and cloak except God" and the phrase “an’al-Haq” (I am the Absolute Truth). He was a student of the two famous Iranian Sufi masters, Sahl Ibn Abdullah at-Tustari and Junayd Baghdadi, and was expelled by both of them for his weird views. Born in Fars province to a cotton-carder, as indicated by his family name “Hallaj”, he memorized the holy Qur’an at a young age and would often join other mystics in study. Initially a follower of the Hanbali school, it is said he became an Ismaili Shi’a Muslim. He performed at least three Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca, where he once stayed for a year, fasting and in total silence. He traveled widely as far as India and Central Asia, and wrote and taught along the way, gaining followers, many of whom accompanied him on his second and third trips to Mecca. He settled in the Abbasid capital Baghdad, where his weird utterances invited trouble. On refusing to renounce his beliefs, he was flogged, amputated, and hanged. His remains were burnt and thrown into the River Tigris.

1036 solar years ago, on this day in 983 AD, the greatest ruler of the Iranian Buwaiyhid dynasty of Iran-Iraq-Bahrain-Oman, Adhud od-Dowla Daylami, passed away in Baghdad and was laid to rest in the mausoleum of the Command of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) in Najaf. Born in Shiraz and named Fana Khosrow, he was the son of Amir Rukn od-Dowla, and became ruler of Fars after the death of his childless uncle, Amir Emad od-Dowla. He was sent by his father to crush a rebellion by his cousin Ezz od-Dowla, on whose defeat he claimed the emirate of Iraq for himself. On his father’s death, as senior Amir of the Buwaiyhid family, Adhud od-Dowla chose as his capital, Baghdad, which was suffering from violence and instability due to sectarian sedition by the Hanbalis. In order to bring peace and stability, he banned public demonstrations and polemics. He patronized a number of scholars such as the celebrated Shaikh Mufid, and renovated the holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala. He also undertook several scientific projects, such as the observatory in Isfahan, and the dam known till this day as “Band-e Amir” between Shiraz and Istakhr to irrigate some 300 villages. He also ordered digging of the Haffar Canal joining the Karun River to the Arvand Roud at the confluence of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates. He embellished Baghdad with several buildings including the famous public hospital known as “Bimaristan-e Adhudi”, where the great Iranian physician Zakariyya ar-Razi used to practice.

966 lunar years ago, on this day in 474 AH, the Spanish Muslim scholar Abul-Waleed Suleiman ibn Khalaf Maleki passed away in Spain. He was a skilled memorizer and exegete of the Holy Qur'an, as well as a poet. He lectured on theology in Andalusia and thereafter in Mecca and Baghdad. Among his valuable books and treatises, mention can be made of “Tafsir al-Qur’an” and “al-Ishara”.

850 solar years ago, on this day in 1169 AD, the Kurdish adventurer, Salah od-Din, proclaimed himself Emir of Egypt after usurping power in Cairo from the Fatemid Shi’ite Ismaili Muslim Dynasty. Known in the western world as Saladin, he rose from obscure origins to serve as assistant to his uncle, Asad od-Din Shirkuh (Persian for Mountain Lion), who was in the service of the Turkic Zengid Dynasty of Syria. Sent to Fatemid Egypt in 1163 with his uncle by Noor od-Din Zengi, he climbed the ranks of the Ismaili Shi’ite government as a result of his military successes against Crusader assaults. When Shirkuh died in 1169, the caliph al-Adeed made the mistake of appointing Salah od-Din vizier. He now began to undermine Fatemid rule and treacherously abolished the two-and-a-half century rule of the Fatemid caliphate. Salah od-Din savagely persecuted the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt, burned libraries, and imposed the Sunni creed on the Egyptians.

822 lunar years ago, on this day in 618 AH, Egyptian forces liberated the port city of Damietta after the Crusader invaders of Europe retreated and surrendered the city following their defeat by the Ayyubid sultan, al-Kamel, who thwarted their intended march upon Cairo. The goal of the Fifth Crusade was to seize Egypt and use it as a base for attacking Palestine and Bayt al-Moqaddas.

807 solar years ago, on this day in 1212 AD, Sancho I, the second king of Portugal or the breakaway northwestern strip of Islamic Spain, died. He was the son of Afonso I, who had rebelled against over five-and-a-half centuries of Muslim rule to seize the emirates of Lisbon and Badajoz. Sancho was nicknamed "the Populator" for seizing the territories of Spanish Muslims, carrying out ethnic cleansing, and resettling them with Christians from France and other parts of Europe. During the later years of his reign he lost territory to the al-Muwahhid Muslim dynasty.

675 solar years ago, on this day in 1344 AD, the Siege of the Spanish Muslim region of Algeciras ended and the Christian mercenary armies assembled from other parts of Europe by kingdoms of Castile and Aragon occupied this port city, despite the use of gunpowder by the defenders – the first time in Europe.

510 lunar years ago, on this day in 930 AH, Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid Dynasty of Iran, passed away at the age of 37 after a reign of 24 years, and was succeeding by his young son, Shah Tahmasp I. To Ismail and the Safavids goes the credit of giving Iran its present political, cultural, religious, and national identity, although in terms of geography many of the areas were lost to the aggressors and colonialists by the subsequent dynasties. Ismail was devoted to the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Born in Ardebil to the head of the Safaviyya Sufi order, Shah Haidar, and his wife Martha, the daughter of the Aq Qoyounlu ruler, Uzun Hassan by his Greek wife Theodora – better known as Despina Khatun – he was the direct descendant of the famous mystic, Safi od-Din Ardabeli, and hence traced lineage to the Prophet’s 7th Infallible Heir, Imam Musa Kazem (AS). At the age of 13, Ismail launched his campaign in Erzinjan (presently in Turkey), and with the help of a 7,000 force of Qizl-Bash (literally ‘Red-Heads’ from the colour of their caps) Turkic tribes of Rumlu, Shamlu, Ustajlu, Qajar, Afshar, Zu’l-Qadr, Tekulu, and Varsak, he defeated the Shirvan-Shah, took control of Baku (presently in the Republic of Azerbaijan) and crowned himself as King of Azarbaijan in Tabriz. By 1509, he unified all of Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus, parts of Central Asia, and western Afghanistan, and took the title of Shah of Persia. An adventurous personality, the dynasty founded by him lasted 235 years, reviving Iran's Islamic glories in science, art, architecture, philosophy, culture, and literature. Hence he wielded spiritual influence outside Iran as well amongst the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt in Iraq, Syria, Anatolia (modern Turkey), the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Deccan Plateau of India. The Timurid prince, Babar, who later founded the Moghal Empire in northern India, regarded Shah Ismail as his suzerain, and so did the Deccan Sultanates of Yusuf Adel Shah of Bijapur and Sultan Qoli Qotb Shah of Golconda. For this reason, the Ottomans and Uzbeks were his mortal enemies, whose political ambitions, he decisively checked despite the setback he suffered in the Battle of Chaldiran against the former. Shah Ismail I was an accomplished poet in both Persian and his native Azeri Turkish, and wrote under the penname of "Khatai".

205 lunar years ago, on this day in 1235 AH, prominent Islamic scholar of the Subcontinent, Ayatollah Seyyed Dildar Ali Naqavi Naseerabadi, known as “Ghufraan-Ma'ab”, passed away in Lucknow at the age of 69. Son of Seyyed Mo’in ibn Seyyed Abdul-Hadi, he came from a family of scholars hailing from Naishapur in Khorasan, Iran, which had settled in the village of Naseerabad, in what is now Uttar Pradesh state of India. He completed preliminary studies in India under various scholars, including Gholam Ali Dakani (of Deccan, southern India where the school of the Ahl al-Bayt was the state religion of the Qotb Shahi dynasty of Golconda-Haiderabad for almost two centuries, and which model was later adopted by the Nawabs of Oudh). He then left for the famous seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, where his teachers included the jurisprudents Shaikh Ja'far Kashef al-Gheta and Wahid Behbahani. The title "Ghufraan-Ma'ab” was bestowed on him by the ulema of holy Najaf, due to his scholarly activities that included writing of books and promoting of Islamic teachings in society.  Later, he travelled to holy Mashhad in northeastern Iran for further studies. Initially of Akhbari persuasion, Dildar Ali became a Usuli, and on his return to India, was hailed as a Marja’. He revived the Friday Prayers in Lucknow and wrote prolifically in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. He authored several books including “Imdad al-Islam” on theology, which is a refutation of the allegations of Fakhr od-Din ar-Razi. His detailed work in jurisprudence is “Muntah-il-Afkaar”. His sons were also pious, dedicated scholars and teachers.

192 solar years ago, on this day in 1827 AD, the famous German composer and musician, Ludwig van Beethoven, died at the age of 57. He learned music under prominent musicians of his era, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Beethoven was hard of hearing and went deaf as of the age of 49. He composed nine symphonies; all of which are the most famous classical music symphonies. His 5th Symphony, because of its epical spirit, holds a special status among his works.

138 solar years ago, on this day in 1881 AD, the large Ottoman vilayet of Thessaly was seized by the breakaway province of “Yunanistan” and absorbed into what is now known as Greece, by the powerful European Christian powers, such as Britain, France, Austria and Russia. All vestiges of almost five centuries of Muslim rule were erased, mosques were destroyed or turned into churches, Turkish language was eradicated and Muslims forcibly expelled.

108 solar years ago, on this day in 1911 AD, the prominent American playwright, Tennessee Williams, was born. He skillfully expressed his ideas through the heroes of his plays, in which he mainly describes the simple Americans who face hardships and have failed to achieve their aims. Among his famous books, mention can be made of “Sweet Bird of Youth”. He died in 1983.

67 solar years ago, on this day in 1952 AD, the armed uprising of Kenyan people started against British colonial rule, under the leadership of Jomo Kenyatta and his Mau Mau Group, demanding equality of Kenyans with Europeans concerning social and political rights. Independence was achieved in 1963. Kenya, situated in Eastern Africa, is spread over 580,000 sq km. Around 15 percent of its population is Muslim, the majority of whom live in the coastal provinces, and were once the rulers there.

57 lunar years ago, on this day in 1383 AH, Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Khalesi, known as “Khalesizadeh”, passed away in Baghdad. Parallel to his cultural and religious activities, he struggled against the infiltration and interference of colonialists in Islamic countries and was one of the religious leaders who inspired the people of Iraq in the uprising of the 1920s, which the British brutally crushed, and imposed upon the Iraqi people an unwanted king from the Hijaz, Faisal the son of the British agent, Sharif Hussain of Mecca. Khalesizadeh, along with Ayatollah Sheikh Kashef al-Gheta, was exiled to Iran, while the British martyred through poisoning, Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Taqi Shirazi. Among the books written by him are: “The Injustices of Britain in Mesopotamia” and “God in the Nature”. 

48 solar years ago, on this day in 1971 AD, Iranian zoologist and the first Iranian planarialogist, Behzad Qorbani was born. He graduated from the University of Tehran and Martyr Beheshti University. In 1997, he identified two new species of fish (Dugesia Iranica and Dugesia Persica), that were found in the Karaj River.

48 solar years ago, on this day in 1971 AD, East Pakistan declared itself Bangladesh, following the military crackdown on the ethnic Bengali-speaking Muslim majority by the Punjabi-Pakhtoun armed forces of West Pakistan. India sided with the Bengalis in their armed struggle, and finally after the end of the 15-day war that erupted between India and Pakistan, Bangladesh became independent under Sheikh Mujib ur-Rahman, who was elected president, but, was later killed in a coup. Bangladesh covers an area of 144,000 sq km. It shares borders with India and Burma, and is the world's 9th most populous country. Over 90 percent of its 162 million people are Muslims.

28 solar years ago, on this day 1991 AD, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay signed the Treaty of Asunción, setting up MERCOSUR, the South Common Market, which aims to counter the economic exploitation of South America by the US.

4 solar years ago, on this day in 2015 AD, on orders of the US and the illegal Zionist entity called Israel, the Wahhabi regime of Saudi, in league with Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, and four of the Persian Gulf states – Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar – launched aerial attacks on Yemen, and later deployed ground troops, on the pretexts of restoring to power the fugitive Mansour Hadi, whose term as interim president had expired a year earlier. The war has entered its 4^th year, and though it has failed to break resistance of the Yemeni people, Saudi Arabia and its accomplices-in-crimes against humanity, have so far killed some 20,000 people, including around 5,000 children and 4,000-plus women, in addition to destroying almost a thousand schools and educational institutes, 130 university facilities, 400 factories, 1,820 bridges and roads, besides countless mosques, hospitals, power plants, and waterworks. 

AS/SS