Today is Saturday; 12th of the Iranian month of Mordad 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 01st of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah 1440 lunar hijri; and August 3, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1438 lunar years ago, on this day in 2 AH, the blessed wedding of the noblest-ever couple, Hazrat Fatema Zahra and Imam Ali (peace upon them) took place in Medina, presided over by Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). It was a marriage-made-in-heaven, since no man was worthy of the hand of the Prophet's immaculate daughter, the noblest lady of all times. A famous hadith says: Fatema would have remained unmarried if there was no Ali. The Prophet used to politely turn down any proposal for marriage from wealthy and powerful suitors, saying God will decide who ought to be the groom for his noble daughter. Following their marriage, these two exemplary figures started a simple life filled with kindness and spirituality. The fruit of this blessed union that guaranteed continuation of the Prophet's progeny were two noble sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain, and two virtuous daughters, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Omm Kolsoum (peace upon them). The nuptials celebrated in the most modest manner with praises of God Almighty and without any extravagant dowry or bridal-money, serve as the all-time universal model for any Muslim couple anywhere in the world. Thus was planted the blessed tree of perpetual munificence, whose branches in the form of the Saadaat or honoured descendants of Imam Ali and Hazrat Fatema (peace upon them) have spread today all over the world. This “made-for-each-other” pair, are ancestors of the Infallible Imams, the last of whom is the awaited Redeemer of Mankind, Imam Mahdi (AS) – God hasten his reappearance to cleanse the world of corruption and oppression, by establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice.

1431 lunar years ago, on this day in 9 AH, shortly after Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) had dispatched to Mecca his companion Abu Bakr with the opening ayahs of Surah Towba to clarify the rules of the Hajj pilgrimage and to declare disavowal of disbelievers, Archangel Gabriel descended with the divine commandment, saying that either the Prophet should personally discharge this mission at the holy Ka'ba or depute the one who is nearest to him. The Prophet promptly sent his dear cousin and son-in-law, Imam Ali (AS), to overtake Abu Bakr and assume personal charge of the mission. Abu Bakr returned to Medina, while the Imam proceeded to Mecca, where without fear of the infidels, he clarified the rules of the Hajj through practical demonstration, while performing the pilgrimage. For three days the Imam continuously recited the opening ayahs of Surah Towba concerning bara'at min al-mushrikeen (disavowal of disbelievers), and made it clear that neither the polytheists are allowed anymore to enter the sacred precincts of the Ka'ba, nor should anyone follow the pagan practice of circumambulating the holy edifice naked, without clothes. Thus till this day, all Muslims are indebted to the Prophet and the Imam for reviving the pure Abrahamic rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage by God's command. 

1314 lunar years ago, on this in 126 AH, Yazid ibn al-Waleed or Yazid III, the 12^th self-styled caliph of the Omayyad usurper regime, died of a brain tumour, less than six months after seizing the caliphate through a coup against his immoral, drunkard and debauched cousin, Waleed Ibn Yazid or Waleed II, who was killed. The mother of Yazid III was an Iranian and he was known as “an-Naqqes” (the Diminisher) for his austerity measures in contrast to the profligacy and sinning habits of the Omayyads. It is worth noting that in 6 years from 126 to 132 AH, six Omayyad caliphs died one after another as this tyrannical dynasty came to its end.

1016 solar years ago, on this day in 1003 AD, aṭ-Ṭaʼi-Billah, the 24^th caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, died at the age of 71, a dozen years after he was deposed in 991 by Amir Baha od-Dowla, the ruler of the Iranian Buwayhid dynasty of Iraq. During his 17-year reign, as a weak and incapable caliph, he lost Syria and Hijaz to the Fatemid Ismaili Shi’a Muslim dynasty of Egypt-North Africa, while the Turks consolidated their positions in Anatolia (modern Turkey) and the Buwayhid dynasty was split into parties fighting among themselves. In addition, the Byzantine Emperor John Tzimisces stormed the east in a victorious campaign in 975.

936 lunar years ago, on this day 504 AH, the Iranian Shafei jurisprudent, Ali Ibn Mohammad Tabari al-Kiya-Harasi, passed away in Baghdad. He rejected the dubious views of his famous contemporary and compatriot, Abu Hamed Mohammad Ghazali, on the tyrant Yazid, and said it is permissible to curse the killer of the Prophet's grandson, Imam Husain (AS).

854 lunar years ago, on this day in 586 AH, renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar and literary figure, Izz od-Din Abdul-Hamid ibn Hibbatollah, known as Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed, was born in Mada’en (Ctesiphon) in Iraq. Captured by the Mongols during the sack of Baghdad, he was released upon the mediation of prominent figures. His most important book is a voluminous commentary on the “Nahj al-Balaghah” – the collection of sermons, letters and maxims of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). His famous remarks on the Commander of the Faithful read: “The world cannot quote an example other than that of (Imam) Ali of a first class warrior and a marshal who is also a philosopher, a moralist and a great teacher of religious principles and theology. A study of his life shows that his sword was the only help that Islam received during its early days of struggle in its wars of self-defence. For Islam he was the first and the last line of defence… The other facet of his character is reflected in his sermons, orders, letters and sayings. What high values of morality they teach, what ethics’ they preach, what intricate problems of Unitarianism they elucidate, how rich they are in philosophy; how they imbibe the spirit of righteousness and teach rulers to become kind, good, benevolent and God-fearing rulers, and subjects to be faithful, sincere and law abiding, how they persuade men to be warriors who can fight only for God, truth and justice, and not mercenaries murdering and plundering for wealth and riches; and how they instruct teachers to teach nothing injurious and harmful to mankind. These are but indisputable proofs of his greatness and spiritual superiority. Has history ever produced a more splendid personality incorporating such variegated characteristics of mind and heart?”

677 solar years ago, on this day in 1342 AD, the army of Castile, assisted by Christian mercenaries from other parts of Europe started the siege of the Spanish Muslim port city of al-Jazeera al-Khazra (Algeciras in Spanish), which was part of the Marinid Empire of Morocco. The 21-month siege that starved population of 30,000 led to the surrender.

672 solar years ago, on this day in 1347 AD, Hassan Gangu Bahmani titled Zafar Khan, was elected king with the title Ala od-Din Shah, following his victory over rivals, who two years earlier had joined together to declare the Deccan or southern India independent from the tyrannical rule of Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq of Hindustan or northern subcontinent by placing Naseer od-Din Ismail as the Shah at Dowlatabad. Ala od-Din Shah Bahmani, who claimed descent from the legendry Iranian king, Bahman son of Isfandiyar, shifted his capital further south to Gulbarga, and expanded his kingdom in all directions during his 11-year rule. The dynasty he founded ruled for over 170 years – first from Gulbarga and then from Bidar – promoting Islam and Persian language, culture and architecture in southern India, by virtue of its direct sea-route contact with Iran, from where poets, scholars, artists, statesmen, traders and soldiers of fortune flocked to the Bahmani court. The Bahmani Sultans respected Sufi saints and greatly revered Shah Ne’matollah Wali of Kerman and his devotion to the school of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). The Bahmani Empire – which stretched from the western to the eastern coasts of Peninsular India – split into five independent Persianate kingdoms that ensured the independence of the Deccan from Hindustan for another 170 more years until the conquest by Aurangzeb, the Moghal Emperor. Of these five, the three powerful dynasties (Nizamshahis of Ahmadnagar, Adelshahis of Bijapur and Qutbshahis of Golkandah-Haiderabad) followed the Shi’ite Muslim creed and regarded the Safavid rulers of Iran as their emperor, rather than the Moghal rulers.

527 solar years ago, on this day in 1492 AD, Italian Navigator, Christopher Columbus, commissioned by Spain to find a route to India through the Atlantic Ocean, commenced his journey. Columbus set sail with three ships and 120 sailors from the Spanish Port of Palos and after 33 days of voyage landed on Salvador Island in the Caribbean Sea, thinking he had reached India. He thus accidentally discovered the American continent, and is believed to have been guided to the New World by Spanish Muslim sailors.

224 solar years ago, on this day in 1795 AD, the Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville in Ohio, following the loss of the Battle of Fallen Timbers the previous year by the Amerindians. The parties to the treaty were a coalition of Amerindian tribes, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States. It established what became known as the Greenville Treaty Line, which for several years was a boundary between Amerindian territory and lands open to European settlers, who frequently violated the borders and continued to encroach on native lands. The treaty also established the "annuity" system: yearly grants of federal money and supplies of calico cloth to Amerindian tribes and thus institutionalized US government influence in tribal affairs, giving outsiders considerable control over the life of natives. In exchange for goods, such as blankets, utensils, and domestic animals, the Amerindian tribes ceded to the US large parts of modern-day Ohio, the future site of downtown Chicago, the Fort Detroit area and Maumee. The US policy of genocide against Amerindians was to occupy their homeland.

175 solar years ago, on this day in 1844 AD, French archaeologist and civil engineer Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy was born in Toulouse in France. Having seen service in French occupied Algeria in 1870, he requested assignment in Iran in 1880. He was helped by a French physician at the Qajarid court in Tehran to reopen the 1852 excavations done by W.K. Loftus. In 1884-86, Dieulafoy, along with his talented wife, Jane, undertook major excavations at the ancient site of Susa (modern Shush, in Iran) uncovering the palaces of the ancient Persian kings Darius I the Great and Artaxerxes II. His exploration resulted in revealing part of the palace and other structures, and in settling the topographical details of the city. He also recovered unique and beautiful features of art and architecture, including the pillars with capitals of bulls' heads, three great porticoes and the hall of columns, the frieze of lions, and that of archers now in the Louvre.

105 solar years ago, on this day in 1914 AD, Panama Canal was officially inaugurated. The construction was started by French engineers, from whom the Americans took over and completed the work. This 68-kilometer canal links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

59 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, the West African country of Niger gained independence from French colonial rule. Predominantly Muslim Niger covers an area of 1,267,000 sq km and shares borders with Libya, Chad, Mali, and Benin.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2008 AD Russian author and historian, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, died at the age of 90. Born in the Caucasus, he graduated in physics and mathematics. During World War 2, he actively served at the warfronts to defend the country against Nazi Germany, for which he was awarded a medal of honour. In the post war period his criticism of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin brought him exile and forced labor in Siberia. He was released in 1956 and published part of his works. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. He was once again detained and exiled in 1974 due to his criticisms of the Soviet regime. Following the collapse of communism he returned to his country and became a hero. Nonetheless, he continued to criticize the Russian government for following Western liberalism, and the Russian people for distancing themselves from God and spiritual values. Among his works are: “The Gulag Archipelago”, “The Cancer Ward”, and “Letter to Soviet Leaders”.

6 solar years ago, on this day in 2013 AD, master of Naqqali or art of story-telling with actions, Valiollah Torabi Sefidabi died in Tehran at the age of 77. Popular as “Morshed Torabi”, he was born in Sefidab, near the town of Tafresh in Markazi Province into a family acquainted with the stage art. His father was a performer of the Ta’zieh which is a traditional Iranian drama depicting the tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), the younger grandson and 3^rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Torabi performed programmes at numerous Iranian and international events. Dating back to the Safavid Dynasty, Naqqali is performed in verse or prose with the Naqqal being a single person who plays the roles of all characters with a special tone and expression, at times accompanied by musical instruments and scrolls. UNESCO has registered Naqqali, as the oldest form of dramatic performance in Iran, on its World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Naqqali was formerly performed in teahouses, tents of nomads, and caravansaries.

AS/SS