Today is Sunday; 20th of the Iranian month of Mordad 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah 1440 lunar hijri; and August 11, 2019 of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Today is the Day of Arafa, which means striving to gain proper and profound cognition of God Almighty. It is a day of great blessings for mankind. It is the day on which God the All-Merciful accepted the repentance of the Father of the human race, Adam, after he was cast out of the Garden for eating of the fruit of the tree that was forbidden to him as a divine test. It is the day when Abraham as per God's commandment, revived Adam's tradition to spend the day in supplication and prayer on the plain of Arafaat around the “Jabal ar-Rahma” (Mount Mercy), southeast of Mecca. It is the day whose significance all Prophets of God had emphasized to their nations. It is the day when during his farewell pilgrimage, the Almighty's Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), delivered a memorable sermon from atop Mount Mercy, emphasizing on the “Hadith Thaqalayn” that as long as Muslims hold fast to the Holy Qur'an and his progeny, the Ahl al-Bayt, they will never go astray. Special prayers and supplications are recommended for the 9^th of Zil-Hijjah for Hajj pilgrims who gather on the plain of Arafaat, as well as for the faithful all over the world. Most Muslims recite the famous supplication taught on this plain and on this day by the Prophet's grandson, Imam Husain (AS), which is a treasure trove of enlightenment and proper cognizance of the Lord Most High and His Infinite Mercy.

5133 solar years ago, on this day in approximately 3114 BC, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-European civilizations of the Americas, notably the Mayans, began. The natives of Central and South America had a flourishing civilization that was destroyed by the Spanish invaders.

4511 solar years ago, on this day in 2492 BC, the Babylonian tyrant, Bel, was defeated by Hayk the progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation. Descended from Japheth, the son of Prophet Noah (PuH), he originally lived in Mesopotamia – in present day Iraq – from where he migrated to the Caucasus with his kinsmen to escape oppression, and founded the nation of Armenia.

1434 lunar years ago, on this day, by the commandment of God, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) ordered closure of doors of the houses of those companions that opened into the Grand Mosque of Medina (Masjid an-Nabi), except that of his own house and that of Imam Ali (AS), as a measure to protect the mosque's sanctity, from possible pollution by the Sahaba who might enter in the state in which it is forbidden to enter a mosque. When certain companions grumbled at this, he said: Indeed, God had ordered His Prophet Moses to build a holy Mosque, and he allowed Moses, Aaron and the two sons of Aaron, viz. Shabar and Shubair, to live therein. I was likewise ordered to construct a holy mosque wherein myself and my brother Ali and his two sons, Hasan and Husain, are allowed to live. Surely, I do only what I am ordered to do. I never undertake to act on my own wish. Certainly I have not ordered of my own accord to close your doors or to let Ali's door remain open. It is God who granted Ali an abode in the Holy Mosque.

This event has been mentioned in the Sahih books of the Sunni compilers of hadith, such as Bukhari, Tirmizi, etc. The 2^nd caliph, Omar Ibn Khattab, has been quoted as saying: “Indeed, Ali has been endowed with three qualities, of which had I but one, it would be more precious to me than to be given high bred camels.” It was asked of him what they were? He replied “His marriage to Fatema (the Prophet’s daughter); his remaining in the Mosque while that is not lawful for me; and his carrying the Standard on the day of Khaibar.”

1380 lunar years ago, on this day in 60 AH, Muslim Ibn Aqeel, the nephew and son-in-law of Imam Ali (AS), was martyred in the city of Kufa in Iraq. He was sent as emissary by his cousin, Imam Husain (AS), to assess the degree of devotion and loyalty of the people to the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), following receipt of numerous letters from the notables who had claimed that in accordance with Islamic teachings they had refused to acknowledge the illegal rule of the tyrant and debauchee, Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyya, and needed the just and pious leader to guide them. Muslim was warmly welcomed by the people, but when Yazid sent the callous and ruthless Obaidullah Ibn Ziyad as governor of Kufa, almost all people, deserted the cause of Islam, deceived either by hollow promises of reward or threats to their life and property. As a result, Muslim, after a brave fight was betrayed, taken before Ibn Ziyad and brutally beheaded. Among the few martyred with him, was Hani Ibn Orwah, whose shrine lies opposite Muslim's golden-domed shrine, beside the Grand Mosque of Kufa.

902 lunar years ago, on this day in 538 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, narrator of hadith, and linguist, Mohammad ibn Omar Zamakhshari, died at the age of 72 in the city of Gurganj in the ancient Iranian land of Khwarezm, which today is divided among the Central Asian republics of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Born in Zamakhsar village, he studied in Bukhara and Samarqand and Bukhara, and lived in Baghdad for some years. He followed the rationalistic Mu'tazali doctrine and was known as “Jarallah” (or Neighbour of God), since he stayed for several years in Mecca, spending his time at the holy Ka'ba, the symbolic House of God Almighty. He wrote in both Persian and Arabic, and is best known for “al-Kashshaaf”, an exegesis of the holy Qur'an – famous for its deep linguistic analysis of the ayahs. He also wrote “Rabi al-Abraar”, a voluminous reference work, in which he has exposed the dubious parentage of Mu’awiya ibn Abu Sufyan. He has recorded many of the God-given merits of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and their superiority over all Muslims.

792 lunar years ago, on the eve of this day in 548 AH, the prominent Iranian scholar, Amin od-Din Abu Ali Fazl bin Hassan Tabarsi, passed away in the city of Sabzevar, Khorasan, where he had settled in the last years of his life to complete his monumental exegesis of the holy Qur’an, titled "Majma' al-Bayan". His body was taken to the holy city of Mashhad for burial near the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). In the preface to this work, he gives the reasons for his writing it and for his choice of title. He also describes the methodology used in his exegesis on every ayah of the holy Qur’an. He divides his exegesis on every passage into five sections: introductory discourse, reading guide, language discourse, revelation and circumstances surrounding it, and meaning. When a passage relates to a theological, jurisprudential or philosophical issue, he gives the views of all sides, whether Sunni or Shi’ite, and then his own judgement. The originality of his exegesis is that he gives the readers an opportunity to see the varying opinions on different issues mentioned in the Qur'an before discussing these views and declaring his own stand. “Majma’ al-Bayan” covers historical facts, as well as the opinions of philologists, traditionists, exegetes, and poets. Tabarsi’s exegesis focuses on many theological issues, including the divinely-decreed Imamate of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the infallibility of the Imams, God's Justice, etc. He also discusses the issue of Imam Mahdi (AS), his advent in the end times, the purpose of his coming and his global rule. Tabarsi's son and grandson were also noted scholars and author of books.

786 lunar years ago, on this day in 654 AH, the Muslim scientist Abu'l-Abbas Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-Banna al-Marrakushi was born in Morocco. He was a mathematician, astronomer, Islamic scholar, Sufi, and astrologer. The crater al-Marrakushi on the Moon is named after him. He wrote some 82 books.

760 solar years ago, on this day in 1259 AD, Mongke Khan, the 4^th Khaqaan or Great Khan of the Mongol Empire died of cholera at the age of 51in Chongqing in China after a reign of 8 years during which western Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Anatolia – in present day Turkey – were overrun and incursions made into what is now Pakistan. Son of Tolui and grandson of the bloodthirsty Chengiz Khan, he carried out administrative reforms of the vast empire by employing Chinese, Muslim, and Uyghur officials. Nine of his 16 provincial executive chiefs were Muslims, such as Mahmoud Yalavach in China, Masoud Beg in Turkestan, and Argun Agha in Iran. He ordered his brother, Hulagu Khan exterminate the Ismailis of Alamut in Iran (in 1256) and sack Baghdad (in 1258) if the Abbasid caliph refused to personally submit. Despite his unsuccessful plan to forge an alliance with Christian Europe for attacking Syria and Egypt, he favoured Muslim perceptions. He and Hulagu made the people of the holy city of Najaf an autonomous tax-exempt ecclesiastical polity. He exempted clerics, monks, doctors, churches, mosques and monasteries from taxation.

751 lunar years ago, on this day in 689 AH, the Imami scholar, Yahya Ibn Ahmad al-Hilli, passed away in Iraq. He was a cousin of the famous researcher, Muhaqqeq al-Hilli, who in turn was the maternal uncle of the celebrated scholar, Allamah Hilli. Among his works is “Nuzhat an-Nazzer”.

546 solar years ago, on this day in 1473 AD, the decisive Battle of Otlukbeli took place in central Anatolia in what is now Turkey resulting in the victory of the Ottomans over the Aq Qoyunlu or White Sheep Dynasty – appointed as governors of Diyarbakr and the adjoining regions by the Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur, following his victory over and capture of the Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid I in the Battle of Ankara in 1402. The Ottomans were led by Sultan Mohammad II – the Conqueror of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire in 1453 – while the Aq Qoyunlu were led by Uzun Hassan, who had recently expanded his dominions eastward by defeating the rival Qara Qoyunlu or Black Sheep Dynasty to annex Iraq and western Iran in 1467 and then routed the army of his nominal overlord, Sultan Abu Sa’eed of the Samarqand-based Timurid Empire in 1469. The power of the Aq Qoyunlu who were goaded by the Venetians to start hostilities with the Ottomans to divert the attention from Italy of Mohammad II, was not completely destroyed until the rise of Shah Ismail I of Iran in 1501 and his founding of the Safavid Empire.

392 solar years ago, on this day in 1627 AD, the last Battle of La Rochelle broke out between the French Catholics and Protestants. The battle was the result of instigations by England. The Catholics, under command of Cardinal Richelieu emerged victorious in the battle of La Rochelle in western France.

94 solar years ago, on this day in 1925 AD, the jurisprudent, Ayatollah Shaikh Abdun-Nabi Noori, passed away in Tehran. He was a product of the seminary of holy Najaf, in Iraq, where he attained ijtihad under guidance of leading ulema such as Mirza Mohammad Hassan Shirazi of the anti-tobacco movement. On his return to Iran, he taught at the Tehran seminary, grooming several scholars.  

76 solar years ago, on this day in 1943 AD, former Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf was born in New Delhi. Four years later with the partition of the Indian Subcontinent, his family migrated to Pakistan, where on growing up he joined the army and was gradually promoted to the rank of general. In 1999 he seized power through a bloodless military coup by ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. On 18 August he had to resign amidst threats of impeachment for the many corruption cases against him and his government.

75 lunar years ago, on this day in 1365 AH, the Source of Emulation, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Hassan Isfahani, passed away at the age of 81 in holy Najaf, Iraq. Born in the vicinity of the Iranian city of Isfahan, after preliminary studies he traveled to Iraq to attend the famous Seminary in holy Najaf. He studied under prominent scholars such as Akhound Khorasani, and attained the status of “Ijtehad”. A prominent instructor at the Najaf Seminary for over thirty years, he groomed numerous scholars. At the same time, aware of political developments, he strongly opposed the British invasion of Iraq, which led to his expulsion to Iran. But, the public and ulema forced the Iraqi administration to revise its decision and recall him to Najaf. He was very patient and modest. Among his most important works is “Wasilat-an-Najat”. Many leading scholars have written annotations on this book, including the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA).

67 solar years ago, on this day in 1952 AD, Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie, with the connivance of the UN General Assembly, annexed Eritrea, which had been occupied by Italy in 1890 and seized by Britain in 1941 during World War 2. The people of Eritrea opposed the move and stepped up their struggle for freedom. The Eritrean Liberation Front took up arms in 1960, and in 1993, the struggle bore fruit with formal declaration of independence, following an UN-supervised referendum. Eritrea is situated near the Horn of Africa, with a coastline on the Red Sea. It maintains an important geographical position and shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti. Almost half of the population of Eritrea is made up of Muslims including tribes from Arabia.

59 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, Chad gained independence from French colonial rule. It was occupied in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century AD. Over 60 percent of the people are Muslim. The 25-percent odd Christian population is the result of forced conversion by the French. Chad covers an area of 1.28 million sq. km. It is situated in central Africa and shares borders with Libya, Cameroon, Sudan, Central Africa, Nigeria, and Niger.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1993 AD, the acclaimed Iranian miniaturist and illustrator, Ahmad Ra’ez, passed away. Born in Isfahan, he became familiar with arts and illustration under prominent masters. His works which were displayed at the Brussels International Exhibition were ranked second and won prizes. He spent nearly 50 years drawing miniatures and enameling, in addition to grooming numerous students. He produced more than 145 works of miniature.

10 solar years ago, on this day in 2009 AD, the 6^th round of confrontations broke out between the Yemeni army and Shi’a Muslims of the Sa'dah region of northern Yemen, who are led by the founders of the popular Ansarullah Movement, the al-Houthi Zaydi clan. In this phase of the struggle, Saudi Arabia, which is in occupation of vast areas of Yemen, deployed its ground and air forces to help the Yemeni army suppress the revolutionary people, but it failed and retreated in humiliation. In this round of confrontations, hundreds of Yemeni Shi'as were martyred and nearly 200,000 people were made homeless. Currently Yemen is reeling under the aerial bombardment of Saudi Arabia, which over the past year and four months has martyred more than 10,000 men, women and children, in addition to wounding tens of thousands of others, and destroying the infrastructure.

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, in northwest Iran hundreds of villages were flattened by twin earthquakes (magnitude 6.4 and 6.3), leaving 306 dead and 3,037 injured. Around half the 600 villages located in the zone were damaged or destroyed.

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