Today is Thursday; 2nd of the Iranian month of Aban 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 25th of the Islamic month of Safar 1441 lunar hijri; and October 24, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1430 lunar years ago, on this day in 11 AH, Calamity of Thursday (رزیت الخمیس) occurred in Medina in the last days of the life of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Also known as the “Event of Ink and Paper (Qirtas)”, the Prophet who was sick, asked for these items to write down his last will, saying this will strengthen unity and prevent Muslims from going astray after him. But he was denied these things by a group of his companions, and according to the famous Sunni book of Hadith “Sahih Bukhari”, Omar ibn Khattab said: The man is delirious; the Book of God is enough for us”. At this disrespectful remark, as is mentioned in the “Sihah as-Sitta” and other books of Sunan and Seerah of our Sunni brethren, a dispute arose among the companions, prompting the Prophet – who never says anything but on the commandment of God – to demand that they all leave him. Three days later, after the passing away of the Prophet and the unfortunate incident of Saqifa Bani Sa’da to elect a caliph or political leader, many prominent Muslims rued the denial of ink and paper to the Prophet, whose intention was to confirm in writing the leadership of Imam Ali (AS), whom he had often referred to as caliph and “wasee” (or legatee) throughout his 23-year mission. It is worth noting that two months earlier on 18^th Zilhijja, the Prophet on divine commandment had formally proclaimed Imam Ali (AS) as Vicegerent at the famous assembly of Ghadeer-Khom, while returning from his Farewell Hajj pilgrimage, during which he had specifically stated the prominence of the Ahl al-Bayt, as the legitimate and lawful leaders of the Ummah, saying:

“I am leaving behind among you the Thaqalayn, the Book of God (i.e. the holy Qur’an) and my progeny the Ahl al-Bayt. Hold fast to them and you will never go astray, for the two never part with each other even when they return to me at the Fountain (on the Day of Judgment).”

Hadith Thaqalayn and all aspects of the Prophet’s life, including reference to the Calamity of Thursday, open for us the path of guidance and provide for us the formula of Islamic unity. Interestingly, in the book “al-Muraja’at”, as part of the lively debate between Allamah Seyyed Sharaf od-Din Musawi and Sheikh Saleem al-Bishri the head of Egypt’s al-Azhar seminary, in order to determine facts and arrive at Islamic unity, the Calamity of Thursday when the Prophet was prevented from writing the Last Will, has been mentioned in detail.

1241 lunar years ago, on this day in 230 AH, Spanish Muslims led by their general of Iranian origin, Mohammad Ibn Rostum crushingly defeated the Viking marauders who made an attempt to invade Andalusian coasts in a battle near the Islamic city of Ishbiliya, (Seville). Cut off from their ships, most of the Viking invaders surrendered along with four of their vessels laden with booty. Offspring of the captured Vikings, embraced the truth of Islam and became cattle ranchers and makers of excellent cheese in Islamic Spain.

1085 lunar years ago, on this day in 356 AH, Saif od-Dowla, the Hamdanid ruler of Aleppo and most of Syria, passed away. Named Ali, he was the son of Abdullah bin Hamdan, and was a staunch follower of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He was the younger brother of Nasser od-Dowla the Emir of Mosul. He distinguished himself in battles against the Byzantines and could be called the Warden of the Marches of the Islamic frontier of those days by checking the bid by the Christians to plunder Syria. Saif od-Dowla was a man of letters and surrounded himself with prominent intellectual figures, notably the great Arabic poets, al-Mutanabbi and Abu Firas Hamdani, as well as the noted Iranian Islamic philosopher Abu Nasr Farabi. Saif od-Dowla himself was a poet; his delicate short poem on the rainbow shows high artistic ability.

759 solar years ago, on this day in 1260 AD, Saif od-Din Qutuz, the 3rd Turkic Mamluk (slave) sultan of Egypt, while returning from Syria after his decisive victory over the combined forces of the Mongols, Armenian Christians, and European crusaders, was assassinated at as-Salehiyya by some of his own emirs. His bravery, along with that of his able general and successor as sultan, Baibars al-Bunduqdari, shattered the Mongol myth of invincibility at the crucial battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine in which Hulagu Khan's famous Christian Turkic general, Kitbuqa Noyan, was killed, thereby ending the threat to Egypt and North Africa, a few years after the Mongol sack of Baghdad and the subjugation of Syria, which included the turning of the Omayyad Mosque of Damascus into a cathedral. Although the reign of Qutuz was short, he remains one of the most heroic sultans of Egypt for saving the Muslim world, at a time when the eastern Islamic lands including Iran had been ravaged by the bloodthirsty Mongol hordes. His early life is obscure. Captured by the Mongols in Central Asia and sold as a slave, he was brought to Syria where he was resold to an Egyptian merchant who in turn sold him in Cairo to Ezz od-Din Aybak, the first Mamluk sultan of Egypt. According to some sources, Qutuz claimed that his original name was Mahmoud ibn Mamdoud and he was descended from Ala od-Din Mohammad II, the Khwarezm Shahi ruler. He became deputy sultan to Aybak, after whose murder he served his son, al-Mansur Ali, as Sultan for two years, before deposing him on November 12, 1259, and becoming sultan himself on the promise that the emirs could install any other sultan after he defeated the Mongols.

418 solar years ago, on this day in 1601 AD, Danish astronomer and mathematician, Tycho Brahe, died in Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic at the age of 55. Born in Scania, which was then under Denmark, but is now part of Sweden, he studied for a while in Germany, and later was helped by the Danish ruler to set up an observatory on Hven Island. Influenced by the discoveries of Muslim scientists, centuries earlier, he conducted wide scale observations of the skies and discovered a supernova.

371 solar years ago, on this day in 1648 AD, the last of the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia was signed between Prussia, Austria, France, and Sweden in Osnabruck and Munster, thereby ending the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands. Though these treaties ended the centuries' long bloody sectarian battles between the Catholic and Protestant sects of Christianity, they did not restore peace throughout Europe. France and Spain remained at war for the next eleven years, making peace only in the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659. Among the outcomes of the Peace of Westphalia was reduction of the power of the Pope and the Church and emergence of nation states.

224 solar years ago, on this day in 1795 AD, Poland was partitioned among the Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Empires, and ceased to exist on the geographical map of Europe for 125 years until the end of World War 1, when it was revived by the victorious powers in 1921. Poland is located in Eastern Europe, and covers an area of 312,683 sq km with a population of around 39 million. Its capital is Warsaw.

206 solar years ago, on this day in 1813 AD, the Treaty of Golestan was imposed on Iran by Czarist Russia, ending the 9-year Russo-Persian War that resulted in the loss of the Trans-Caucasian territories of the Qajarid Empire. As per the treaty that was mediated by the crafty British, the Russians occupied what are now the republics of Daghestan and Georgia, as well as Baku in northern Azerbaijan. Thirteen years later in 1826, Russia again invaded Iran and occupied other regions, such as Armenia, Nakhchivan and what is now the Republic of Azerbaijan.

91 solar years ago, on this day in 1928 AD, the Iranian scholar, and statesman, Ayatollah Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Husseini Beheshti, was born in Isfahan. In Qom he studied under leading ulema, including the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). He also continued his academic studies at the university and obtained PhD in philosophy. He was active in political and cultural spheres as well, and was involved in the 15th Khordad uprising (June 5, 1963). Later he spent several years at the Islamic Centre in Hamburg, Germany. His fluency in German, English, and Arabic assisted him in promoting Islam in Europe. He returned to Iran in 1971 and continued his struggles against the dictatorial Pahlavi regime. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he was assigned key posts, the last of which was Chief Justice. He achieved martyrdom, along with 72 prominent officials, when a bomb planted by MKO terrorists exploded. He wrote several books, including "God in View of Islam"; "Banking and Islam’s Financial Laws"; and "Role of Faith in Mankind’s Life". In paying him tribute, Imam Khomeini said: “Martyr Beheshti lived and died in oppression; since he was a thorn in the eyes of the foes of Islam.”

74 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD, the United Nations was founded by the victorious powers of World War 2 in place of the defunct League of Nations. At the San Francisco Conference in the US, representatives of fifty world countries ratified the charter of the UN, whose headquarters are based in New York. Its main organs are the General Assembly, the Secretariat, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council; and the International Court of Justice. The goals behind setting up of the UN, in accordance to its charter, are safeguarding of global peace and security; promotion of amicable relations among nations; global cooperation for resolution of social, political, economic, and cultural issues of concern; and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Unfortunately, the UN has failed in its goals because of its exploitation by the 5 self-imposed permanent members, especially the US. The other four self-imposed permanent members are Russia, France, Britain, and China, all of which wield the unfair and unjust veto power at the Security Council that kills the aspirations of independent countries, as is the case with the series of unlawful sanctions the UN has imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran for its peaceful nuclear project, while turning a blind eye to the nuclear arsenal of big powers, and that of the illegal Zionist entity, Israel.

55 solar years ago, on this day in 1964 AD, Zambia gained independence from British colonial rule. Situated in southern Africa, it was seized by the British in 1888 and called Northern Rhodesia. Zambia covers an area of 752,614 sq km. Its capital is Lusaka, and it shares borders with Zaire, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

31 solar years ago, on this day in 1988 AD, Grand Ayatollah Jawad Aqa Tehrani passed away at the age of 85. He was born in Tehran and after completing his studies in Qom left for Holy Najaf in Iraq to continue his higher studies. He groomed many scholars and was known for his piety and ascetic nature. While in Mashhad, he was the teacher of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Among the books written by him are: "Mizan al-Mataleb" in Arabic and the 2-volume "Aieen-e Zendegi" in Persian.

25 solar years ago, on this day in 1993 AD, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Mirkhani passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 76. A product of the seminary of holy Qom, among his teachers were Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Shehab od-Din Mar’ashi Najafi and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi. He was active in Tehran in academic and revolutionary circles. On establishment of the Islamic Azad University, following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, he was one of the benefactors who helped establish this higher education centre and generously donated a building for the university to obtain the permit to establish a branch. Besides his religious activities and authoring books, he was interested in social and cultural affairs. Thanks to his efforts, thousands of young knowledge seekers from all around the country have attended the Islamic Azad University to reap the benefit. 

23 solar years ago, on this day in 1996 AD, the erudite scholar Ayatollah Mohammad Vasef Lahiji passed away. He was a picture of piety and a staunch defender of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He was well versed in theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, logic, mathematics, physics, literature, poetry, Arabic language and Qur’anic studies. An excellent orator in Arabic and Persian, as well as a poet in both languages, he strove to promote the genuine teachings of Islam through his speeches, his writings, and his poems, which were often composed on scientific factors. His published works total two hundred and include books such as “History of the Infallible Imams”, and “Tibb an-Nabawi” (Medicinal Anecdotes from the Prophet of Islam). His poetical works include “Bayt al-Ahzaan-e Asheqaan”.

14 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, Iranian painter Mokarrameh Qanbari, passed away at the age 77. Born in the village of Darikandeh between Qaemshahr and Babol in Mazanderan Province, she was a self-made painter who despite her great talent never received any formal training in painting. She won several international talent prizes. Mokarrameh actually began painting at the age of 63 when she came across some artist's paintings which her son had left at her home. Within a few years her works were noticed by painters in Iran and overseas. She held her first exhibition at the Seyhun Gallery in Tehran in 1995. She also participated in ten other exhibitions and was awarded the jury prize at the Roshd Film Festival and another award at the Rural Artistic-Literary Festival. In 2001, she was awarded an honorary certificate at the Conference of the Foundation of Iranian Women's Studies in Stockholm, Sweden and was named the year's exemplary woman. Iranian filmmaker Ibrahim Mokhtari has made a documentary film about her life and works titled: “Her Memories and Dreams.” She was buried in the courtyard of her house.

10 solar years ago, on this day in 2009 AD, two deadly bomb blasts triggered by terrorists backed by Saudi Arabia, near the Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad Provincial Council, resulted in the martyrdom of around 200 men, women, and children, and injury to almost a thousand others. Among those martyred were 35 employees of the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, as well as some 30 children aboard a school bus which was blown apart, along with the driver and others. The blasts took place very close to where car bombers, also backed by Saudi Arabia, martyred over 120 people at the Foreign and Finance Ministries two months earlier. In March 2010, security forces nabbed the cowardly perpetrator of the bomb blasts, Munaf Abdur-Rahim ar-Rawi, who admitted masterminding many other Baghdad bombings on instructions from Saudi Arabia. His capture also led to the death in shootout of al-Qa’eda terrorist leaders Abu Ayub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.

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