Today is Monday; 16th of the Iranian month of Dey 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 10th of the Islamic month of Jamadi al-Awwal 1441 lunar hijri; and January 6, 2020, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1434 lunar years ago, on this day in 7 AH, Khosrow Pervez, the powerful 22nd emperor of the Iranian Sassanid Empire, was killed by his own son, Shiruvieh (Qobad II), after a string of setbacks against Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire, following his early spectacular victories that had taken his armies to the gates of Constantinople and brought Syria, Palestine and Egypt, under his control. He died a humiliating death, as per the prediction of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), whose epistle inviting him to the truth of Islam he had scornfully torn into pieces. Six years later the Muslims defeated the Sassanids and captured their capital Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia, and within a few years the whole empire was brought into the fold of Islam, with the Iranian people, tired of the tyranny of their rulers, becoming Muslims.

1415 lunar years ago, on this day in 36 AH, the Battle of Jamal or Camel took place near Basra in Iraq, between the forces of Islam, led by the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), and the seditionists led by Talha, Zubayr bin Awam, the latter’s son Abdullah ibn Zubayr and the Omayyad Marwan bin Hakam. The seditionists, who had earlier looted the public treasury of Basra and shed Muslim blood at the instigation of Abdullah bin Zubayr, connived to deceive the Muslims by bringing along with them to the battlefield, Ayesha, one of the wives the widower Prophet had married in the last ten years of his life. She was seated on a camel, called ‘jamal’ in Arabic; hence the name of the battle. Imam Ali (AS), who was the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), won a decisive victory after his efforts to persuade the seditionists to return to the fold of Islam failed. Some 13,000 seditionists were killed including Talha and Zubayr bin Awam – the latter under mysterious circumstance after having acknowledged the righteousness of Imam Ali (AS) and ruing his folly to join the seditionists. The Imam, after due admonition sent back the erring Ayesha to Medina, accompanied by her brother, Mohammad ibn Abu Bakr, who was a staunch supporter of Imam Ali (AS). Abdullah bin Zubayr and Marwan bin Hakam were lucky to escape alive, and the two of them continued their seditions in the subsequent decades, to divide Muslim ranks and shed Muslim blood.

1356 solar years ago, on this day in 664 AD, the notorious Omayyad partisan and governor of Egypt, Amr ibn al-Aas, died at the age of around 90 in a state of acute mental agony while recalling his crimes against Islam and humanity, including how he had tried to cheat the Prophet’s righteous heir, Imam Ali (AS), of the caliphate by declaring the rebel Mu'awiyya ibn Abu Sufyan as the caliph. Born out of wedlock in Mecca to a morally-loose slave-girl, named Layla bintHarmalah and called "Nabigha", his paternity was open to doubt in those freewheeling days of Jahiliyya because of the polyandrous relations of his mother with at least five persons at the same time including Abu Sufyan and Aas ibn Wa'el. Although Amr greatly resembled the stingy miser Abu Sufyan, his mother by openly citing the issue of maintenance claimed that the rather generous Aas had fathered her illegitimate child. With the advent of Islam, Amr showed bitter hostility toward Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). When the Prophet migrated to Medina, he was involved in almost all the battles imposed upon Muslims by the pagan Arabs of Mecca. Earlier, when a batch of persecuted Muslims led by the Prophet's cousin, Ja'far ibn Abu Taleb, sought asylum in Abyssinia he led an unsuccessful mission to the court of the Christian king, Negus, for the handover of the refugees. In 8 AH, two years before the passing away of the Prophet and shortly before the surrender of Mecca to the Muslims, Amr, sensing the end of the days of paganism, came to Medina – along with that other avowed enemy of Islam, Khaled bin Waleed – to pretend conversion to Islam, although none of his deeds ever support his claim to be a Muslim. After the Prophet, when the neo-Muslim Arab armies swept in different directions, he led the attack on the Byzantine province of Egypt. When Mu'awiyyah consolidated power in Syria, he joined him as advisor in Damascus and was the evil mind in most of the plots against the Prophet's divinely-decreed successor, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), including the hoisting of copies of the holy Qur'an on spear-points during the War of Siffeen in order to deceive Muslims and evade a definite defeat. Earlier during the battle, to escape certain death from the flashing blade of Imam Ali (AS), Amr while fleeing, shamelessly disrobed himself, making the Imam turn away from such an abhorred sight. In 38 AH, he again attacked Egypt and seized it by brutally martyring the legally appointed governor, Mohammad ibn Abu Bakr. Thus at the time of his agonizing death, he admitted that he felt as if the Mountain of Redhwa was hanging upon his neck and he was being dragged through the eye of a needle for his sins and crimes against Islam and humanity.

1136 solar years ago, on this day in 884 AD, founder of the Alawid state in Tabaristan, northern Iran, Hassan Ibn Zayd, known as “Da’i al-Kabeer” (Elder Missionary) and “Da’iil-al-Haq” (Inviter to Truth), passed away in Amol, Mazandaran, after a twenty-year reign. He was 6^th in line of descent from Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson and 2nd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He was invited by the people of northern Iran to lead them against the usurper Abbasid regime. He enlightened the people with the teachings of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, and was known for his resolute resistance against the Abbasids and their regional agents. Historians have praised him as a just and equitable ruler, possessing rare energy as a sincerely religious man, well educated, and a patron of letters. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Mohammad, known as “Da’i as-Sagheer” (Younger Missionary), who during his 16 year-rule, until martyrdom while fighting the invading Samanid forces, continued his brother’s enlightened policies and rebuilt the holy shrines in Karbala and Najaf.

1061 lunar years ago, on this day in 380 AH, the well-known Iranian Islamic astronomer and mathematician, Abu-Ja’far ibn Ayoub Tabari Haseb, passed away. He has left behind a book in Persian language titled “Shish Fasl” which presents questions and answers on astronomy.

983 lunar years ago, on this day in 458 AH, the Iranian Sunni scholar of Hadith, Ahmad ibn Hussain Ibn Ali al-Khosrojerdi al-Bayhaqi, passed away at the age of 74 in his native Khorasan. Born in the town of Khosroujerd near Sabzevar (then known as Bayhaq), he followed the Shafe'i school in jurisprudence and the Ash'ari school in theology.  He studied fiqh from Abu’l-Fath Naser ibn al-Hussain an-Nayshaburi, and hadith from Hakem an-Nayshaburi, the compiler of the famous “al-Mustadrik ala as-Sahihayn”. Known as Imam Bayhaqi, he authored several books including “Sunan al-Kubra” (also called “Sunan al-Bayhaqi”), “al-Asma' wa’s-Sifaat” (The Divine Names and Attributes) and “Dala'el an-Nubuwwah” (Proofs of Prophethood)

980 solar years ago, on this day in 1040 AD, the Ghaznavid king, Mas'oud I, after a reign of nine years, was murdered by his nephew Ahmad, son of his deposed elder twin brother Mohammad, who was subsequently restored to the throne. Mohammad, designated as successor by his famous father, Mahmoud Ghaznavi, the Turkic conqueror of Khorasan, Central Asia and northwestern India, had ruled for five months before being blinded and dethroned by Mas'oud – an able general who held on to his father's Iranian possessions. During the later years of his rule, Mas'oud lost Central Asia and Khorasan to the Seljuq Turks and moved his capital from Ghazni (in present day Afghanistan) to Lahore in what is now Pakistan. The famous Iranian Islamic scientist, Abu Rayhan Berouni has dedicated his work on astronomy titled "Qanoun al-Mas'oudi" to Mas'oud, whose son Mowdoud killed his uncle Mohammad a year later, and became king.

902 solar years ago, on this day in 1118 AD, the Spanish Muslim city of Zaragoza and the province of the same name, now called Aragon, was occupied by Alfonso the Battler, thereby ending 414 years of glorious Islamic rule. Founded by the Romans as Caesar-Augusta, the city was captured by the Goths, who lost it to the Muslims in 714, and was called Saraqusta in Arabic. It grew to become the biggest Muslim city of Northern Spain. It became a hotbed of political intrigue. In 774, its governor, Hussain Ibn Yahya al-Ansari declared Hispania to be a province of Baghdad’s Abbasid caliphate, prompting the Omayyads of Cordoba to launch an abortive attack. Hussain resisted till 788 and in the meantime in 777, beat back an attempt by Charlemagne of France to besiege it. The area changed hands several times among the various Muslim factions. In 884 it was sold by Mohammad Ibn Lubb Ibn Qasi to the Christian Raymond of Pallars, but was immediately retaken by the Muslims. In 886 the Banu Tujibi clan governed it and over a century later declared it as an independent Taifa or emirate. In 1038, Zaragoza was seized by Banu Houd, whose ruler, Abdul-Malik Imad od-Dowla, made the mistake of allying himself with the Castilian Christians against the al-Morawid Muslim dynasty. The treachery proved fatal and in 1118 with the help of mercenaries, Alfonso seized Zaragoza and ended Muslim rule. The magnificent al-Jaferia Palace, built by Ja'far al-Muqtadir, serves as the regional parliament today.

608 solar years ago, on this day in 1412 AD, Joan of Arc, France’s national heroine, Jeanne d’Arc, known to the English as Joan of Arc or Maid of Orleans, was born in Domremy village in a family of farmers. In 1429 she started her uprising for liberation of the parts of French territory from the occupation of England. In two years she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the coronation of Charles VII. She was captured by the Burgundians, transferred to the English in exchange for money, put on trial by the pro-English Bishop of Beauvais for charges of insubordination and heterodoxy, and burned at the stake as a heretic in 1431 when she was only 19 years old. She was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.

539 solar years ago, on this day in 1481 AD, Ahmed Ibn Kuchuk, the Khan of the Great Horde from 1465 was killed by the Siberian Ibak Khan of the Nogay tribe at the mouth of the River Donets. He seized power from his elder brother Mahmoud and in 1472, entered into alliance with the Polish king Casimir IV against Ivan III of Russia. In 1480, he launched a military campaign against Moscow.

528 solar years ago, on this day in 1492 AD, Christian occupiers of the Spanish Muslim emirate of Gharnata (Granada), led by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, entered the magnificent Islamic fortress complex of “al-Hamra” (“The Red” in Arabic and mispronounced ‘Alhambra’ by the Europeans). Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the inspiration for many songs and stories. Spanish Muslim poets described it as "a pearl set in emeralds," in allusion to the colour of its buildings and the woods around them. The palace complex was designed with the mountainous site in mind. The park, overgrown with wildflowers and grass in the spring, was planted by the Muslims of Spain with roses, oranges and myrtles. Completed by the Sultans Yusuf I and Mohammad V, a century before Granada fell to Christian mercenaries from different parts of Europe, the al-Hamra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of Islamic Spain. Among the architectural beauties of this vast complex which for centuries was neglected and damaged by the Christians, before its modern restoration are the Royal Complex, the Court of Lions, the Court of Myrtles, and the Hall of Ambassadors – each structure, marveled for its grand design of slender horse shoe arches, columns, arabesques, and dazzling Arabic calligraphy.

327 solar years ago, on this day in1693 AD, Mohammad IV, the 19th Ottoman sultan and the 10th self-styled Turkish caliph, died in Edrine during imprisonment 6 years after being deposed. Born in Istanbul to Sultan Ibrahim’s Rutherian (Ukrainian) concubine, soon after his birth, Ibrahim was so enraged that he tore the infant from his mother's arms and flung him into a cistern. Though saved by harem servants, it left a lifelong scar on his head. On Ibrahim’s execution, he was placed on the throne at the age of 6 and ruled for almost 40 years till his ouster in 1687. He died in 1693. His reign changed the nature of the Sultan's position as he gave up most of his executive power to his Grand Vizier. His reign is notable for peace with the Safavid Empire of Iran which enabled him to stage a brief revival of Ottoman fortunes in Europe led by Grand Vizier Mohammad Koprulu Pasha and his son Fazel Ahmad Pasha. The Turks regained the Aegean islands from Venice, and Crete, during the Cretan War (lasting from 1645 to 1669). They also fought successful campaigns against Transylvania (in 1660) and Poland (during 1670 to 1674). At one point Ottoman rule was close to extending deep into Ukraine. Supporting the 1683 Hungarian uprising against Austrian rule, a large Ottoman army besieged Vienna, but suffered a defeat on the Kahlenberg Heights, by Polish forces led by King John III Sobieski and his allies, resulting in reversal of fortune for the Turks, who would have lost Iraq and Anatolia as well, if Shah Suleiman Safavi of Iran had chosen to exploit the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, after the Ottomans suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The Iranians refrained from inter-Muslim wars by rejecting feelers of European states to form a coalition against the Ottoman Empire. In 1687, after the Ottoman defeat in the Second Battle of Mohacs, Mohammad IV was deposed.

168 solar years ago, on this day in 1852 AD, the blind French educator Louis Braille, who developed a tactile form of printing and writing for the blind, died at the age of 43. He became blind at the age four following an accident. In 1821, while Braille was at a school for the blind, a soldier named Charles Barbier visited and showed a code system he had invented. The system, called "night writing" had been designed for soldiers in war trenches to silently pass instructions using combinations of twelve raised dots. Young Braille realised how useful this system of raised dots could be. He developed a simpler scheme using six dots. In 1827 the first book in what is now called Braille was published, enabling the blind to write.

137 solar years ago, on this day in 1883 AD, famous Levantine Arab writer and poet, Khalil Jebran Khalil, was born in Bsharri in the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate of the Syrian Province of the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Lebanon). As a young man he migrated with his family to the United States, where he studied art and began his literary career, writing in both English and Arabic. He lived the major part of his life in New York (where he died at the age of 48), though he came back to Lebanon and spent several years mastering the Arabic language and absorbing the culture of the east, before returning to the US. He wrote and composed poems in both Arabic and English. Although a Christian he was highly influenced by Islam and the dynamic personalities of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). He wrote: “I am Christian and I am proud of it, but I am in love with Prophet of Islam and have great regard for his name.”

On Imam Ali (AS), he writes: “In my view, (Imam) Ali was the first Arab to have contact with and converse with the universal soul. He died a martyr of his greatness; he died while prayer was between his two lips. The Arabs did not realise his value until appeared among their Persian neighbors some who knew the difference between gems and gravels. He was like a prophet sent for a nation other than his own during a period to which he did not belong.”

100 lunar years ago, on this day in 1341 AH, Islamic scholar and researcher, Seyyed Abu-Bakr Hadhrami Alawi, passed away in Haiderabad-Deccan in southern India at the age of 79. He was of Yemeni origin conducted valuable studies on poetry and literature. He has left behind his collection of poems. His compilations include the Arabic works “ash-Shahab as-Saqeb”, and “Futouhaat al-Baheth”. He was also fluent in Persian and Urdu.

60 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, founder of modern Persian poetry, Ali Esfandiari, who wrote under the penname NimaYoushij, passed away. Born in Yoush village, Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, after completing his studies in Tehran, he studied French and Arabic, and started writing poems. His school of Persian poetry is known as blank verse. The important features of his poetry include presentation of contemporary topics of importance in simple and friendly language. He broke away from the classic frameworks in his poetry. His most important work is “Afsaneh”.

41 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, following collapse of the military government of Gholam Reza Azhaari and its replacement by Shapour Bakhtiar’s cabinet on the orders of British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), declared from his place of exile near Paris in France that the new government was illegal and the people should continue their struggle till the end of monarchic rule.

14 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, in a case of racism, Afro American teenager, 14-year old Martin Lee Anderson died a day after he was brutally beaten at a juvenile detention camp in Florida by white US officers. Videotape showed that he was punched and kicked. In May 2007 the Florida state legislature agreed to pay Anderson’s family $5 million to settle civil claims, but a few months later, an all-white jury acquitted 8 former boot camp workers of manslaughter, despite evidence.

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