Today is Sunday; 2nd of the Iranian month of Sha'ban 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 15th of the Islamic month of Sha’ban 1437 lunar hijri; and May 22, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

2350 solar years ago, on this day in 334 BC, Persian generals, proud of their might and scoffing at the ragtag force a young Macedonian had assembled for what appeared to be a raid on the western fringes of the vast Achaemenid Empire that overlapped the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, suffered the first defeat at the hands of Alexander in the Battle of Granicus. The battle took place between Abydos and Dascylium (near modern day Ergili in Turkey), at the crossing of the Granicus River, which the Turks today call Biga Jayi. It was fought in northwestern Asia Minor, near the site of ancient Troy. The defeat shocked the Persians; and Alexander who was almost killed in the battle and was saved from certain death by Cleitus, savagely slew not just the retreating forces but as many as 18,000 Greeks led by Memnon of Rhodes Island, who as allies of the Persians sought to broker peace. This unexpected success encouraged Alexander to advance into the interior of the Persian Empire. The pride and laxity of Emperor Darius III, allowed Alexander a whole year’s time to strengthen his forces, win over Greeks to his side, and ravage the countryside. And when Darius III at last decided to personally confront the upstart invader, he suffered a stunning defeat in 333 BC at the Battle Issus, close to the present-day Turkish city of Iskenderun. The collapse of the Achaemenid Empire set in as the Persians suffered defeat after defeat and retreated from Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, where in 331 BC Darius lost the decisive Battle of Gaugamela (near Arbil), despite fielding an awesome force assembled from all over the empire, including war elephants from his Indian satraps. Finally the capital Persepolis in the heart of Persia was conquered and destroyed by Alexander. In 330 BC the 220-year old Achaemenid Empire ceased to exist after Darius III was killed by his own general in Bactria, Central Asia, where Alexander sealed his series of victories, before marching three years later to the River Indus and Punjab, the easternmost limits of the Persian Empire. Although, Alexander, who died in 323 BC, styled himself “Shahanshah” (king of kings) and adopted elements of Persian dress and customs, he destroyed the cultural heritage of Persia, and terrorized the whole empire – at times slaughtering all males and selling into slavery women and children of cities that resisted his assaults. He was so ruthless and cruel that during a drinking bout in Samarqand, he killed, Cleitus, his close companion and saver of his life at the Battle of Granicus. Seven decades later, the Parthians rose up from northeastern Iran to cleanse the land of Hellenistic influence by establishing the second great Iranian empire, which lasted 471 years, and which checked the eastward expansion of the Roman Empire, by establishing the capital at Ctesiphon (Madaen) in Iraq near modern day Baghdad.

1199 lunar years ago, on this day in 238 AH, the Hadith scholar, Ishaq ibn Ibrahīm ibn Mukhallad al-Ḥanzali, known as Ibn Rahwaiyh and famous as the Imam of Khorasan, died at the age 77 in Naishapur. Born in Marv (presently in Turkmenistan), he was most likely of Iranian stock as his surname suggests, although he claimed descent from the Arab at-Tamimi clan. He is said to have memorized over a hundred thousand Hadith, and as a friend of the jurisprudent, Ahmad ibn Hanbal (son of an Abbasid military officer in Khorasan), accompanied him on his travels to seek knowledge. Ibn Rahwaiyh was the teacher of Mohammad bin Ismail Bukhari, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of Hadith. It was on his advice Bukhari compiled his “Sahih” by selecting as per his personal discretion (without access to the Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt and their disciples) 2602 narrations of the 300,000 so-called Hadith he had collected. On an important jurisprudential and social matter, Ibn Rahwaiyh took a stance that is closer to the School of the Ahl al-Bayt and against the opinion of Sunni jurisprudents that once a man marries a slave and has children with her both she and the child are free, and the child cannot be enslaved.

1182 lunar years ago, on this day in 255 AH, the Promised Saviour of mankind, the Namesake of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), and his 12th and Last Infallible Successor, the Awaited Imam Mahdi (PuH), was born in Samara, Iraq. He was only five years when his father, Imam Hassan Askari (PuH) was martyred through poisoning by the Abbasid caliph, Mo’tamid-Billah, who fearful of the Prophet’s famous saying that his 12th Successor would rise as Qa’em to end the rule of oppressors, launched a massive manhunt to locate and destroy the orphan. The 12th Imam’s mother was the virtuous Lady Narjis (peace upon her), who was a granddaughter of the Byzantine Emperor and from her mother’s side was a direct descendant of Simeon the disciple of Prophet Jesus (PuH). By the will of God, the minor occultation of the 12th Imam started during which he kept touch with people through representatives for 69 years. God then Willed that Imam Mahdi (PuH) should go into major occultation before reappearance in the end times to cleanse the world of all vestiges of oppression and corruption by establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice. We pray to God hasten his reappearance and congratulate all the faithful on his birthday which is marked as the International Day of the Deprived.

1163 solar years ago, on this day in 853 AD, a Byzantine fleet sacked and destroyed the undefended port city of Damietta in Abbasid-ruled Egypt, killing hundreds of people, abducting at least 600 Arab and Coptic Christian women, and seizing large quantities of weapons and supplies intended for the Muslim Emirate of the island of Crete, while the garrison was absent, attending a feast in the capital Fustat. The Christian Greek fleet of 85 ships and 5,000 ruthless pirates, led by a turncoat Arab admiral named "Ibn Qatuna", then sailed east and attacked the fortress of Ushtun, where the many artillery and siege engines were burned. According to Muslim historians, the surprise raid, while the self-styled caliphs in Baghdad were sunk in pleasures and oppression of the people, especially the followers of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, jolted the conscience of the Egyptian people to the urgent need of strengthening of maritime defences. As a result ships were constructed, new crews conscripted, and Damietta and other coastal sites fortified. This marked the birth of the Egyptian navy, which reached its peak later under the Ismaili Shi’ite Muslim Fatemid dynasty.

1108 lunar years ago, on this day in 329 AH, Ali Ibn Mohammad Samarri the last of the Four Deputies of the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his reappearance), during the period of “Ghaibat as-Sughra” (or Minor Occultation), passed away in his nineties. A disciple of Imam Hasan Askari (PuH), the 11th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad’s (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), he served as Deputy to the 12th Imam for three years after the death of the Third Deputy Hussain Ibn Ruh an-Nawbakhti. He was laid to rest in Baghdad. Six days before his death, the 12th Imam gave him a letter that no other Deputy would replace him and during the period of “Ghaibat al-Kubra” (or Major Occultation) the faithful should refer to devout, sincere, pious, far-sighted, and courageous ulema for guidance, until God orders his reappearance. The Imam’s Letter reads:

"In the Name of Allah the All-Compassionate the All-Merciful; O Ali Ibn Mohammad Samarri, in the grievance of your death shall God grant your brothers a great reward. You will leave this world in 6 days. Settle your affairs and do not assign a successor for yourself. The time of the “Ghaibat al-Kubra” (Major Occultation) has arrived and I will not reappear until Allah grants me the permission to do so, and my reappearance will only be after a long time and the pitilessness of hearts and the overspread of injustice on the Earth. There will be those who will announce themselves as my deputy to my Shias (followers). Beware that if anyone before the emergence of the (bloodthirsty) Sufyani and the Loud Announcement from the sky, makes any such claims (to be my deputy), then they (he/she) is a liar and a deceiver as all movements and influences are from none but Allah."

961 lunar years ago, on this day in 476 AH, the Islamic scholar and judge, Abu’l-Fazl Qazi Ayyadh Ibn Amir Ibn Musa al-Yahsubi as-Sabti, was born in a scholarly family in the Moroccan city of Ceuta – presently under Spain’s occupation. Having studied under the best teachers of his time, such as Abu’l-Hassan ibn Siraj, he became the leading scholar of Ceuta, then part of the al-Morawwid Empire of Maghreb and Islamic Spain. He later served as Chief Qadhi (Islamic Judge) in Gharnata (Granada in present day Spain). In his quest for knowledge, he interacted with visiting scholars of the Islamic East, and travelled to the Spanish Muslim cities of Cordoba, Almeria, and Murcia. In Murcia, he received “ijaza” (permission to relate hadith) from the most important Spanish Muslim traditionist of his time, Abu Ali as-Sadafi, and met with some of the most celebrated scholars such as Ibn al-Haaj, and Ibn Hamdin. He was the teacher of such famous scholars as the Spanish Muslim philosopher, scientist and jurist, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), and the polymath and Arabic grammarian, Ibn Madha. Qazi Ayyadh, who is revered as one of the seven saints of Marrakesh, wrote commentaries in far off North Africa and Spain on the hadith compendiums of the Iranian Sunni Muslim compilers, such as Mohammad Ibn Ismael Bukhari and Muslim Ibn Hajjaj Naishapuri. He led an uprising when the al-Muwahidin seized Ceuta, but was defeated and banished to Tadla and later to Marrakesh, where he was executed at the age of 68. His body cut to pieces for refusal to acknowledge Ibn Tumart, the leader of the al-Muwahidin, as the Mahdi – a false claim since the Awaited Mahdi is none other than Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) 12th Infallible Heir (AS) who will reappear in end times, along with Prophet Jesus (AS), to establish the global government of peace, prosperity and justice. The Qadi Ayyadh University in Marrakesh is named after him.

756 lunar years ago, on this day in 681 AH, the renowned Islamic scholar, Seyyed Amid od-Din Abdul Muttalib Ibn Mohammad bin Ali al-A'arj, was born in Hillah. He was the nephew (or sister’s son) of the celebrated scholar Allamah Hilli, and wrote several books on various Islamic sciences, including "Sharh Tahzib al-Osoul" and “Kanz al-Fawa’ed”.

600 lunar years ago, on this day in 837 AH, the poet and scholar Ibn Hujjah Hamawi passed away. Among his valuable works, mention can be made of his book: “al-Khazanat al-Adab”.

393 solar years ago, on this day in 1623 AD, Hormuz Island in the Strait of the same name in the Persian Gulf was liberated by Iranian naval forces from the Portuguese occupiers after a 3-month siege. Iran took humanitarian measures to allow the entire Portuguese population of the island to leave for Muscat in Oman. Shah Abbas the Great granted certain commercial privileges to the English for their naval assistance against the Portuguese.

157 solar years ago, on this day in 1859 AD, Scottish author and physician, Arthur Conan Doyle, was born. He created the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

131 solar years ago, on this day in 1885 AD, the French author and poet, Victor Hugo, died at the age of 83. He was involved in politics and as an advocate of civil rights, opposed the repressive rule Napoleon III. Hugo is considered the pioneer of the Romanticism School. Among his famous novels, mention can be made of “Les Miserables”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “The Man Who Laughs”, and “Toilers of the Sea”.

104 solar years ago, on this day in 1912 AD, the American Chemist, Herbert Charles Brown, was born in London. His family immigrated to the US when he was two years old. He obtained PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. In 1979, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering new combinations in Organic Chemistry, including different types of fertilizers and vegetable preservatives. He died in 2004.

56 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, the Great Chilean earthquake measuring 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale, hit southern Chile. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.

40 solar years ago, in the year 1976 AD, the Afro-American poet, novelist and playwright, James Langston Hughes, died in New York at the age of 74. He was born in Missouri and his first novel “Not without Laughter” won him the Harmon gold medal in literature. He campaigned for the rights of the Afro-Americans, and in his works portrayed the hardships and difficulties of the black people in the US. Among his works, mention can be made of “One-Way Ticket”, and “Laughing to Keep from Crying”.

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1987 AD, the Hashempura Massacre occurred in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh state, India, when 19 personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) rounded up 42 Muslim youth from the Hashempura Mohalla, took them to the outskirts near Murad Nagar in Ghaziabad District, where they were shot and their bodies were dumped in water canals. A few days later corpses were found floating in the canals. In May 2000, 16 of the 19 murderers surrendered, and were released on bail. In 2002 the Supreme Court transferred the trial of the case to a Sessions Court at the Tis Hazari complex in Delhi, where it is the oldest pending case. On 24 May 2007, twenty years after the massacre, two survivors and members of the victims’ families filed applications at the Lucknow court as per The Right to Information Act, seeking information of the case. The inquiry revealed that all police culprits remained in service, and none had any mention of the incident in their Annual Confidential Report (ACR)

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1990 AD, North Yemen and South Yemen decided to merge into a single state, after decades of separation, following the treaty of 1914 between the Ottomans and the British. The North’s president, Col. Ali Abdullah Saleh – ousted in 2012 – retained power as President of united Yemen. Yemen was ruled intermittently for almost a millennium by descendants of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), who mostly belonged to the Zaydi Shi’ite sect. The majority of the people of Yemen are Shi’ite Muslims, mostly Zaydis, followed by Ismailis and a minority of Ithna Ash’aris (Twelvers). Parts of Yemen, such as Najran, Jizaan, and Asir are under Saudi occupation, despite the long-expired treaty of 1934 calling for their return after a 40-year period.

3 lunar years ago, on this day in 1434 AH, Egypt’s prominent religious scholar, Sheikh Hassan Shehata, was brutally martyred by a gang of Takfiri terrorists in the village of Abu Mussalam in Giza Province, in the early morning hours after holding night prayers and supplications on the auspicious eve of 15th Sha’ban, the birth anniversary of the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (PuH), the 12th and Last Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The Takfiris, who are the avowed enemies of the Blessed Household of the Prophet of Islam, burst into the house and dragged Shehata and four other Muslims, beating them violently until they died. Unfortunately, Egypt’s first ever democratically elected president, Mohammad Morsi, despite his claims of Islamic unity, turned a blind eye to this horrible act of terrorism, and was overthrown in a US-Saudi backed military coup ten days later.