Today is Friday; 14th of the Iranian month of Khordad 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 27th of the month of Sha’ban 1437 lunar hijri; and June 3, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1086 lunar years ago, on this day in 351 AH, Hassan ibn Mohammad al-Muhallabi, the literary patron and able vizier of the founder of the Iranian Buwaiyhid Dynasty of Iran-Iraq-Oman, Moiz od-Dowla Daylami, passed away in Oman during a military expedition at the age of 65. The Buwaiyhids were devout followers of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Hassan was one of the last members to achieve renown from the famous clan of the Muhallabids that traced its lineage back nine generations to the army commander Muhallab ibn Abu Sufra, who despite being the son of Abu Sufra – the loyal Omani supporter of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) – changed sides, along with his opportunistic sons, as per the political situation between the Omayyads, the Zubayrids, and later the Abbasids, and suffered ignominious ends. Hassan al-Muhallabi, who was master of both the Arabic and Persian languages, started life as an administrator in Ahvaz, who on catching the attention of the Buwaiyhid vizier, Abu Ja’far Saimuri, became attached to the court of Moez od-Dowla, and later on his patron’s death succeeded him as vizier. He was an accomplished poet as well.

1071 lunar years ago, on this day in 366 AH, Naseer od-Din Sabuktigin, a former Turkic slave, was made governor of Ghazni by his ex-owner and governor of Khorasan, Alptigin – himself an emancipated Turkic slave of the Iranian Samanid dynasty of Bukhara. Amir Nuh II Samani confirmed the appointment. Born in Barskon in what is today Kyrgyzstan, as a 12-year old, he was taken prisoner by a neighbouring warring tribe and sold to a merchant named Haji Nasr, from whom he was purchased by Alptigin and became fully Persianized. When Alptigin rebelled against the Samanids, capturing Zabulistan and Ghazna, he raised Sebuktigin to the position of a general and gave his daughter in marriage to him. Sabuktigin, on the death of Alptigin, served his two successors Ishaq and Balkatigin, before seizing the rule of Ghazna. Soon afterwards, on the decline of the Samanid power, he became virtually independent. He expanded his realm after defeating Jayapala to cover the territory as far as the Neelum River in Kashmir and the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. In the north he took Balkh and in the west Helmand from the Samanids. On his death, after a 20-year rule, he was succeeded by his younger son Ismail, who was soon removed by his elder son, Mahmoud Ghaznavi, who greatly expanded the realm and took the title of Sultan. Of unsound religious belief, Sabuktigin repressed both Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims, and committed the unpardonable sin of destroying the holy shrine in Mashhad of Imam Reza (AS), the 8^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

947 lunar years ago, on this day in 490 AH, the prominent Islamic scholar, Abu'l-Hassan Ali Ibn Zaid Bayhaqi, popularly known as “Ibn Funduq” and "Fareed-e Khorasan", was born in the city of Bayhaq in northeastern Iran, which later became Sabzevar. An expert in hadith, theology, literature, mathematics, and philosophy, his most important book is "Ma'arej Nahj al-Balagha", a commentary on the famous compilation of the eloquent sermons, letters, and maxims of Imam Ali (AS). In Persian he authored “Tarikh-e Bayhaq” giving geographical and dynastic details of the region. Among his books, mention can also be made of “Lubaab al-Ansaab” on genealogy of notable figures. He passed away in the year 565 AH.

611 lunar years ago, on this day in 826 AH, the Shafei jurist and judge, Wali od-Din Ahmad bin Abdur-Rahim al-Misri Ibn Iraqi, passed away at the age of 54 in his homeland Egypt, and was buried beside his father, Zain od-Din Iraqi. He studied and taught in Damascus, Bayt ol-Moqaddas, Cairo, and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. He has left behind a number of books.

514 solar years ago, on this day in 1502 AD, the Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama, massacred people in the port of Calicut, southern India. Calicut, which is now called Kozhikode, was the first location occupied by Vasco da Gama in 1498, after he discovered the sea route to India via the southern coast of Africa, with the help of Muslim Arab navigators, whom this treacherous Portuguese killed. Vasco da Gama was a murderous person, and on one occasion, when 800 Arab merchants landed on the southern Indian coast for buying rice, he seized them; tortured them to death by cutting their hands, ears, and noses, and burned their ships.

359 solar years ago, on this day in 1657 AD, English physician, William Harvey, who by studying the translations of Islamic scientists, became the first European to discover the true nature of the circulation of the blood and of the function of the heart as a pump, died at the age of 79. Harvey's methods were to set the pattern for research in biology and other sciences for succeeding generations.

349 solar years ago, on this day in 1667 AD, the first human blood transfusion in the history of medicine and surgery was performed by French physician, Jean-Baptiste-Denys. In his first experiment, he injected the blood of a lamb to a patient. Later on human blood was injected to patients.

159 solar years ago, on this day in 1857 AD, French geologist, archeologist, and orientalist, Jean-Jacques de Morgan, who carried out extensive excavation works in Egypt, Iran and other lands, was born. On graduating in mineral engineering with interests in entomology and prehistory in 1882, he was appointed to head a survey expedition to Scandinavia and subsequently conducted surveys in Britain's Stonehenge, Germany, Austria, Turkey, India, and as far away as the kingdom of Perak in what is now West Malaysia. He next went to the Caucasus, visiting Armenia and Georgia, and his interest in the eastern origins of civilization eventually led him to Iran, where he focused on the significance of Shush (ancient Susa), the capital of the Elamite Empire, to retrace the routes of the Assyrian campaigns. Entrusted by France with his first official mission to Iran, en route he paused to explore the necropolis at Telovan near Tbilisi, then went on to Tehran, whence he paid visits to Mazandaran, Gilan, and Talesh, in order to study dialects. He then traveled south across Kurdistan and Luristan, combining both geological and archeological investigations. He was the first to recognize at Qasr-e Shirin the presence of oil in the vast fold system of the Zagros mountain chain, but neither France nor Iran showed any interest in this important discovery. He published his “Mission Scientifique en Perse”, with four volumes of geological studies; two volumes of archaeological studies on tombs and other monuments; one volume dedicated to Kurdish dialects and the languages of northern Iran; one volume of Mandaean texts; and two volumes of geographical studies. From 1892 to 1897, he was assigned to Egypt, where he saved the temple of Kom Ombo from destruction; set up the museum of Greco-Roman antiquities at Alexandria; undertook publication of a general catalogue of the monuments and inscriptions of ancient Egypt; and, laid the cornerstone for the Cairo Museum of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities. His exploration of the pyramids of Memhis and Dashur brought to light the royal treasures of the Middle Kingdom. He was back again in Shush in Iran and his important finds included the famous Stele of Naram-Sin, brought as war booty by the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte, as well as masterpieces of Babylonian civilization, captured by the Elamites, intermingled with masterpieces of Elamite metalwork and sculpture. The discoveries were crowned by the appearance of the stele bearing the law code of Hammurabi. These were published, starting in 1900, in “Mémoires de la Délégation en Perse”. Unfortunately, in 1900, the inefficient Iranian king, Mozaffar od-Din Shah Qajar, signed a treaty granting to France all the antiquities discovered at Shush. In 1902 De Morgan declared: “In the Nile valley I developed the conviction that the first civilizations, from which the Egyptian empire arose, came from Chaldea (in Iraq) and that the Mesopotamian plains had therefore been the cradle of human progress.”

110 lunar years ago, on this day in 1327 AH, the Gnostic Ayatollah Mirza Habibollah Mujtahid Khorasani, passed away at the age of 61 near his hometown, holy Mashhad. He was a product of the Islamic seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, and after returning to Iran settled in Mashhad where he handled religious affairs and groomed students. He was an excellent poet, as is evident by his poems on gnosis.

92 solar years ago, on this day in 1883 AD, Franz Kafka, a prominent German-language writer of novels and short stories, died at the age of 40 in Klosterneuburg, Austria. Given that he had a tough childhood, Kafka, who was born in a Jewish family in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had a pessimistic viewpoint of life. He was a nihilist, which is completely evident in his books, which include, "The Trial", "Contemplation", and "A Country Doctor". He was uneasy about his Jewish heritage and opposed Zionism.

53 solar years ago, on this day in 1963 AD, the famous Turkish poet, Nazim Hikmet, died at the age of 61. He started writing poems at the age of 12 years. Because of his leftist inclinations he went to Moscow for higher studies, and on returning to his homeland, wrote revolutionary and anti-capitalist poems, slamming the westernized and suppressive system imposed on Turkey by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. His poems were warmly welcomed by the people as well as the Turkish army, frightening the officials, and leading to his incarceration. After serving twelve years in jail, this famous Turkish poet was released, and because of danger to his life, went to the Soviet Union. On revocation of his nationality by the Turkish government, he remained in the Soviet Union until his death. Nazim Hikmet is the founder of a new style in Turkish contemporary poetry.

27 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him) passed away at the age of 87, plunging in grief Iranians, world Muslims and conscientious people throughout the globe. He had transformed Iran into a powerful independent country, after inspiring the people to overthrow the British-installed and American-supported Pahlavi regime, thereby shattering big power equations in Iran and the region. A mujtahid and a Gnostic of the highest order, he was exiled for some 14 years for opposing the despotic Shah, before returning home to an unprecedented welcome, to lead the people to victory in February 1979. For the next ten years he ably guided the Islamic Republic of Iran, defeating the conspiracies hatched by Global Arrogance, including the 8-year war the US imposed on Iran through its agent, Saddam of Iraq’s repressive Ba’th minority regime. In addition to grooming prominent scholars, Imam Khomeini has left behind numerous valuable compilations, including “Tahrir al-Wasilah”, “Mesbah al-Hedaayah” and “Islamic Government”. He gave to the world the dynamic system of “Velayat-e Faqih” or rule of the Supreme Jurisprudent in the absence of the Infallible Imam, pointing out to the absurdity of rule by unprincipled and immoral persons, even if democratically elected. His thoughts continue to guide the people of Iran and all conscientious people around the world. We hereby extend our heartfelt condolences on the anniversary of the passing away of Imam Khomeini. As noted by the present Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the uprising which Imam Khomeini inspired is a reminder of the missions of the Prophets of God. He revived religious insight and promoted spirituality in the modern world.

27 solar years ago, on this day in 1989 AD, the Assembly of Experts elected Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as Leader of Islamic Revolution, a few hours after the passing away of the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (God bless him). The Late Imam’s Political-Divine Will was read and the participants discussed and studied the future leadership of the Islamic system. Members of the Assembly of Experts, who are elected by people’s vote, after long debate and discussions, elected Ayatollah Khamenei, who till then was the elected president of the Islamic Republic. Their decision was because of his deep Islamic insight, knowledge, awareness of current issues, political acumen, vigilance, courage, prudence, expertise management, and devotion to revolutionary values.

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2009, Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, while on Omrah pilgrimage to holy Mecca, was kidnapped by the Saudi regime and handed over to CIA, which tortured and transferred him to the US, prompting Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to lodge a strong protest, saying: "We hold Riyadh responsible for Shahram Amiri's situation and consider Washington to be involved in his kidnapping and detention." The Iranian government's warnings of dire consequences forced the Americans to release him. In July 2010, Shahram Amiri reappeared in Washington DC at the Iran Interests Section of the Embassy of Pakistan, seeking help to return to the Islamic Republic. On arrival in Tehran, he spoke at a press conference, telling journalists he had been kidnapped, tortured and bribed to cooperate with the CIA, but had refused.

4 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, prominent Iranian mathematician and statistician, Mostafa Ali Madad, passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 76. He joined the Minister of Sciences and Higher Education, and played a key role in establishing the University of Baluchestan in Zahedan, where he later served as Vice Chancellor. After victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he continued to serve in executive capacity at the same ministry and following retirement was involved in research that resulted in compilation of twenty books.