Today is Thursday; 17th of the Iranian month of Tir 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 2nd of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1437 lunar hijri; and July 7, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

892 solar years ago, on this day in 1124 AD, the city of Tyre and its surrounding region fell to the Crusader hordes of Europe 25 years after these invaders had seized the Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas from the Fatemid Shi’a Ismaili Muslim dynasty of Egypt. Earlier in 1111, the Muslims had beaten back the Christian Crusaders from the wall of Tyre. Called Sur in Arabic, Tyre and its adjoining areas were finally liberated in 1291 by the Mamluk Dynasty of Egypt that drove back to Europe the Crusader hordes. Present-day Tyre, which is predominantly inhabited by Shi’a Muslims with a small minority of Christians and some Palestinian Sunni Muslim refugees, covers a large part of the original island and has expanded onto and covers most of the causeway, which had increased greatly in width over the centuries because of extensive silt depositions on either side. The part of the original island that is not covered by the modern city of Tyre consists mostly of an archaeological site showcasing remains of the city from ancient times. Tyre was badly damaged in the late 1970s and early 1980s by the Zionists, who nearly destroyed it through artillery bombardment. It was used by Israel as a military base, until its liberation by Lebanon’s legendry anti-terrorist movement, the Hezbollah.

854 lunar years ago, on this day in 583 AH, the Baghdadi poet and literary figure, Mohammad ibn Obaidollah Ibn Abdullah at-Ta’awizi, passed away at the age of 64. He has left behind several long odes in praise of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.

833 lunar years ago, on this day in 604 AH, the prominent Sunni Muslim Iraqi scholar, Mohammad bin al-Hassan bin Mohammad, Abu Bakr an-Naqqash al-Mawsili, passed away. After studying in Baghdad he traveled to various Islamic lands to acquire knowledge. He was considered an exegete of the holy Qur'an and an authority on hadith. In his book titled “Shifa as-Sudour”, he has mentioned events relating to the historic occasion of Ghadeer-Khom, where on the 18th of Zilhijja in the year 10 AH, on the express commandment of God, while returning from his Farewell Hajj pilgrimage, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) proclaimed Imam Ali (AS) as his vicegerent.

833 lunar years ago, on this day in 604 AH, the historian, judge, and literary figure, Jamal od-Din Wasel, was born in the city of Hamah, in Syria. He started his studies under his father, who was a teacher at the Naseriyyah School in Bayt al-Moqaddas. Ibn Wasel had a varied career under both the Ayyubid and Mamluk dynasties of Egypt-Syria. He served as an ambassador under the Mamluk sultan, Rukn of-Din Baybars, and had various interactions with the Christian Crusader invaders. He ended his lengthy and distinguished career as Grand Qazi of his home city of Hamah. The major work of Ibn Wasel that addresses the crusades is translated as “The Dissipater of Anxieties Concerning the History of the Ayyubids”. He especially focused on the career and deeds of Salah od-Din during the Third Crusade.

832 lunar years ago, on this day in 605 AH, the famous Imami scholar, Shaikh Saleh Abu'l-Hassan Warram Ibn Abi Firas, passed away. He was the maternal grandfather of the celebrated scholar, Seyyed ibn Tawous. He authored the book “Tanbih al-Khawater” which is also known as "Majmou-at-al-Warram".

493 solar years ago, on this day in 1593 AD, the black African Islamic philosopher and Arabic grammarian, Mohammad Bagayogo as-Sudani al-Wangari, passed away at the age of 70 in Timbuktu in Mali. He was the Sheikh and teacher of the highly esteemed scholar, Ahmed Baba at the Sankore Madrasah, one of three philosophical schools in Mali during West Africa's Islamic golden age (the other two were Sidi Yahya University and Jingaray Ber university). A significant amount of his writings has been preserved in manuscript form in the Institute Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu. Some of the manuscripts found their way into French museums. A project is under way to digitalise these manuscripts which will lead to better understanding of the Islamic culture that flourished in Mali in the medieval period.Mohammed Bagayogo also has a place in Mali’s political history for his refusal to comply with Moroccan occupiers.

246 solar years ago, on this day in 1770 AD, the Battle of Larga between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire took place. It was fought in what is now Romania on the banks of River Larga, a tributary of River Pruth, by an invading force of Russia led by Field-Marshal Rumyantsev, and a joint defence force of Crimean Muslim Tatar and Ottoman Turks, under the command of Kaplan Giray. The battle ended in victory for the Russian invaders, who two weeks later defeated the Ottomans in the Battle of Kagul.

209 solar years ago, on this day in 1807 AD, the Treaty of Tilsit was signed by Alexander I of Russia and French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, in the Russian town of the same name, pledging assistance to each other in case of attack by a third country. Three years later in 1810, the treaty collapsed and in 1812, Napoleon launched his massive attack on Russia, but the frosty winter forced him to retreat from Moscow in loss and humiliation.

87 solar years ago, on this day 1929 AD, Pakistani journalist and poet, Hassan Abedi was born in Jaunpur, India and educated in Azamgarh and Allahabad. After partition of the Subcontinent in 1947, he moved to Pakistan and settled in Karachi. He became president of the Karachi Press Club and held office in both the Karachi Union of Journalists and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. He was also an active member of the Irteqa Forum for promotion of the Urdu language and literature. His collections of poetry are “Navisht-e Nai” (1995), “Jareeda” (1998) and “Farar Hona Huroof ka” (2004). Although he wrote classical ghazals as well as poetry for children, his poetical odes are a narrative of the socio-political aspects of the society. He persistently elegizes the changing value system that he finds alien and disconcerting.

86 solar years ago, on this day in 1930 AD, Scottish physician and author, Arthur Conan Doyle, who is famous for creating the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, died.

79 solar years ago, on this day in 1937 AD, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, signed the Treaty of Sa'dabad in the palace of the same name in Tehran, as a non-aggression pact for joint regional development. In 1943, it was extended and in 1955 it was renamed the Baghdad Pact, with Pakistan replacing Afghanistan. Later, following military coups and rise of Arab nationalism, Iraq withdrew. The Baghdad Pact was subsequently named CENTO (Central Treaty Organization) with Britain and the US as observers. A sister organization for social-cultural affairs was established in 1964 by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan under the title Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD). In 1979, following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, Iran withdrew as a result of which both CENTO and RCD were dissolved. In 1985, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan decided to set up a new non-military body in its place, named the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which in the early 1990s turned into a 10-nation body, with the joining of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghizstan, and Afghanistan.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1978 AD, the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean gained independence from British rule. The Solomon Islands cover an area of almost 29,000 sq km. These Islands are situated northeast of Australia.

34 solar years ago, on this day in 1982 AD, the Iranian calligrapher, Mirza Ahmad Najafi Zanjani, popularly known as “Ma’soumi”, passed away. While studying Islamic sciences at the Najaf Seminary in Iraq, he started learning the art of calligraphy. His works include 110 books, and more than 250 inscriptions for mosques and historical monuments. The inscriptions in Mashhad at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and also at Tehran University, are the two most famous works of this acclaimed calligrapher.

31 solar years ago, on this day in 1985 AD, the revolutionary Islamic scholar, Ayatollah Mohammad Mahdi Rabbani Amlashi, passed away at the age of 51. Born in a religious family in the holy city of Qom, he started his Islamic studies in his hometown. He was politically active against the despotic regime of the Shah and was imprisoned for six years. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was named by Imam Khomeini (RA) as a juriconsult member of the Council of Guardians.

21 solar years ago, on this day in 1995 AD, the jurisprudent and prominent researcher, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hussain Hussaini Tehrani, passed away in his hometown Tehran at the age of 69. After studying in holy Qom under Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, and the famous exegete of the holy Qur’an, Allamah Seyyed Mohamnmad Hussain Tabatabai, he left for Iraq to study at the seminary in Holy Najaf, were he studied under Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassem Khoie, and Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmood Shahroudi. On his return to Iran he was engaged in grooming students and writing books in Persian, including the 18-volume “Imam-Shinasi” (Cognizance of the Imam), the 10-volume “Ma’ad-Shinasi” (Understanding Resurrection), the 4-volume “Noor-e Malakout-e Qur’an” and “Rooh-e Mojarrad” (The Detached Soul) on Gnosis. In this last named book, he has mentioned in detail his meeting with the reclusive Gnostic Seyyed Hashem Haddad and how his spiritual guidance totally transformed him, taking him to higher levels of spirituality.

17 solar years ago, on this day in 1999 AD, prominent Iranian thinker, Ayatollah Dr Mahdi Ha’eri Yazdi, passed away at the age of 77 and was laid to rest in the holy mausoleum of Hazrat Ma’souma (SA) in Qom. Son of the Reviver of the Islamic Seminary of Qom, Grand Ayatollah Shaikh Abdul-Karim Ha’eri Yazdi, after initial studies under his elder brother, Ayatollah Morteza Ha’eri and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Reza Golpayegani, he became a student of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat Kohkamrehi, Ayatollah Seyyed Taqi Khansari, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khansari, and Allamah Mirza Mahdi Ashtiani, mastering theology, jurisprudence, philosophy and other sciences. He was sent to the US as representative of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi to North America, where besides teaching Islamic sciences and supervising affairs of the Shi’a Muslim community, he studied western philosophy at the University of Michigan in the US and the University of Toronto in Canada, obtaining PhD in this field. He taught Islamic studies and Persian literature at American universities. In 1979 he returned to Iran and wrote several books in different fields, such as rationalism, Qur’anic sciences, metaphysics, philosophy and political theories. In 1992 he published "The Principles of Epistemology in Islamic Philosophy: Knowledge by Presence". The book aimed to present Western scholars and philosophers a theme that he considered most important: knowledge by presence - knowledge that arises from immediate and intuitive awareness.

11 solar years ago, on this day in 2005 AD, an explosion in a bus and three subway stations in downtown London killed 50 people and wounded 700 others. These attacks took place concurrent with G8 Summit in Scotland. According to political experts, London bombings took place in protest to collaboration of the British regime with the US in occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the massacre of Afghan and Iraqi people. On the other hand, these blasts showed the weakness of British intelligence system in providing security. The British blamed these blasts without any evidence on the Muslims and increased pressure on Britain’s growing Muslim community.