Today is Monday; 22nd of the Iranian month of Shahrivar 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 10th of the Islamic month of Zi’l-Hijjah 1437 lunar hijri; and September 12, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Today is 10th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah, the day of Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, which is also known as Eid-e Qorban. It commemorates the divine test of Prophet Abraham, who as commanded by God took his firstborn son, Ishmael, for sacrifice, but at the last moment, a lamb from heaven was miraculously substituted for his son. Thus, Muslims across the world commemorate 10th of Zil-Hijja as a major and glorious Islamic Eid, promoting the spirit of purity, sincerity and servitude to Almighty. Many Muslims sacrifice an animal, preferably a ram, this day as thanksgiving, and distribute the meat amongst family, friends, and the needy people. We hereby congratulate all Muslims on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Adha, and will present you a special feature later in our programme

2506 solar years ago, on this day in 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon was fought in the place of the same name in Greece, between Athenians and their allies, and a Persian expeditionary force sent by the Achaemenian Emperor, Darius I. It resulted in a surprise defeat of the Iranians, because the main army had sailed towards a different destination. The Persian expedition was a response to Greek involvement in the Ionian Revolt, when Athens and Eretria had sent a force to support the cities of Ionia in their insurgency against Persian rule. Once the Ionian revolt was crushed by the Iranians at the Battle of Lade, Darius began plans to subjugate Greece. He sent a naval task force under Datis and Artaphernes across the Aegean. Reaching Euboea in mid-summer after a successful campaign in the Aegean, the Persians proceeded to capture Eretria. The Persian force then sailed for Attica, landing in the bay near the town of Marathon. The Athenians, joined by a force from Plataea, marched to Marathon, and succeeded in blocking the two exits from that plain. A stalemate ensued for five days, before the Athenians attacked the Iranians under the cover of night, because most of the Persian fleet had set sail. The Iranians withdrew but the next emperor, Xerxes I succeeded in subjugating Greece.

1109 lunar years ago, on this day in 328 AH, the well-known Muslim author, exegete, and linguist, Abu-Bakr Baghdadi, known as Ibn-e Anbari, died at the age of 57. He had a sharp memory and was known for his ethical virtues. Those, who attended his classes, said that he only relied upon his memory in his classes; hardly using books. His books include "Adaab al-Kateb".

789 lunar years ago, on the eve of this day in 548 AH, the prominent Iranian scholar, Amin od-Din Abu Ali Fazl bin Hassan Tabarsi, passed away in the city of Sabzevar, Khorasan, where he had settled in the last years of his life to complete his monumental exegesis of the holy Qur’an, titled "Majma' al-Bayan". His body was taken to the holy city of Mashhad for burial near the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). In the preface to this work, he gives the reasons for his writing it and for his choice of title. He also describes the methodology used in his exegesis on every ayah of the holy Qur’an. He divides his exegesis on every passage into five sections: introductory discourse, reading guide, language discourse, revelation and circumstances surrounding it, and meaning. When a passage relates to a theological, jurisprudential or philosophical issue, he gives the views of all sides, whether Sunni or Shi’ite, and then his own judgement. The originality of his exegesis is that he gives the readers an opportunity to see the varying opinions on different issues mentioned in the Qur'an before discussing these views and declaring his own stand. “Majma’ al-Bayan” covers historical facts, as well as the opinions of philologists, traditionists, exegetes, and poets. Tabarsi’s exegesis focuses on many theological issues, including the divinely-decreed Imamate of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the infallibility of the Imams, God's Justice, etc. He also discusses the issue of Imam Mahdi (AS), his advent in the end times, the purpose of his coming and his global rule. Tabarsi's son and grandson were also noted scholars and author of books.

787 solar years ago, on this day in 1229 AD, a Christian mercenary army under the command of James I of Aragon disembarked at Santa Ponca, Majorca, with the purpose of conquering the Spanish Muslim Island. After over three-and-a-half months of resistance, the Spanish Muslim emirate of Majorca on the largest Mediterranean island of the same name in the Balearic Archipelago, was occupied by James I of Aragon, who changed the name of the capital from “Medina Mayurqa” to Palma, thus ending over five glorious centuries of Islamic culture and civilization. The first Muslims arrived on this island in 707, some four years before Spain was liberated by Tareq ibn Ziyad. In 902, Issam al-Khawlani, in order to save the local people from the frequent raids of Vikings and other Christian marauders, liberated the whole Balearic Archipelago, ushering in a new period of prosperity under the Emirate of Cordoba. Agriculture and irrigation networks were developed and local industries set up by the Muslims. From 1087 to 1114 Majorca was ruled by the Taifa of Denia independently, and was able to ward off raids by Christian hordes from Europe including the Crusader marauders sailing towards Syria and Palestine to stir up sedition. It then came under the rule of the al-Morawwid Muslim dynasty of North Africa, and in 1176 was taken over by the al-Muwahhed dynasty until 1229, when the last emir of Majorca, Abu Yahya, was defeated by the invaders, who forcibly Christianized the inhabitants after killing many of them. Minorca, (Manurqa in Arabic),  the other important island of the Balearic Archipelago, continued to be under Muslim control for another six decades, until it was also invaded and occupied by the Christians of Aragon, who killed, Christianized and enslaved the Muslims.

617 solar years ago, on this day in 1309 AD, the siege of the Spanish Muslim island of Gibraltar was started by Ferdinand IV of Castile with the help of Christian mercenaries from other parts of Europe. The kingdom of Gharnata (Granada) was forced to surrender this important base of 600 years of Spanish Islamic culture, which today has become a bone of contention between Britain and Spain. Gibraltar is a corruption of the Arabic term “Jabal at-Tareq” meaning Rock of Tareq in honour of Tareq Ibn Ziyad, who landed on this island on his way to liberate Spain.

333 solar years ago, on this day in 1683 AD, the Ottoman army which was on the verge of conquering Vienna, the capital of Austria as part of its sweep into the heart of Europe, was surprisingly defeated by a coalition of European powers, including Poland. The setback suffered by the Turks marked the end of Ottoman aspirations to conquer all of Europe. While leaving, the Turks unburdened their provisions by leaving behind sacks of coffee which the Christians found too bitter, so they sweetened it with honey and milk and named the drink “cappuccino” after the Capuchin order of monks.

330 solar years ago, on this day in 1686 AD, the Sultanate of Bijapur fell to the Mughal Emperor, Mohammad Aurangzeb, thereby ending the 192-year rule of the Adel-Shahi dynasty of the Deccan (southern India) set up by the Iranian adventurer from Saveh (near Tehran), Yusuf Adel Khan. In the 1490s, after asserting independence from the tottering Bahmani Empire (also of Iranian origin), Bijapur declared Shi’ite Islam as the state religion, several years before the founding of the Safavid Empire in Iran and declaration of the same by Shah Ismail I. Thousands of Iranians of all professions, including scholars, ulema, poets, painters, architects, craftsmen, merchants, soldiers of fortune and ordinary persons, migrated to Bijapur and contributed to the Persianate administration and flowering of the rich Indo-Persian style of art and architecture, such as the famous Ibrahim Rowza (proto type of the future Taj Mahal in Agra) and Gol-Gombad – the world's second largest dome.

293 solar years ago, on this day in 1723 AD, during the chaotic situation in Iran following the occupation of the country by the rebellious Hotaki Afghans who dethroned and imprisoned Shah Sultan Hussain Safavi in Isfahan, the year-long Russo-Persian War ended with the signing of a humiliating treaty by the weak Shah Tahmasp II, who ceded to the Russians the cities of Derbend in Daghestan and Baku in what is now the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Caucasus province of Shirvan, and parts of Astara, Gilan, and Mazandaran. A decade later after the rise of Nader Shah Afshar and his crushing victories over the Afghan usurpers, the Russians were forced to withdraw from the northwestern parts of the country including Derbend and Daghestan, when the Iranian king threatened to march on to Moscow. 

119 solar years ago, on this day in 1897 AD, the French chemist and physicist, Irene Curie, was born in Paris to the celebrated physicists, Madam Curie and Pierre Curie, who discovered several radioactive elements. Irene also made discoveries in regard to radioactive materials, including production of artificial radioactive material. Jointly with her husband, Frederic Joliot, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1935 for their discovery of artificial radioactivity. This made the Curies the family with most Nobel laureates. Both children of the Joliot-Curies, Helene and Pierre, are also esteemed scientists. Irene died in 1956.

109 solar years ago, on this day in 1907 AD, the jurisprudent, Ayatollah Mirza Ibrahim Khoei, was martyred during the turmoil of the Constitutional Revolution in his hometown Khoe in northwestern Iran at the age of 76, and his body was taken to holy Najaf in Iraq for burial. He was a product of the Najaf Seminary, where he studied under such famous scholars as, Ayatollah Shaikh Morteza Ansari Dezfuli, and Seyyed Hussain Kuhkamraei. He wrote several books including “ad-Durrat-on-Najafiyya” which is a commentary on “Nahj al-Balagha” – the collection of the Sermons, Letters and Aphorisms of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the divinely-designated vicegerent of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

102 solar years ago, on this day in 1914 AD, the famous Urdu poet of Pakistan, Raees Amrohi, was born in Amroha in what is now the Uttar Pradesh of India. His real name was Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi, which indicates the family’s descent from Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He migrated to Pakistan on 19 October 1947 and settled in Karachi. He was known for his unique style of Qatanigari (disjointed rhymed verses) and “ruba’iyaat” (quatrains). For several decades his quatrains were published in Pakistan's leading Urdu daily “Jang”. A staunch supporter of Urdu as language of unity for Pakistani Muslims, he established an institution Raees Academy where writers were trained. During the conflict in the 1970s with the Sindhi-speakers, he wrote his famous poem Urdu satirical poem “Urdu ka janaza hai zara dhoom say niklay” (It is the funeral of Urdu, carry it out with fanfare). He also published a number of books on the topic of metaphysics, and meditation, before he was assassinated on 22 September 1988 at the age of 74. His poetical works include “Paas-e Ghubaar”, “Hikayaat”, “Ba-Hazrat-e Yazdaan”, and “Malboos-e Bahaar”. Books written by him include “Alam-e Barzaq”, "Jinnaat" (2 volumes), and “Ana min al-Husain”.

97 solar years ago, on this day in 1920 AD, the prominent activist of the Constitutional Era, Sheikh Mohammad Khiyabani, was martyred, thus ending the uprising in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz against the despotic Qajar Dynasty. After acquiring Islamic sciences, he struggled against the injustices of the monarchial system. He strove to awaken the people against the infiltration of foreign powers, believing that the root cause of the problems of the Islamic Ummah, were the oppressive rulers and their colonial masters. Following the ouster of Mohammad Ali Shah and his fleeing from Iran in 1908, Khiyabani was elected to the parliament in Tehran as representative of the people of Tabriz, from where he launched his uprising following signing of the ominous pact with Britain in 1919 by the corrupt Prime Minister Wosouq od-Dowlah. After succeeding in taking charge of the administration of Tabriz, he was captured in an unequal battle with the governmental forces and executed.

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1944 AD, during World War II, the US, Britain and the Soviet Union, concluded an accord for coordinating attacks on the Axis powers with the eventual goal of occupying Germany. The Allied armies mercilessly pounded and shattered the Nazi defense lines in both the east and the west, resulting in Germany's surrender in May 1945. The capital Berlin was seized and untold crimes committed against the civilians. In 1949 Germany was divided into two separate countries by the names of West Germany and East Germany.

68 solar years ago, on this day in 1948 AD, invasion of the Muslim kingdom off Haiderabad-Deccan by the Indian Army started a day after the death of the Founder of Pakistani, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The invasion code-named “Operation Polo” ended on September 17 with the surrender by the ruler, Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah VII, after the Indian army had slaughtered an estimated 200,000 mostly Muslim civilians, thereby ending the 224-year rule of the dynasty founded by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s general of Central Asian Persian stock, Qamar od-Din Khan Nizam ol-Mulk Asaf Jah.

42 solar years ago, on this day in 1974 AD, Ethiopian king, Haile Selassie I (“Conquering Lion of Judah”), was deposed by the military, thus ending the Christian monarchy of the ancient land of Abyssinia. Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, he was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor from 1930 to 1974. He died the next year in Addis Ababa during internment.

30 solar years ago, on this day in 1986 AD, the famous Pakistani calligrapher, Hafez Mohammad Yousuf Sadidi, died in Lahore at the age of 66. He learned calligraphy under prominent artists such as Mohammad Sharif and Taj od-Din Zarrin. He wrote a book, titled: "Ta'lim an-Naskh" .

AS/MG