Today is Friday; 23rd of the Iranian month of Mehr 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 12th of the Islamic month of Muharram 1438 lunar hijri: and October 14, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1377 lunar years ago, on this day in 61 AH, the survivors of the heartrending tragedy of Karbala, mostly women and children of the noble household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), including Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), the son and successor of Imam Husain (AS), entered the city of Kufa as captives, along with the severed heads of the martyrs, gruesomely mounted on lances. They were taken to the court of the ungodly governor, Obeidollah ibn Ziyad, whose attempt to ridicule the Prophet's family and to kill Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), were thwarted by the bold remarks of Hazrat Zainab (SA), who praised God Almighty for enabling the Ahl al-Bayt to successfully pass the tests of martyrdom and sufferings. When the tyrant thought of disgracing the noble captives by parading them in the city, again Hazrat Zainab (SA) jolted the conscience of the masses through her eloquent sermons that drew tears from the people of Kufa and made them regret their lethargy in failing to assist the Prophet's grandson against the regime. Ibn Ziyad, fearing a public revolt quickly ordered dispatch of the caravan of captives to the Omayyad capital Damascus in Syria, but through unfrequented routes so as to avoid the anger and indignation of the people of the towns that lay in the way.

1343 lunar years ago, on this day in 95 AH, according to an account, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), the Survivor of the heartrending tragedy of Karbala, and the 4th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), attained martyrdom through poisoning at the age of 57, exactly 34 years after the tragic martyrdom of his father, Imam Husain (AS). He was the victim of the hatred of the Prophet's family by Walid Ibn Abdul-Malik, the 6th self-styled caliph of the usurper Omayyad regime. Born in Medina in 38 AH, his mother was the Iranian princess, Shahrbano. It was his ill-health as a youth of 23 years in Karbala that prevented him from joining the jihad in which almost all male members of the Prophet's family were martyred. His jihad was of a different kind, but not with the sword. Through his sermons in the court of the Godless Yazid, he made the message of his father triumphant, thereby unmasking the hypocrisy of the Omayyad regime. Following release from captivity, for the next three decades, he enlightened the Ummah through prayers, supplications and definition of individual and social rights, including the rights of our own bodily parts upon us. He groomed a large number of scholars and scientists who spread the teachings of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt in different lands.

1024 solar years ago, on this day in 1092 AD, the renowned vizier of the Seljuqid Dynasty, Hassan Ibn Ali Tusi, known by his title Khwaja Nizam ul-Mulk, was assassinated near Nahavand en route from Isfahan to Baghdad at the age of 75. Born in the northeastern Iranian city of Tus, he initially served the Ghaznavid sultans as chief administrator of Khorasan Province. Four years later with the rise of the Seljuqs, he served Alp Arslan and Malik Shah I as vizier. In addition to his administrative duties, he established in various cities educational institutes known as “Madrasa-e Nizamiyyah”, of which the ones in Baghdad and Naishapur were famous, and turned out to be models of universities that were later established in Europe. Nizam ul-Mulk is also widely known for his voluminous treatise on kingship titled "Siyasat-Nama" or "Siyar al-Molouk" (The Book of Government). His son-in-law Muqatel bin Atiyyah, who was eyewitness to a polemical debate, says he was assassinated in the same year as Malik Shah I, after a debate between Sunni and Shi'ite scholars, which resulted in his conversion and that of the Seljuq sultan to the school of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt.

950 solar years ago, on this day in 1066 AD, the historic Battle of Hastings took place on Senlac Hill, 85 km southeast of London, resulting in the defeat and death of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and the victory of William the Conqueror of Normandy, shortly after his landing from France on the pretext that the throne of England was bequeathed to him by the deceased childless king, Edward the Confessor. William, who crowned himself as the new king of England, was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I – a descendant of Viking raiders – and had succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in France in 1035. His conquest of England that took several years to complete, because of resistance by the Anglo-Saxons, resulted in profound changes – in the Church, in aristocracy, in culture, and in the language of the country that have persisted into modern times. One of the most obvious effects of the conquest was the introduction of Anglo-Norman, a northern dialect of Old French, as the language of the ruling classes in England, displacing Old English. French words entered the English language. The Anglo-Saxons who had been ruling England for the past six centuries, migrated in great numbers to Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, and even the Byzantine Empire, where they served as mercenaries against the expanding Turkish Muslims in Anatolia (modern Turkey) and many of them were settled on Black Sea coasts. William died in 1087, but it was not until 1485 with the death of Richard III in battle and rise of the Tudors (of Welsh origin) that an indigenous native dynasty took power in England. 

703 lunar years ago, on this day in 735 AH, the celebrated Gnostic and ancestor of the Safavid Emperors of Iran, Safi od-Din Ardabili, passed away at the age of 84 and laid to rest in his hometown Ardabil, northwestern Iran in. Named Seyyed Ishaq at birth, he was the son of Seyyed Amin od-Din Musavi –a descendent of Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) – with acquisition of knowledge he acquired the epithets Abu’l-Fath, Shams od-Din and finally Safi od-Din. A disciple, spiritual heir and son-in-law of another prominent Gnostic, Shaikh Zahed Gilani of Lahijan, he later founded the Safaviyya Order, which earned respect from the rulers of the day, including the ferocious Central Asian conqueror, Amir Timur. Over the following 170 years, the Safaviyya Order gained political and military power, finally culminating in the foundation of the Safavid dynasty by Shah Ismail I that lasted for almost two-and-a-half centuries.

694 solar years ago, on this day in 1322 AD, Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at Byland, forcing the latter to accept Scotland's independence.

551 solar years ago, on this day in 1465 AD, Romanian Muslim ruler of the principality of Wallachia, Radu Beg, issued a writ from his capital Bucharest, as the Ottoman Pasha (governor) of the region, after defeating his murderous elder brother, Vlad Tepes, who has earned lasting notoriety as Dracula (Son of Dragon) for his cold-blooded massacres of Muslims and Christians alike – almost 200,000.  Named Radu cel Frumos (Radu the Handsome) by his father, Vlad II Dracul (the Dragon), he was sent along with Vlad Tepes to the Ottoman capital Edirne, where the two brothers were educated in logic, and the Turkish, Arabic and Persian languages and literature. Radu converted to Islam, entered Ottoman service, and became a prominent commander of the Jan-Nissari Corps, while Vlad developed a secret hatred for both his Muslim brother and the latter’s patron, the Crown Prince, who would later become Sultan Mohammad II. While Vlad was sent to Wallachia to succeed his father, Radu by the age of 22 became a leading figure at the Ottoman court. Having participated in 1453 in the conquest of Constantinople, he was sent to suppress a rebellion in Anatolia near the border with Iran, and served during the Battle of Otlukbeli against Uzun Hassan, the Aq Qoyunlu (White Sheep) ruler. On the start of Vlad’s rebellion, Radu and his Jan-Nissari battalion were given responsibility of leading the Ottoman army to victory. The brothers fought lingering battles with each other, and soon Radu gained control of his father’s principality of Wallachia, where at the age of 26 he was proclaimed the Ottoman Pasha. His sudden death, however, at the age of 40 in 1475 triggered the comeback of his brother Vlad the Impaler, who was finally killed in 1476.

474 solar years ago, on this day in 1542 AD, Mohammad Jalal od-Din Akbar, the 3rd Mughal Emperor of Hindustan (Northern Subcontinent) and eastern parts of Afghanistan, was born. Akbar, whose ancestors included the fearsome conquerors, Timur and Genghis Khan, ascended the throne as a youth of 13 years, following the death of his father, Humayun. Initially his rule extended only over the Punjab and the area around Delhi. With the help of his guardian, the famed Baharlu Turkman Chief, Bayram Khan, he won the 2nd Battle of Panipat in 1556 by decisively defeating the newly self-declared Hindu king, Hemu. As his power and prestige increased, the Rajput chieftains acknowledged his suzerainty. He continued his conquests, taking the Muslim kingdoms of Malwa (1561), Gujarat (1573), Bengal (1576), Kashmir (1586), and Khandesh (1601).  He encouraged scholars, poets, painters, and musicians, making his court a centre of culture. He had Sanskrit classics translated into Persian. He not only granted lands and money for the mosques but the list of the recipients included a huge number Hindu temples in north and central India, Christian churches in Goa. He appointed as “Qazi al-Quzzat” (Chief Judge), the famous Iranian scholar, Seyyed Noorollah Shoushtari, the author of such books as “Majalis al-Momineen” and “Ahqaq al-Haq”, who was unfortunately martyred by his son and successor, Emperor Jahangir, on the insinuation of the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and is subsequently known as “Shaheed Salles” (3rd Martyr).

116 solar years ago, on this day in 1906 AD, the Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Sheikh Hassan Ahmad Abdur-Rahman Mohammad al-Banna, was born in Egypt. In his youth he became involved with Sufi orders, and during the revolution of 1919 he participated in demonstrations against British rule. In March 1928 he launched the society of Muslim Brothers, and his political activities brought him into conflict with the regime. In February 1949 at the age of 43, he was shot fatally and died as a result.

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1944 AD, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, committed suicide on the orders of the Nazi despot, Adolf Hitler. He led the German forces in North Africa and successfully confined the British forces to northern Egypt, before shortage of equipment made him pull back in the face of British counterattacks.  In 1944, he was commander of German defense lines in Italy and Balkan in 1944 but maintained differences of opinion with Hitler in regard to the conduction of war. Following the failed assassination attempt on Hitler, suspicion centred on Rommel, who was forced to end his own life.

63 solar years ago, on this day in 1953 AD, armed Zionists committed another horrific crime in the West Bank village of Qibya, massacring for two days Palestinian men, women and children, and razing their homes to the ground. The Zionist troops were led by Ariel Sharon, who three decades later was to earn lasting notoriety as the Butcher of Sabra and Shatilla in southern Lebanon. This ruthless slaughter is another example of Israel’s policy of state terrorism.

60 solar years ago, on this day in 1956 AD, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Indian Untouchable caste leader, and the main architect of the constitution of India following independence from British rule, converted to Buddhism along with 385,000 of his followers, because of oppression and discrimination by the so-called upper caste Hindus. Over a decade earlier, Ambedkar, along with his followers, had planned to convert to Islam, but was dissuaded by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who fearing a dramatic increase in the Muslim population of India, coined the term ‘harijan’ or ‘children of God’ for the untouchables. Ambedkar called those of his race who had not converted as “Dalit” or the oppressed, a term which is still in use for over 30 percent of India’s population which are original habitants of the Subcontinent before the Aryan invasion and imposition of the Hindu creed. 

52 solar years ago, on this day in 1964 AD, Secretary-General of the Soviet Union's Communist Party, Nikita Khrushchev, was dismissed. As a member of the Politburo he emerged as the most powerful man in the USSR following the death of dictator, Joseph Stalin, in 1953. He attempted political and economic changes in the Soviet system, but his measures were strongly opposed by hardcore members of the communist party. Khrushchev was replaced by Leonid Brezhnev, and died in 1971.

34 solar years ago, on this day in 1982 AD, the representative of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), and the Friday Prayer Leader of the northwestern city of Kermanshah, Ayatollah Ataollah Ashrafi Isfahani, was martyred by MKO terrorists while leading the Friday Prayer. Ayatollah Ashrafi Isfahani had led the people of Kermanshah in their struggle against Shah's despotic regime and was detained and incarcerated on several occasions. Imam Khomeini paid glowing tributes to him, recalling the long period of acquaintance, and his calm, peaceful, and assuring spirit, as well as vast knowledge.

17 solar years ago, on this day in 1999 AD, the former Tanzanian leader, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, died at the age of 77. He rose to prominence in Tanganyika, becoming premier in 1961 and president in 1962. In 1964, he forcibly annexed the Muslim-ruled island state of Zanzibar-Pemba, merged it with Tanganyika and renamed the country Tanzania. He was president until the year 1985.

AS/MG