Today is Saturday; 15th of the Iranian month of Aban 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 5th of the Islamic month of Safar 1438 lunar hijri; and November 5, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1377 lunar years ago, on this day in 61 AH, Hazrat Ruqayya (SA), the 4-year old daughter of the Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS), succumbed to her torture and sufferings and attained martyrdom in Damascus. She was the youngest child of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and was very much attached to her father, whose heartrending martyrdom and the mounting of his severed head on a lance, the thirsty little girl watched with horror. Her wailing knew no bonds and orphaned Ruqayya (SA), despite her tender age, was bound by the Omayyad hordes with rope along with her elder sisters, Hazrat Fatema (SA) and Hazrat Sakina (SA), as well as her aunts, Hazrat Zainab (SA) and Hazrat Omm Kulthum (SA), and dragged to the court of the tyrannical governor of Kufa, Obaidollah ibn Ziyad, who taunted the noble captives and poured salt on their wounds by playing with the severed head of the Prophet’s grandson. On the way to the Syrian capital, Ruqayyah (SA) suffered the pains of the arduous journey on foot, often through hot desert terrain, during which she was subjected to scolding and whipping by the Omayyad ruffians. In Damascus, she was mocked in front of the whole court by the Godless Yazid as he blasphemously hit with his cane the head of her father that was placed in a tray. The Prophet’s family was confined to the ruins of a dilapidated edifice, where her wailing in the night disturbed the tyrant’s sleep and forced him to send the head of Imam Husain (AS) in a bid to calm her down. At the sight of her father’s head, little Ruqayya (SA) rushed and took it in her lap, and placing her own head upon it, recounted the pains, sufferings, and tortures she had endured for the past 25 days since the fateful day of Ashura (Moharram 10). She suddenly became motionless as her soul flew to the ethereal heavens. Her brother, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) laid her to rest in the ruins, which today is a magnificent mausoleum visited by pilgrims from all over the world.

887 lunar years ago, on this day in 551 AH, the theologian, physician, astronomer, and mathematician, Kamal od-Din Ibn Yunus, was born in Mosul, in Iraq. A prominent scientist of his era, in addition to Islamic knowledge, he was an expert on other religions, to the extent that Jews and Christians referred to him for explanation of passages of the Torah and the Evangel. He was also well versed in literature and was a poet. He was a student of the Iranian astronomer, Sharaf od-Din Muzaffar ibn Mohammad Tusi, and in turn taught mathematics and astronomy to the celebrated Iranian Islamic genius, Khwajah Naseer od-Din Tusi. Ibn Yunus died at the age of 88.  He authored several books including "Asraar as-Sultaniyyah" on astronomy.

745 solar years ago, on this day in 1271 AD, Ghazan Khan, the 7th ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty of Iran-Iraq, parts of Syria, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Afghanistan, was born. He was the son and successor of Arghun Khan and in his childhood was baptized as a Christian, although his family was Buddhist. On becoming ruler, he embraced the truth of Islam along with over 100,000 Mongols. He changed his name to Mahmoud and ruled for nine years during which he demolished the temples built by the Buddhist occupiers of the Muslim lands. His principal wife was Kokechin, a Mongol princess sent by Kublai Khan, and escorted to Iran from China by Marco Polo. Military conflicts during Ghazan's reign included war with the Egyptian Mamluks for control of Syria, and battles with the Mongol Chaghatai Khanate for control of Central Asia. A man of high culture, Ghazan spoke several languages, and carried out reforms, especially in the matter of standardizing currency and fiscal policy.

552 lunar years ago, on this day in 886 AH, Mahmoud Gawan, the able Grand Vizier of the Bahmani kingdom of the Deccan in south India, was unjustly executed at the age of 73 by Mohammad Shah II, after being falsely accused of treason by his rivals at the court. Born in the Caspian Sea Province of Gilan in northern Iran, Mahmoud Gawan was a man of letters and a successful merchant plying the lucrative route from the Persian Gulf port of Gombroun (presently Bandar Abbas) to the Konkan coast of India with cargos of silken fabrics, pearls, Arabian horses, etc, for the Bahmani capital of Bidar – where Persian culture was prevalent and where earlier the elders of the Ne’matollahi Sufi order of Kerman (adhering to the path of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt) were settled. On one such visit at the age of 42, he was given the title of “Malik-ut-Tujjar” (Chief of Traders) by Feroze Shah and offered a post at the court. He stayed in India, and in the reigns of the subsequent kings, he steadily rose in the administrative hierarchy because of his efficient management, earning the titles “Wakeel os-Saltanah” and “Khwaja-e Jahan” or Prime Minister – a post that he held for almost two decades, during which he carried out many reforms, strengthened the military, increased the revenues through proper utilization of the agricultural lands, and eradicated corruption. As a great patron of arts and literature, he was in correspondence with the political elite and literati of the other parts of the Persianate World, ranging from Central Asia to the Ottoman Sultanate and the Subcontinent. He authored several books such as “Riyaz al-Insha” and built a magnificent college in Bidar, where scholars from Iran, Iraq, and Arabia used to teach. This aroused the jealousy of his rivals, who by bribing his servants obtained Gawan's seal, affixed it on a blank paper and forged a letter inviting the Rajah of Orissa to attack the Bahmani Kingdom. The letter was shown to the king in a drunken state and he promptly summoned Gawan and executed him. The end of this scholar statesman brought about the decline of the kingdom, which in the next two decades splintered into five independent sultanates.

460 solar years ago, on this day in 1556 AD, the 2nd Battle of Panipat was fought in eastern Punjab near Delhi and won by Emperor Jalal od-Din Akbar, the 3rd ruler of the Mughal Empire of Hindustan (Northern Subcontinent), who earlier in the year in January had ascended the throne at the age of 14 on the death of his father, Naseer od-Din Humayun. The victory over the combined Hindu-Afghan army led by Hemu, who dreamt of being king of India, was due to the military genius of the generals, Bairam Khan and Khan Zaman. It was a decisive battle in Indian history and stabilized the Mughal Empire.

236 solar years ago, on this day in 1780 AD, French-American forces under Colonel LaBalme were soundly defeated by the native Amerindian Chief of the Miami region, Mihsihkinaahkwa, who was called Little Turtle by the Anglo-Saxon European occupiers of North America. He was one of the most famous Native American military leaders of his time. He led his followers in several major victories against US forces in the 1790s during the Northwest Indian Wars, including the defeat of General St. Clair, who lost 600 US soldiers. He was later tricked into a compromise by President George Washington, and the ancestral lands of the Amerindian people in Miami, like other places, were seized by the Anglo-Saxon occupiers.

154 solar years ago, on this day in 1862 AD, following the wars of the US administration against the native people of North America and the seizure of their lands in Minnesota, 303 Dakota warriors were sentenced to hang, and ultimately 38 were executed. The US administration has a black and bloody record of genocide of the Amerindian people.

131 solar years ago, on this day in 1885 AD, prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher, William James Durant, was born. He is best known for “The Story of Civilization”, in 11 volumes which were written in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant and published between 1935 and 1975. He acknowledged the rich contribution to world civilization of Islamic scientists, regarding whose inventions and innovations he has widely written, saying that the still thousands of Arabic and Persian manuscripts in libraries waiting to be discovered, in order to present a proper picture of the heyday of Islamic civilization. He also wrote “The Story of Philosophy” in 1926.

98 solar years ago, on this day in 1918 AD, the contagious illness of influenza turned epidemic and killed millions of people across the world. This ailment initially became epidemic in Europe and swiftly spread across the world, leading to numerous fatalities. The reason behind the epidemic of this illness was the absence of current antibiotics in that era.

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1944 AD, French surgeon, biologist, and philosopher, Dr. Alexis Carrel, died at the age of 71. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his works in medicine. He visited several Muslim states and became familiar with their cultures and customs. Hence, in his writings, there is emphasis on the role of religion and spirituality in the life of mankind.

66 lunar years ago, on this day in 1372 AH, the religious scholar, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ma’soumi, passed away in the city of Behbahan, in southern Iran at the age of 84. He was a product of the famous Islamic seminary of the holy city of Najaf in Iraq, where he reached the status of ijtehad. His works strongly defend the tenets of Islam and the interests of Muslims. He authored several books, including “Sharh-e Lum’a”, and “Nejat al-Ebaad”.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1978 AD, the personnel of Iran Radio and TV Network started their strike against the Shah’s despotic regime following its attack on the press and detention of several journalists, which led to closure of the leading dailies.

37 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, the interim government of Prime Minister Mahdi Bazargan tendered its resignation to the Founder of Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (RA), a day after the fall of the US den of spies in Tehran to revolutionary students. The interim government which was formed on February 11, 1979, lacked the necessary qualifications to govern the country.

24 solar years ago, on this day in 1992 AD, Ayatollah Shaikh Mahdi Noghani passed away at the age of 66 in his hometown, holy Mashhad, in Khorasan, northeastern Iran. He was a staunch follower of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (AS) against the despotic British-installed and American-supported Pahlavi regime.

AS/ME