Today is Monday; 13th of the Iranian month of Dey 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 3rd of the Islamic month of Rabi as-Sani 1438 lunar hijri; and January 2, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1190 lunar years ago, on this day in 248 AH, the Abbasid caliph, Muntasser-Billah, died mysteriously after a reign of less than a year, and was succeeded by his cousin Musta'in, who was raised to the caliphate by the all-powerful Turkic Slave Guard. Muntasser himself was the choice of the Turkic guards as caliph following the killing of his father, the Godless Mutawakkel (10th self-styled caliph of the Abbasid usurper regime), whose most blasphemous act was demolition of the holy shrine of Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala. During his brief rule, Muntasser reversed the policies of his cruel father by allowing pilgrimage to the shrine of the Martyr of Karbala, and returning the orchard of Fadak to the descendants of Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS).

525 solar years ago, on this day in 1492 AD, Mohammad XII, the 22nd ruler of the emirate of Granada, was tricked into surrendering the last Muslim region in Spain to the Christian invaders made up of mercenaries from Spain, Italy, Switzerland and other states, thereby ending almost eight centuries of glorious Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. The people strongly defended their Spanish Muslim homeland during the 10-year war waged by Ferdinand and Isabel, who then resorted to bribes and deceit to gain control of the Nasrid Kingdom that was founded in 1238 on the collapse of the powerful al-Muwahhid Dynasty. The pleas to the Muslim world for help fell on deaf ears, because of the seditious diplomacy of certain European powers to involve into fratricidal wars the Ottomans (who were almost on the borders of Italy) and the Mamluk rulers of Egypt-Syria that prevented the army assembled by the Mamluk Sultan from being dispatched to the aid of the Spanish Muslims. About 200,000 Spanish Muslims migrated to North Africa after the fall of Granada including Mohammad XII, who died in Morocco 41 years later in 1533. The ruler's energetic uncle, who had briefly ruled as Mohammad XIII (az-Zaghall) during his nephew's imprisonment by the Christians of Castile, went across the Strait of Gibraltar to gather an army for liberation of Granada, but was prevented and imprisoned by the short-sighted ruler of Fez. Those of the Spanish Muslims who remained in their occupied homeland were promised rights to their property, laws, customs, and religion, all of which the Christians brutally violated, and by 1609 after systematic Christianization of the population, expelled to North Africa thousands of Muslims who refused to convert. However, Islamic culture, which led to the development of science and civilization at a time when Christian Europe was immersed in the dark ages, persisted and was incorporated in local cultures, thus leading to the Renaissance in Europe. Among the architectural wonders built by Spanish Muslims in Granada is the famous Alhambra Fortress complex, which is among the testimonies to the glories of Islam in Spain. It is said that while leaving his Spanish homeland for exile, when the defeated Muslim ruler reached a rocky prominence which gave a last view of his lost dominions, he reined in his horse and, surveying for the last time the Alhambra and the green valley that spread below, burst into tears. His mother, Fatema, who was active during the defence and had advised him against surrendering the emirate, reproached him saying: "You weep like a woman for what you couldn't defend as a man."

375 solar years ago, on this day in 1642 AD, Mohammad IV, the 19th Ottoman sultan and the 10th self-styled Turkish caliph, was born in Istanbul to Sultan Ibrahim’s Rutherian (Ukrainian) concubine. Soon after his birth, Ibrahim was so enraged that he tore the infant from his mother's arms and flung him into a cistern. Fortunately, he was rescued by the harem servants, but this left him with a lifelong scar on his head. On Ibrahim’s execution, he was placed on the throne at the age of 6 and ruled for almost 40 years till his ouster in 1687. He died in 1693 during imprisonment. His reign changed the nature of the Sultan's position forever by giving up most of his executive power to his Grand Vizier. His reign is notable for the peace with the Safavid Empire of Iran which enabled him to stage a brief revival of Ottoman fortunes in Europe led by Grand Vizier Mohammad Koprulu Pasha and his son Fazel Ahmad Pasha. The Turks regained the Aegean islands from Venice, and Crete, during the Cretan War (lasting from 1645 to 1669). They also fought successful campaigns against Transylvania (in 1660) and Poland (during 1670 to 1674). At one point, when Mohammad IV allied himself with Petro Doroshenko, Ottoman rule was close to extending into Podolia deep inside Ukraine. Supporting the 1683 Hungarian uprising against Austrian rule, a large Ottoman army besieged Vienna, but suffered a defeat on the Kahlenberg Heights, by Polish forces led by King John III Sobieski and his allies, resulting in reversal of fortune for the Turks, who would have lost Iraq and Anatolia as well, if Shah Suleiman Safavi of Iran had chosen to exploit the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, after the Ottomans suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The Iranians refrained from inter-Muslim sedition by refusing the proposals from the European states to form a coalition against the Ottoman Empire. In 1687, after the crushing Ottoman defeat in the Second Battle of Mohacs, Mohammad IV was deposed.

174 solar years ago, on this day in 1843 AD, postal service was modernized and the first post box was installed in the Austrian Capital, Vienna. In those days, postal letters and packages were transported by horses, camels, and special boats. But, later on, new methods were implemented and the postal service gradually developed to its current form.

151 solar years ago, on this day in 1866 AD, the Australian poet and researcher, Gilbert Murray, was born. He went to England at the age of 11, where after completing his studies he taught ancient Greek literature and culture at Oxford University. His research on ancient Greece led him to conclude that although the Greeks had several deities but in principle the spirit of monotheism governed their customs and traditions. He wrote several books including the “History of Ancient Greek Literature” and “Faith, War and Politics”.

146 lunar years ago, on this day in 1292 AH, the prominent religious scholar, Ayatollah Mirza Abul-Qasem Kalantari, passed away in Tehran. He was a product of the well-known seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, where he studied under the celebrated Sheikh Morteza Ansari, attaining the status of Ijtehad. He was highly influential among the people for his tireless efforts to promote Islamic teachings in society. He also wrote several books including “Matareh al-Inzaar”.

97 solar years ago, on this day in 1920 AD, the American author and chemist of Russian origin, Isaac Asimov, was born in Russia in a village near what is now Belarus. His family migrated to the US when he was three years old. After obtaining PhD in chemistry he studied several other branches of science, and decided to simplify the study of scientific texts for youngsters. He wrote 270 books on science, science-fiction, mathematics, and humanities, including the novel "I, Robot". He coined the term “robotics”. Asimov died in 1992.

37 solar years ago, on this day in 1980 AD, the first gathering of the world’s liberation movements opened in Tehran. The main goals of this gathering was to familiarize the international community with the wide-scale dimensions of the Islamic Revolution; to introduce the world’s liberation movements; and to set the stage for further unity of these movements against the injustices of Global Arrogance.

5 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile named Qader as part of the Islamic Republic’s drive toward self-sufficiency in defence.

4 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, the Source of Emulation, Grand Ayatollah Mojtaba Shahidi Kalhori Tehrani, passed away at the age of 75. Born in Tehran in an academic family, at the age of 18 he entered the seminary in holy Qom and studied under prominent Ulema such as the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, and the famous exegete of the holy Qur’an, Allamah Seyyed Mohammad Hussain Tabatabai. At the young age of 25, he attained the status of ijtehad. As a close associate of the Late Imam, he played an important role in collection of his mentor’s theological works. He taught ethics and theology in Tehran for 40 years, grooming numerous students. Among his works, mention can be made of “Akhlaaq-e Ilahi”, and “Solouk-e Ashurai”.

AS/MG