Today is Tuesday; 29th of the Iranian month of Farvardin 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 20th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1438 lunar hijri; and April 18, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1425 lunar years ago, on this day in 13 AH, the Battle of Yarmouk broke out between the Arab army and the forces of Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire, ending six days later in a decisive victory for Muslims. The battle consisted of a series of seesaw engagements near Yarmouk River, along what is today the border between Syria and Jordan, south-east of the Sea of Galilee, 65 km from the Golan Heights. It is regarded as one of the most decisive battles in military history, and it marked the first great wave of Muslim conquests, ending the long sway of the then superpowers – the Romans and the Persians. In order to check the Muslim advance, Emperor Heraclius had entered into an alliance with Emperor Yazdegird III of Sassanid Iran, and sent a massive army made up of Slavs, Greeks, Franks, Georgians, Armenians and Christian Arabs. The Muslim tactic by sending a separate force to Iraq to confront the Sassanids, thwarted this alliance against Islam from taking practical shape. Thus the total defeat of the numerically superior Roman army by the lightly armed Muslims saw the fall of Damascus as well, and a year later led to the liberation of Bayt al-Moqaddas without bloodshed by the Muslims, who also rapidly took over Egypt and Libya. The emergence of Muslims on the world scene came only six years after Heraclius had succeeded in reclaiming Egypt and the Levant from the Persians, in a series of see-saw battles fought for over two decades throughout West Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe, including Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, Anatolia, and even before the walls of Constantinople itself. The advent of Islam completely changed the world map with the entire Sassanid Empire and more than half of the whole Roman Empire disappearing forever. An important point to note is that the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), who led the Muslims to victory in almost all the battles imposed upon Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) by the Arab and Israelite unbelievers, did not participate in the Roman and Persian campaigns, which were led by the neo Muslim and hitherto pagan Arabs, like Khalid bin Waleed, who were subdued by his flashing scimitar, the “Dhu’l-Feqar”. Two decades later when these same arrogant victors of the wars against the Romans and the Persians, like Zubayr ibn Awam, Amr ibn Aas, Mu’awiyya ibn Abu Sufyan and others, tried to stir up sedition amongst Muslims in Iraq and Syria (the former Sassanid and Byzantine heartlands), Imam Ali (AS) personally assumed command and once again unsheathed the “Dhu’l-Feqar” to decisively defeat them. For instance, Amr ibn Aas, who used to boast of conquering Egypt, ignominiously denuded himself in Siffeen while fleeing, in order to escape certain death at the hands of the Prophet’s righteous heir.

1388 lunar years ago, on this day around 50 AH, Hazrat Sakina (SA), the second daughter of Imam Husain (AS) – the younger grandson and 3^rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) – was born in Medina. Her mother was Rabab, the daughter of Imru al-Qays, who was the chief of the clan of Bakr bin Wa’el. She was present in Karbala during the tragedy that befell the Prophet's Household, resulting in the martyrdom of her father, her brothers, cousins, and her uncles, including the valiant standard-bearer, Hazrat Abbas (AS), to whom she was deeply attached. She was betrothed to her cousin, a son of Imam Hasan (AS) and Hazrat Qasem's (AS) elder brother, who was martyred in Karbala. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Sakina (SA), along with other members of the Ahl al-Bayt, including her two sisters – Hazrat Fatema (SA) and the 4-year-old Hazrat Ruqayya (SA) who attained martyrdom in Damascus – had to suffer imprisonment for a while. Upon return to Medina, she devoted her life to prayer, fasting and worship of God, refusing to marry anyone, saying that no one was worthy of her hand. She was an authority on hadith and the holy Qur’an. She passed away in 117 AH during the imamate of Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS) and was laid to rest in the Baqie Cemetery.

782 lunar years ago, on this day in 656 AH, the renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar, Izz od-Din Abdul-Hamid ibn Hibbatollah, known as Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed, passed away at the age of 70. Captured by the Mongols during the offensive on Baghdad, he was released upon the mediation by prominent figures. His most important book is a voluminous commentary on the “Nahj al-Balaghah”, the collection of the eloquent sermons, letters and maxims of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). His famous remarks on the Commander of the Faithful read: “The world cannot quote an example other than that of (Imam) Ali of a first class warrior and a marshal who is also a philosopher, a moralist and a great teacher of religious principles and theology. A study of his life shows that his sword was the only help that Islam received during its early days of struggle in its wars of self-defence. For Islam he was the first and the last line of defence… The other facet of his character is reflected in his sermons, orders, letters and sayings. What high values of morality they teach, what ethics they preach, what intricate problems of Unitarianism they elucidate, how rich they are in philosophy; how they imbibe the spirit of righteousness and teach rulers to become kind, good, benevolent and God-fearing rulers, and subjects to be faithful, sincere and law abiding, how they persuade men to be warriors who can fight only for God, truth and justice, and not mercenaries murdering and plundering for wealth and riches; and how they instruct teachers to teach nothing injurious and harmful to mankind. These are but indisputable proofs of his greatness and spiritual superiority. Has history ever produced a more splendid personality incorporating such variegated characteristics of mind and heart?”

427 solar years ago, on this day in 1590 AD, Ahmed I, the 14th Ottoman Sultan and the 6th self-styled caliph of the Turkish Dynasty, was born. During his 14-year rule (1603-17), the Ottomans lost the war with the Safavids, who were led by the energetic Shah Abbas the Great and his valiant general, Allahverdi Khan. As a result Georgia, Armenia and the occupied parts of Azerbaijan were returned to Iranian control in 1612. Damad Nasuh Pasha, the Ottoman Grand Vizier and Brother-in-Law of the Sultan, signed the treaty recognizing Iran’s rights and settling the border between the two empires. Ahmad also suffered setbacks in Europe. He broke with the Ottoman tradition of fratricide by sparing the life of his brothers and cousins. Ahmad I is remembered mainly for the construction of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) – one of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture in Istanbul.

131 solar years ago, on this day in 1886 AD, the Persian newssheet “Qanoun” (Law), was published in London during his exile from Iran by Mirza Malkam Khan, an Iranian Armenian who claimed to have converted to Islam. It was banned in Iran since it attacked both the Qajarid Shah and his government and called for reforms and modernization on West European patterns. Malkam Khan, who set up societies similar to the Freemasons in Iran in 1859, was a controversial person, who was exiled several times, until he was reinstated as ambassador to Italy by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah in 1898 with the title of Nezam od-Dowlah.

78 solar years ago, on this day in 1939 AD, the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Husseini Khamenei, was born in the holy city of Mashhad, in Khorasan in a religious family. He learned Islamic sciences under his scholarly virtuous father, Seyyed Jawad, and in 1958 left for the holy city of Qom where he stayed for seven years studying theology, jurisprudence and Islamic philosophy under prominent lecturers such as Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, Allamah Seyyed Mohammad Hussain Tabatabai, and the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). For a brief period he was in holy Najaf in Iraq, before returning to his hometown Mashhad, where he became a leading preacher, opposed to the oppressive Pahlavi regime. As a result he was detained and exiled on several occasions for exposing the corruption of the British-installed and US-backed regime. On the threshold of the victory of the Iranian people's movement, he was instated by Imam Khomeini as a member of the Islamic Revolution Council. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was assigned important posts such as the Imam’s representative at the High Defence Council. In 1981, he was elected as president of the Islamic Republic and four years later was re-elected for the second term. In 1981, while preaching in a mosque, he was the target of a terrorist bomb blast, and sustained serious injuries. In June 1989, after the passing away of Imam Khomeini, he was elected as the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution by the Assembly of Experts in view of his piety, prudence, popularity, political acumen, knowledge, managerial skills, and familiarity with current issues in Iran, the region, and the world. Over the past 28 years, Ayatollah Khamenei has ably discharged his duties to the benefit of Iran, and the Islamic world.

63 solar years ago, on this day in 1954 AD, Colonel Jamal Abdun-Nasser seized power in Egypt by ousting revolutionary colleague President General Mohammad Najeeb and declaring himself as president. Nasser, who advocated pan Arabism and supported leftist anti-monarchic movements in Arab state, brutally suppressed Islamic parties, especially the “Ikhwan al-Muslimeen” (Muslim Brotherhood). He nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956, a move that led to war with the British, French and Israel. His greatest shock was the defeat Egypt and three other Arab states suffered in the 6-day June 1967 war against the illegal Zionist entity, which with US and western help occupied the Sinai Peninsula including Egyptian-controlled Gaza. He died in 1970.

62 solar years ago, on this day in 1955 AD, the first conference of representatives of Asian and African states was held in the Indonesian city of Bandung. Attended by 29 world countries, it paved the way for formation of the Non-Aligned Movement, in order to be free from the both the Capitalist West and the Communist East.

62 solar years ago, on this day in 1955 AD, the famous physicist-mathematician, Albert Einstein, died in the US at the age of 76. Born in Germany, he became a Swiss citizen in 1905. The same year he published three articles, which laid the foundation of three new branches in physics. In 1912 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics, given his studies on photons. In 1917, he published the general relativity theory, which led to new viewpoints in sciences. In 1933, he migrated to the US to escape Adolf Hitler’s totalitarian rule. As the forerunner of the age of atom, his theories became highly influential in development of nuclear studies, including the manufacture of atomic bombs. He was very disappointed after he realized that unintentionally he had set the stage for development of weapons of mass destruction by the US. He died in 1955, and it is said that in his closing years he was no longer an atheist but his viewpoints had moved closer to the concept of God and spiritual values in Islam, especially in accordance with the school of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, the Iranian Army, cheered by the masses, staged glorious parades in different regions of Iran, swearing allegiance to the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), and emphasizing its loyalty to the Islamic Republic System. This day is thus named “Army Day” in the Islamic Republic of Iran and every year especial ceremonies are held on this day.

37 solar years ago, on this day in the year 1980 AD, Southern Rhodesia in southern Africa became independent by ousting the white apartheid renegade regime of Ian Smith, and changing its name to Zimbabwe. The capital Salisbury was also renamed Harare. The land was occupied by the British in the 19th century and the native black people were oppressed and reduced to poverty as the white minority took possession of millions of acres of agricultural lands. The struggle for independence started in the post Second World War period and intensified in the 1970s. Following elections, shortly after independence in 1980, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Robert Mugabe had a landslide victory and Mugabe was chosen prime minister. He held this post till 1987, when he was elected as president, a position he has held till this day, following re-elections every four years. The Republic of Zimbabwe, which is the target of the US and Britain for its independent policy, covers an area of more than 390,000 sq km, and shares borders with Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa.

21 solar years ago, on this day in 1996 AD, Zionist aircraft bombed headquarters of the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Qanaa, southern Lebanon, martyring at least 106 Lebanese women, children and elderly who had sought refuge. Hundreds of others were also injured in this dastardly attack. This slaughter of Lebanese refugees, of which 33 victims were minors, enraged world public opinion and forced the Zionists to stop bombardment. Meanwhile, the US blocked the passing of a resolution at the UN Security Council in condemnation of the mass murder. The UN General Assembly, however, issued its own resolution, condemning the crime and obliging the usurper state of Israel to pay compensation to the victims of the carnage. Although the Zionist entity has not paid any compensation for its heinous crimes in Lebanon, the condemnation of Israel at the UN General Assembly reflected the resentment of the international community toward the crimes of the illegal Zionists.

21 solar years ago, on this day in 1996 AD, British Islamic scholar and political campaigner, Dr. Kalim Siddiqi, passed away at the age of 62 in Pretoria, South Africa, after attending the International Conference on Creating a New Civilization of Islam. Born in the village of Dondi Lohara, in what is now the Chhattisgarh State in Central India, on the creation of Pakistan he moved to Karachi, where he briefly became editor of the newspaper “The Independent Leader” – mouthpiece of the Khilafat Movement. Along with other members of the movement, he moved to London, UK, in the 1950s, and after higher studies and obtaining of PhD, he founded the “Muslim Institute for Research and Planning” in London in 1972. As a staunch believer in Pan-Islamism he publicly declared his support for the Islamic Revolution on its triumph in Iran in 1979. Influenced by the dynamic personality of Imam Khomeini (RA), he advocated Islamic unity, and through his writings, especially in the Canada-based fortnightly “Crescent International”, he strongly opposed the policies of Global Arrogance led by the US and its agents the Arab reactionary regimes. In 1989 he founded the “Muslim Parliament of Britain”. The core of his work was a unique analysis, understanding and exposition of Muslim history and the contemporary situation facing Muslims which he developed and presented in a series of major writings and speeches. He was an outspoken force in the need for an integrated body of Muslims which could lobby for the wider British community.

17 solar years ago, on this day in 2000 AD, the prominent religious scholar of the Subcontinent, Allamah Seyyed Zeeshan Haidar Jawadi, was laid to rest in his hometown Allahabad after having passed away three days earlier on April 15 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the afternoon of Ashura (Moharram 10), after addressing a large gathering on the anniversary of the tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), the younger grandson and 3^rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He started his Islamic education at Jame’a Nazimiyya in Lucknow and moved to Iraq for higher religious studies at the famous seminary of holy Najaf, where his teachers were the renowned personalities of the time like Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsin al-Hakeem, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qasim Khoei, Grand Ayatollah Martyr Seyyed Mohammad Baqer as-Sadr, and Ayatollah Martyr Seyyed Asadollah Madani. A gifted person with a sharp mind, he spared no efforts in serving the cause of Islam. Once during one of his journeys when the flight was delayed for several hours at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, Allamah Zeeshan Haider utilized the delay to write a book titled "Taqaza-e-Islam" (Duties of Islam). As part of his commitment towards social reformation, he joined hands with Mowlana Seyyed Ghulam Askari to establish a network of 900 Madrasas all over India under the banner of "Tanzeem ul Makateb". On the international level, he served the Urdu speakers in Pakistan, the Persian Gulf States, USA, Britain and Australia. He was also fluent in Persian and Arabic and used to address gatherings of Iranians and Arabs in these two languages. He authored several books and translated from Arabic into Urdu several others. Allamah Zeeshan completed an easy-to-understand translation and exegesis of the Holy Qur’an in Urdu, and also translated into Urdu the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali’s famous collection of sermons, letters, and aphorisms the “Nahj al-Balagha” as well as the “Sahifat-as-Sajjadiyya” or the collection of supplications of Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), the Prophet’s 4^th Infallible Heir.  

AS/MG