Today is Monday; 5th of the Iranian month of Tir 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 1st of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1438 lunar hijri; and June 26, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Today is Eid-e Fitr, one of the major Islamic festivals. After the month-long fasting of Ramadhan, Muslims celebrate this day as thanksgiving to the Almighty Lord. The day starts with the special congregational Eid Prayer, which is indeed a glorious sight with rows upon rows of believers bowing and prostrating in unison. In order to further purify hearts and souls, each individual sets aside for the poor and needy of the society, three kilograms of one of the main forms of diets, such as wheat, barley, rice or dates, or its equivalent in money as the Zakat-e Fitr. The Eid is celebrated with exchange of visits among families and friends.

1644 solar years ago, on this day in 363 AD, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate was killed in the Battle of Samarra in Iraq on the retreat from his disastrous invasion of the Sassanid Empire and the inconclusive Battle of Ctesiphon fought on May 29, while the Iranian Emperor, Shapur II was in the east. Julian, who had renounced Christianity and reverted to paganism, was a victorious Roman general in France and Germany, and on becoming Emperor, attempted to seize Iraq with a force of 65,000 for possible infiltration into the Iranian Plateau. Unable to break the strong defenses of Ctesiphon or Mada’en near today's Baghdad, he retreated and was pursued by the Persian army, which engaged him near Samarra by attacking the rear guard of his army and then falling on the centre and the left wing of the Romans to completely defeat them. General Jovian was then declared Roman Emperor and had to make a humiliating peace with Shapur II by ceding five provinces to the Iranians and making a pledge against interfering in the affairs of Armenia. The great success for Shapur II (known as “Zu’l-Aktaaf” or Broad-Shouldered to the Arabs for his conquest years earlier of Yamama in Najd in the desert interior of Arabia), is represented in the rock-carving in Bishapur near Kazeroun in Fars Province, where under the hooves of the Persian Emperor's horse lies the body of Roman Emperor Julian, while a supplicant Roman, begs for peace.

1395 lunar years ago, on this day in 43 AH, the Omayyad governor of Egypt, Amr Ibn al-Aas, died at the age of 93 in acute mental agony while admitting his crimes against Islam, including how he had tried to cheat Imam Ali (AS) of the caliphate by declaring Mu'awiyya ibn Abu Sufyan as the caliph. He felt as if Mount Redhwa was hanging upon his neck and he was being dragged through the eye of a needle. Born out of wedlock in Mecca to a morally-loose bondwoman, named Layla bint Harmalah and called "Nabigha", his paternity was open to doubt in the freewheeling Jahiliyya days because of his mother’s promiscuous affair with at least five persons at the same time, including Abu Sufyan and Aas ibn Wa'el. Although Amr greatly resembled the stingy miser Abu Sufyan in appearance, his mother by citing the issue of maintenance claimed that the rather generous Aas had fathered her child. With the advent of Islam, Amr showed bitter hostility toward Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and when the latter migrated to Medina, he was involved in almost all the battles imposed upon Muslims by the pagan Arabs of Mecca. Earlier, when a group of persecuted Muslims led by the Prophet's cousin, Ja'far Ibn Abu Taleb, sought asylum in Abyssinia he led an unsuccessful mission to the court of the Christian king, Negus, for the handover of the refugees. In 8 AH, two years before the passing away of the Prophet and on the eve of the surrender of Mecca to the Muslims, Amr, sensing the end of paganism, came to Medina, along with that other avowed enemy of Islam, Khaled ibn Waleed, claiming conversion to Islam, though none of his deeds ever supports his claim to be a Muslim. After the Prophet, when the neo-Muslim Arab armies swept across Syria and Palestine, he led the attack on the Roman province of Egypt. When Mu'awiyyah built his power base in Syria, he joined him as advisor in Damascus and was the evil mind in most of the plots against Imam Ali (AS) including the raising of copies of the holy Qur'an on spear-points during the War of Siffeen in order to deceive Muslims and avoid a definite defeat. Earlier during the battle, to escape certain death from the flashing blade of Imam Ali (AS), Amr while fleeing, shamelessly disrobed himself, making the Imam turn away from an abhorred sight. In 38 AH he again attacked Egypt and martyred its legal governor, Mohammad Ibn Abu Bakr.

1182 lunar years ago, on this day in 256 AH, the famous Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad Ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Bardizbah Bukhari, passed away at the age of 62 while on a visit to Khartank, a village near Samarqand in what is now Uzbekistan. Born in Bukhara in a family which before conversion to Islam was either Zoroastrian or Jewish, he started collecting hadith from anyone who could relate. In his late teens, along with his brother and mother, he travelled to Mecca for pilgrimage. After visiting the centres of learning, exchanging information on hadith from over 1,000 persons, and recording more than 600,000 narrations, he returned to his hometown after a 16-year absence. Here he compiled his "al-Jame' as-Sahih", which is revered as "Sahih Bukhari" by Sunni Muslims, and contains 7,275 hadith selected as per his inclination. Although he has acknowledged some of the unparalleled merits of the Ahl al-Bayt, he did not visit the rightful heirs of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) or met their disciples for precise information on authentic hadith. It is claimed that it was fear of the wrath of the Abbasid regime that made him omit any hadith related from such an outstanding authority as the Prophet's 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja'far Sadeq (AS), but he felt no inhibitions to include in his so-called "Sahih" narrations from dubious persons – even avowed enemies of the Prophet's Household. In 250 AH he settled in Naishapur in Khorasan, following his expulsion from Bukhara for issuing a weird fatwa against the letter and spirit of the shari'ah that persons drinking the milk of the same cow, goat or donkey, are foster siblings and hence ineligible for marriage with each other. Here he met another Iranian with Sunni inclinations, named Muslim Ibn Hajjaj, who became his student, and eventually collector of a separate book on hadith, known as "Sahih Muslim".

1045 lunar years ago, on this day in 393 AH  at-Ta'i-Lillah, the 24th caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime, died twelve years after he was deposed and replaced by his cousin, al-Qader-Billah, by the Iranian Buwayhid ruler, Baha od-Dowlah Daylami. The Buwayhids had installed him as caliph on the death of his father, al-Muti-Lillah, who also owed his caliphate to this powerful dynasty ruling Iraq and Iran. During the caliphate of at-Ta’i, the Abbasid dominions further shrunk in size, with the Hijaz and over half of Syria falling to the Fatemid Shi’ite Ismaili Dynasty of Egypt, while the Turkic chieftains vied for power in the rest of Syria.

869 lunar years ago, on this day in 569 AH, the exegete of the Holy Qur'an, Arabic grammarian and poet, Sa'eed Ibn Mubarak Ibn Dahhan, passed away in Mosul at the age of 74 during a visit to the vizier, Jamal od-Din Isfahani, shortly after losing his eyesight, while trying chemical experiments to preserve some of his books from his flooded library in Baghdad after the Tigris overflowed its banks. His remaining works include "Fosoul" on the art of prosody, and one "Qasida".

774 solar years ago, on this day in 1243 AD, the Battle of Kose Dagh near Arzinjan in northeastern Anatolia saw the defeat of Kaykhusrow II, the last effective sultan of the Seljuq Sultanate of Roum (modern Turkey), by the Mongol hordes of General Baiju – sent by Toregene the Great Khatun and regent for her son, Guyuk Khan, following the death of Khaqaan Ogdei Khan. After succeeding his bloodthirsty father, Chengiz Khan as emperor, Ogdei sent armies in all directions, including Iran, which was overrun along with the Caucasus, before his forces invaded Anatolia, where Kaykhusrow offered friendship and tribute. After Ogdei’s death in 1240, the Mongols began to pressure the Sultan to come to Mongolia in person, provide hostages, and accept a governor. On his refusal, the Mongols attacked the Seljuq Sultanate in the winter of 1242-43 and seized Erzurum. Kaykhusrow called on his neighbours for help to resist the invasion. The Armenian king of Cilicia supplied 1400 lancers, the Greek Emperor of Nicaea 400, the Grand Komnenos of Trebizond 200, and the Ayyubid prince of Aleppo sent 1000 horsemen. Kaykhusrow commanded the Seljuq army and irregular Turkmen cavalry, along with a group of Frankish mercenaries, and some Georgian nobles, while the majority of Georgians were compelled to fight alongside the Mongols. The young Sultan’s ignoring of the advice of senior generals to wait for the Mongol attack proved a disaster. He started the attack with a force of 20,000, led by inexperienced commanders, and the Mongols, pretending a retreat, turned back, encircled the Seljuq army and defeated it. When the rest of the Seljuq army witnessed the defeat, many commanders and their soldiers, including Kaykhusrow, started fleeing the battlefield. After their victory, the Mongols took control of the cities of Sivas and Kayseri. The sultan fled to Antalya but was subsequently forced to make peace with Baiju and pay a substantial tribute to the Mongols. The defeat resulted in a period of turmoil in Anatolia and led to the decline and disintegration of the Seljuq Sultanate of Roum, which was a Persianate state and had separated from the Iran-based Great Seljuq Empire on the death of Malik Shah I.

743 solar years ago, on this day in 1274 AD, the famous Iranian Islamic religious scholar and scientist, Mohammad ibn Mohammad ibn Hassan, known as Khwajah Naseer od-Din Tusi, passed away at the age of around 75 in Kazemain, Iraq, and was laid to rest in the holy mausoleum of Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Born in Tus, near the holy city of Mashhad in Khorasan, northeastern Iran, he was an outstanding philosopher, scientist, mathematician and astronomer, who made rich contributions to world culture and civilization. Even the Mongol invaders acknowledged his genius and Hulagu Khan, appointed him as his scientific advisor. Naseer od-Din Tusi built the famous observatory at Maraghah. It had various instruments such as a 4-meter wall quadrant made from copper and an azimuth quadrant which was his unique invention. Using accurately plotted planetary movements, he modified Ptolemy's model of the planetary system based on mechanical principles. The observatory and its library became a centre for a wide range of work in science, mathematics and philosophy. He wrote some 80 books in both Arabic and Persian on various subjects including “Tajrid al-Eʿteqad” on theology, “Akhlaq-e Naseri” on ethics, “Sharh al-Isharaat Ibn Sina” on philosophy, “Kitab ash-Shakl al-Qatta” on mathematics, “at-Tadhkirah fi Ilm al-Hay'ah” on astronomy, etc. It is to be noted that a 60-km diameter lunar crater located on the southern hemisphere of the moon is named after him as "Naseereddin". A small planet discovered in 1970 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh is named after him “10269 Tusi”

476 solar years ago, on this day in 1541 AD, Spain’s Francisco Pizarro, who through deceit and brutality conquered the Inca Empire of South America, was murdered in Lima by the son of his former companion, Diego Almagro, whom he had executed. Born out of wedlock, Pizarro sailed to South American to seek fortune, and in 1532, he led a band of Spanish marauders to ambush and capture the 13th Inca Emperor Atahualpa at the great plaza of Cajamarca in what is now Peru, killing counselors, commanders and thousands of unarmed attendants, following months of espionage and subterfuge. He treacherously executed Atahualpa through strangulation in 1533 despite receiving ransom for release of the Inca emperor that filled a room with gold and two rooms with silver, which he split amongst his closest associates after setting aside a share for the Spanish king. The Spaniards indulged in the mass rape of Inca women, and Pizzaro forced Atahualpa's wife to become his mistress, while distributing among his men women of the Incan nobility. The death of Atahualpa effectively ended Inca resistance, the 300-year old empire and the flourishing native culture.

294 solar years ago, on this day in 1723 AD, a year after the Afghan occupation of Iran and the virtual collapse of the powerful Safavid Dynasty, the Russians advanced upon the frontiers of the Persian Empire in the Caucasus, seized Daghestan, laid siege to the Iranian city of Baku, bombarded it and forced it to surrender. Soon with the rise of Nader Quli Beg (later Nader Shah) as the powerful general of Shah Tahmasp II, Iran was freed from the Afghan usurpers and Iranian border territories liberated from the Ottoman and Russian occupation. Baku returned to Iranian sovereignty and by the treaty of Ganja in 1735, Moscow agreed to withdraw from Daghestan as well. Baku was occupied by the Russians in 1796 and retaken the next year by the Qajarids, who in the 1813 War lost it to Russia again. Baku is currently the capital of Republic of Azerbaijan. The name "Azar" is Persian for fire, while ‘Baijan’ which is actually an Arabic corruption of the Persian word "Payegaan" – since the letters “P” and “G” have no equivalent in Arabic and were replaced by “B” and “J” – means Guardian of Land. Azerbaijan means “Land of Fire”, probably because of oil wells around Baku that at times spewed fire, as recorded by ancient texts, including the travels of Marco Polo.

283 lunar years ago, on this day in 1155 AH, the prominent gnostic and source of emulation (marja’), Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Tabatabaie Bahr al-Uloum, was born in the holy city of Karbala, before the dawn of Eid al-Fitr, in a family related to the celebrated Allamah Majlisi. Initially taught by his scholarly father Seyyed Morteza ibn Mohammad Boroujerdi, he later studied under Shaikh Yousuf Bahrani (writer of the book of “Hada’eq an-Nasera”), before enrolling at the famous seminary of holy Najaf, where he studied under the famous Waheed Behbahani. At the age of 31 he went to Mashhad in Khorasan, Iran, where he lived for seven years, learning different sciences, as well as philosophy from Mirza Mahdi Shahid Khorasani. His teacher, because of his extensive knowledge, called him “Baḥr al-Uloum” (or Ocean of Knowledge). His sons, grandsons, and direct descendants continue to use this title as family name. Baḥr al-Uloum returned to Najaf to teach. He performed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 193 AH, and also taught there. Among his students were: Seyyed Sadr od-Din Ameli, Shaikh Ja’far Najafi, Seyyed Jawad Ameli, Shaikh Abu Ali Haeri, Mulla Ahmad Naraqi, Seyyed Muhammad Mojahed, Seyyed Abu’l-Qasem Khwansari, Seyyed Dildar Ali Lakhnavi (of India). On the passing away of Waheed Behbahani, he became the Source of Emulation. On his authority, in view of his contacts with the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), he determined the exact spots in the Grand Mosque of Kufa and the Sahla Mosque, associated with the Prophets and the Imams. He wrote many works in diverse religious sciences including jurisprudence and hadith, such as “al-Masabih”, “ad-Durra-an-Najafiyyah”, “al-Fawa’ed ar-Rejaliyyah” and “Tuhfat al-Keraam” (on history of Mecca and Masjid al-Haraam). He passed away at the age of 57 in Najaf, and was laid to rest next to the grave of the founder of the thousand-year old Najaf Seminary, Shaikh at-Ta’efa Abu Ja’far at-Tusi.

277 solar years ago, on this day in 1740 AD, a combined force of Spanish, free blacks and allied Amerindians defeated a British garrison at the Siege of Fort Mose near St. Augustine during the War of Jenkins' Ear.

181 solar years ago, on this day in 1836 AD, French revolutionary poet, Rouget de Lisle, died. He served in the French army, and wrote epic poems. His poem “La Marseillaise” is the national anthem of France.

132 lunar years ago, on this day in 1306 AH, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsin al-Hakeem Tabatabaie was born in a scholarly family in holy Najaf Iraq. He was a child prodigy, who after memorizing the holy Qur'an, strove to acquire higher degrees of knowledge and attained the status of Ijtehad. He taught jurisprudence and soon emerged as the leading scholar of the Najaf Seminary. Following the passing away of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi in Qom, Iran, he became the sole Marja or Supreme Religious Authority with worldwide following. The hawza of Najaf grew immensely under his leadership. His historic opinion branding communism as kufr or atheism proved the beginning of the end of communism in Iraq. When the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), was exiled from Iran by the Shah’s regime and took up residence in Iraq, he welcomed him in holy Najaf and provided support to him. Grand Ayatollah Hakeem’s suggestions and advices on political and social issues were valued by the Muslim Ummah. In 1967 AD, following the defeat of Arab armies in the six-day war he wrote to the heads of Muslim states to put aside their differences and unite against the illegal Zionist entity. During the last year of his life, following the coup that brought to power the tyrannical Ba’th minority regime in Baghdad, he was subjected to persecution and passed away at the age of 84. His sons and grandsons also emerged as leading scholars and were active on the political and social scenes. Many of them were martyred in a cowardly manner by Saddam and his henchmen, including son, Ayatollah Seyyed Mahdi in Khartoum, during an international conference in Sudan. Another of his sons, Ayatollah Seyyed Baqer al-Hakeem was the Leader of the Supreme Assembly for the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SAIRI) and was martyred in a terrorist bomb blast after leading the Friday Prayer in the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf. The present leader of the Iraqi Islamic Assembly, Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ammar al-Hakeem, is the grandson of the Late Grand Ayatollah al-Hakeem.

90 solar years ago, on this day in 1927 AD, the sound film industry was born after years of strenuous efforts. In 1926, different sounds and musical pieces were successfully used in movies, and a year later filmmakers succeeded in entering the voices of actors in films. The world’s first sound movie was “The Jazz Singer”.

72 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD, an International Conference in the US city of San Francisco, attended by 50 mostly western countries, ratified the United Nations Charter. The draftees claimed of preventing incidents that lead to war, but the fact is that the World Body has failed to achieve its goals because of its domination by big powers, especially the US. One of the major flaws of the UN is the veto power of the five self-imposed permanent members of the Security Council. The UN General Assembly, made up of representatives of almost all world states, has no executive power for implementation of its resolutions.

57 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, the Island of Madagascar, off the southeastern African coast, gained independence from 64 years of French colonial rule. There were several uprisings, one of which in 1947 led to the killing of almost 90,000 people by the French. The majority of people are Malagasy, tracing their origin to Borneo in Southeast Asia. Muslims form over 10 percent of the population. The first Muslims to arrive were Arabs and Somalis in the 9th century. The written history of Madagascar began with the Arabs, who established trading posts along the northwest coast by the 10th century and introduced Islam and the Arabic script that was formally used to transcribe the Malagasy language in a form of writing known as sorabe. Today the language is written in the Latin script imposed by the French and the majority of people are Christians – a legacy of European colonial rule. It is worth noting that over 90% of wildlife of Madagascar is found nowhere else on Earth.

19 solar years ago, on this day in 1997 AD, the UN launched the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The decision was taken by the UN General Assembly at the proposal of Denmark, which is home to the world-renowned International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). Since then nearly 100 organizations in countries all over the world mark the day each year with events, and speeches against the crime of torture, and to honor and support victims and survivors throughout the world. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Organization for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV) organizes the event.

AS/SS