Today is Tuesday; 14th of the Iranian month of Shahrivar 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 14th of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah 1438 lunar hijri; and September 5, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

Over 1442 lunar years ago, on the eve of this day, the full moon miraculously split in two as Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) prayed to God and pointed his finger towards the sky, when some pagan Arabs led by Abu Jahl along with a group of Israelites demanded that if he is really the Messenger of God he should make the moon split. The first two ayahs of Surah al-Qamar refer to this fact as follows:

"The Hour has drawn near and the moon is split.

"If they see a sign, they turn away, and say, ‘An incessant magic!"

As is clear from the ayahs, the Arab pagans tried to deny this manifest miracle that was produced on their demand, by calling it magic or sorcery, while the Jew immediately accepted Islam, since he had read in the Torah how God made the sun and the moon stand still for Prophet Joshua the successor of Prophet Moses (peace upon them). According to eyewitness accounts, before rejoining, the two parts of the split moon were clearly seen on the horizon on either side of Mount Noor in Mecca. This miracle is supported by documented evidence from India, where the King of the Malabar region in the south, Chakrawati Farmas also known as Cheraman Perumel, witnessed this strange sight of the moon splitting in the sky, and on learning that the Last Prophet had appeared in the Arabian Peninsula, he made a journey to Mecca and became a Muslim. A scientific proof of this miracle is the deep scar or rift discovered on the Moon and photographed by NASA astronomers in the US which is further proof of such a phenomenon occurring in the past. The Indian king’s sighting of the miracle is mentioned in an ancient manuscript currently in London’s India Office Library, where other details of the journey are recorded including the king’s death in Yemen on his way back to India.

1427 solar years ago, on this day in 590, Hormizd IV, the 21st Sassanid Emperor of Iran-Iraq-Afghanistan, was deposed, blinded and killed at the age of 50 after a reign of 11 years by Vistahm and Vinduyih, the maternal uncles of his son and successor, Khosrow II Pervez. Son of Khosrow I Anushirvan, he inherited his father’s wars against Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire in the west for control of Syria and Anatolia, and against the Turks in the northeast over Central Asia. Despite the victory of his armies over the Turks in the east, and success in checking the advance of the Romans in the west, it was the arrogance, violent temper and breach of promise of Hormizd IV that made his brothers-in-law turn against him in the midst of the rebellion of his victorious general, Bahram Chubin, who would seize the Sassanid capital, Ctesiphon (near Baghdad in Iraq) and style himself king, before being defeated and killed by Khosrow II.

1318 solar years ago, on this day in 699 AD, the Iranian Sunni Muslim Jurisprudent, Noman Ibn Sabet Ibn Zuṭa Ibn Marzuban, known as Abu Hanifa, was born in Kufa in a family of Zoroastrian origin from Kabul. He learned the holy Qur’an and hadith, and after only two years of study under Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS), the 6th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), he started his own jurisprudential school, known as Hanafi. Contrary to the definition of Ijtihad, based on the holy Qur’an and the genuine hadith of the Prophet, he resorted to "qiyas" or analogy regarding legal issues, despite warnings from Imam Sadeq (AS) that the first one to indulge in "qiyas" was Iblis (Satan). He died in Baghdad at the age of 68.

1082 lunar years ago, on this day in 356 AH, Abu’l-Faraj Isfahani, the master of Arabic prose, historian with sociological interests, poet, and musicologist, passed away in Baghdad at the age of 73. Born in Isfahan, and named Ali by his father Hussain Ibn Mohammad, he spent most of his life in Baghdad where he settled after visiting different lands. He is best known for his encyclopedic 25-volume work “Kitab al-Aghani” that took him fifty years to compile, and which contains valuable information on poets, poetry, philology, rhythms, instruments, Arabic literature and genealogy, from the ancient times till his own days. He travelled to Aleppo, Syria to present this book to the Hamdanid Shi’a Muslim ruler, Saif od-Dowla. In Rayy, the famous Iranian statesman and scholar, Saheb Ibn Abbad Ismail Taleqani, greatly valued this book. Although a direct descendent of the last Omayyad caliph, Marwan II, he was a follower of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and a strong critic of his own Godless ancestors. He thus wrote the valuable work “Maqatel at-Talibiyeen”, comprising short biographies of the descendants of Imam Ali (AS) – mostly the Prophet’s progeny – martyred by the Omayyad and Abbasid caliphs till the year 313 AH.

351 solar years ago, on this day in 1666 AD, the Great Fire of London, which began on September 2 finally ended. Ten thousand buildings including St Paul's Cathedral were destroyed.

245 solar years ago, on this day in 1772 AD, Fath-Ali Shah, the second king of the Qajarid Dynasty of Iran, was born. Son of Hussain Qoli Khan, the brother of the founder of the dynasty, Agha Mohammad Khan, he was governor of Fars and succeeded his childless uncle on his assassination in 1797. Much of his 37-year long reign that saw the gradual loss of vast areas of Iran in the Caucasus, Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, was marked by the resurgence of Persian arts and painting, as well as a deeply elaborate court culture. Portraiture and large-scale oil paintings reached new heights under his personal patronage. While the economic conditions of the people declined, Fath Ali Shah ordered the creation of royal regalia, including coronation chairs such as the bejeweled "Takht-e-Tavoos" (Peacock Throne) – modeled on the famous Peacock Throne of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, which Nader Shah Afshar had brought as booty from India, and which was dismantled and distributed amongst his generals after his assassination. Fath Ali Shah also modified with a large number of pearls and gems his uncle’s crown, the "Taj-e-Kiyani". He led a life of luxury oblivious of the poverty of the people and the political humiliation to Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as a result of the Russian-imposed Golestan and Turkmanchai Treaties, coupled with growing British pressures and encroachments. When his son and crown prince Abbas Mirza died on 25 October 1833, he named the latter’s son (his grandson) Mohammed Mirza as successor.

224 solar years ago, on this day in 1793 AD, the Reign of Terror began during the French Revolution as the National Convention instituted harsh measures to repress counter-revolutionary activities. A delegate claiming that the middle class Girondist (moderates) leaders be sentenced to death cried, "It is time for equality to wield its scythe over all the heads. Very well, Legislator, place Terror on the agenda!" The delegates agreed to arrest all suspects and dissenters, try them swiftly in the so-called revolutionary tribunals, and sentence them uniformly to death.

199 solar years ago, on this day in 1818 AD, the ministry of foreign affairs was established for the first time in Iran, with Mirza Abu’l-Hassan Khan Shirazi as foreign minister, operating under the country’s prime minister, who in turn was responsible to the Qajarid Shah. It was the first ministry in Iran, and before that the Department of External Affairs used to handle Iran’s foreign relations. Gradually other ministries were established to take care of the different areas of work entrusted to the prime minister, as bureaucracy grew.

169 solar years ago, on this day in 1848 AD, Mohammad Shah Qajar, the 3rd ruler of the Qajarid Dynasty of Iran, died at the age of 40, after a reign of 14 years, and was succeeded by his 16-year old son, Nasser od-Din Shah, with the famous reformist prime minster, Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir as regent. Son of the famous crown prince, Abbas Mirza, who predeceased Fath Ali Shah, he succeeded his grandfather, and twice tried to unsuccessfully liberate Herat, the “Pearl of Khorasan” from Afghan occupation, but was thwarted by the British, who sent naval forces to the Persian Gulf to occupy Khark island and threaten Bushehr. It was during his rule that the symbol of “Shir-va-Khorshid” (Lion and Sun) against a red, white, and green background became the flag of Iran.

160 solar years ago, on this day in 1857 AD, the French philosopher and mathematician, August Comte, died at the age of 65. Considered Founder of Modern Sociology, he also presented significant views in mathematics, philosophy, physics, and astronomy. In the last years of his life he founded a new school of thought known as "Religion of Humanity". He wrote several books including "Philosophical Treatise on Popular Astronomy".

140 solar years ago, on this day in 1877 AD, four months after his peaceful surrender to end the warfare between the Amerindian natives and the US regime, Oglala Sioux chief ‘Crazy Horse’ was treacherously bayoneted to death by a white soldier at Fort Robinson in Nebraska, at the age of 37.

130 solar years ago, on this day in 1887 AD, the Yellow River floods in China took place. This major flooding lasted more than a month, claiming the life of nearly 900,000 people. Hundreds of villages and farmlands were destroyed.

112 solar years ago, on this day in 1905 AD, the Russo-Japanese War ended after a year and a half with signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty in New Hampshire, US, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt.

104 lunar years ago, on this day in 1334 AH, Ayatollah Morteza Ha’eri Yazdi was born in Arak to the famous Reviver of the Islamic seminary of holy Qom, Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Ha’eri Yazdi. After initial studies under his father, he attended the classes of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani, Seyyed Mohammad Mohaqqeq Damad, and the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). He was the teacher in turn of the prominent scholar and hadith researcher, Ayatollah Mohammad Reyshahri. He passed away in Jamadi al-Akher 1406 in Qom and was laid to rest in the mausoleum of Hazrat Ma’soumah (SA).

78 lunar years ago, on this day in 1360 AH, Ayatollah Sheikh Fayyaz Zanjani, passed away at the age of 75. Born near the city of Zanjan, he was an erudite scholar who wrote several books, including “Zakha’er al-Ummah”.

48 solar years ago, on this day in 1969 AD, of the 22 cowardly US soldiers involved in sadistic savagery at My Lai village in Vietnam, only William Calley was charged with six specifications of premeditated murder for the cold-blooded killing of 109 Vietnamese men, women and children, including infants, on 16th March 1968. Some of the bodies were later found to be mutilated and many women raped prior to the killings. The massacre prompted global outrage when it became public knowledge in 1969. It also increased domestic opposition to the US involvement in the Vietnam War. Three US servicemen who had tried to halt the massacre and protect the wounded were denounced by several US Congressmen as traitors in an attempt to cover up the massacre. They received hate mail and death threats. The three were later widely praised and decorated by the army for their heroic actions. As for the chief culprit William Calley, he was originally given a life sentence, but only served three and a half years under house arrest before being released, which shows the highly flawed nature of justice in the US.

36 solar years ago, on this day in 1981 AD, Iran's Prosecutor General, Ayatollah Ali Qoddusi, was martyred due to detonation of a bomb planted by MKO terrorists. He was a student of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi, Allamah Seyyed Mohammad Hussain Tabatabai (the famous exegete of the holy Qur'an), and the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA). On attaining the status of Ijtehad, he actively participated in religious affairs including the foundation of the Haqqani Seminary. In 1962, he joined the Imam in the struggle against the Shah's regime, and was imprisoned for his revolutionary activities. On victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was appointed Prosecutor-General.

17 solar years ago, on this day in 2000 AD, the scholar, Seyyed Morteza Ayatollahzadeh Shirazi, passed away at the age of 72, and was laid to rest in the Shaykhan Cemetery, adjacent to the holy shrine of Hazrat Fatema Ma’suma (SA) in Qom. Born in holy Najaf in Iraq, he was a grandson of Grand Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Hassan Shirazi who had issued the tobacco prohibition fatwa to save Iranian economy from British exploitation. At the age of 23 he enrolled at Tehran University and on graduation travelled to Egypt, where he stayed for ten years, obtaining PhD in Arabic literature from Cairo University, and teaching Persian literature at al-Azhar University. He then left for Britain, where he completed a course at Cambridge University in Semitic languages. On return to Iran, he taught at Tehran University, where for 21 years he was also editor-in-chief of the Scientific-Research Journal of the Faculty of Literature. His articles appeared in academic journals in Iran and abroad. He wrote and translated some 25 books including “Farhang-e Istelahaat-e Rouz” (Lexicon of Current Phrases and Idioms), and the multilingual dictionary “Majma’ ol-Lughaat”.

AS/ME