Today is Friday; 5th of the Iranian month of Aban 1396 solar hijri; corresponding to 7th of the Islamic month of Safar 1439 lunar hijri; and October 27, 2017, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1389 lunar years ago, on this day in 50 AH, according to a narration, Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (AS), the elder grandson and 2nd Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was martyred at the age of 47 through a fatal dose of poison, given on the orders of the usurper Mu'awiyyah Ibn Abu Sufyan. He was over seven years at the passing away of the Prophet, who hailed him along with his younger brother, Imam Husain (AS), as Leaders of the Youth of Paradise. At the age of 37, the mantle of Imamate came to rest on his shoulders, following the martyrdom of his father, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (AS). Some seven months later, because of the treachery of those who claimed to be his followers, but had succumbed to threats and bribes of the enemies of humanity by refusing to decisively confront them, he relinquished the caliphate and retired to his hometown Medina, after stipulating certain conditions for the next ruler. The Omayyad rebel Mu'awiyyah ibn Abu Sufyan seized the caliphate, broke all accords, violated the laws of Islam, and finally administered poison to Imam Hasan (AS). Some consider Safar 28 as the day of martyrdom of Imam Hasan (AS). 

1311 lunar years ago, on this day in 128 AH, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) was born in Abwa between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. At the age of 20, the mantle of divine leadership came to rest on his shoulders following the martyrdom of his father, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS), through poisoning. His period of Imamate was 35 years, during which he was subjected to hardships by the Abbasid tyrants – Mansour, Mahdi, Hadi, and Haroun. His epithet “Kazem” means Restrainer of Anger, and despite frequent bouts of imprisonment he showed profound patience and forbearance, even in the dungeons of Haroun, who martyred him through poisoning in 183 AH in Baghdad. Today, his magnificent gold-plated shrine is the centre of pilgrimage in Kazemayn.

1307 solar years ago, on this day in 710 AD, the first Arab invasion of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea took place, and the conquest was completed in 720, making it part of the world of Islam. Muslim rule lasted three centuries until 1016.

784 lunar years ago, on this day in 655 AH, the Sufi scholar of Punjab, Shaikh Baha od-Din Zakariyya al-Quraishi, passed away in Multan at the age of 100. He was a student of the famous Iranian Sufi, Shahab od-Din Suhrawardi, who initiated him in the mystical order at his hospice in Baghdad. The mausoleum of Baha od-Din Zakariyya in Pakistan, mounted by a hemispherical dome, is visited by devotees throughout the year. Almost all Sufi orders trace their spiritual lineage to Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

686 solar years ago, on this day in 1331 AD, the historian, geographer, and statesman, Abu'l-Fida Isma'il Ibn Ali al-Hamawi, died at the age of 58. Born in Damascus into the ruling Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty, he devoted himself to the study of the holy Qur'an and the sciences, and was then almost constantly engaged in military expeditions, chiefly against the crusader invaders from Europe. In 1298 he entered the service of the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt-Syria, Malik an-Naser, and after twelve years was made the governor of Hamah. For over twenty years he reigned in peace, busy in the duties of government and writing of works that include “Tarikh al-Mukhtasar fi Akhbari'l-Bashar” (The Concise History of Humanity), starting with the creation of the world till the year 1329. His geography, like much of his history, is based on the works of his predecessors. A long introduction on various geographical issues is followed by twenty-eight sections dealing in tabular form with the principal towns of the world. After each name are given the longitude, latitude, climate, spelling, and then observations generally taken from earlier authors. The crater “Abulfeda” on the Moon is named after him.

645 lunar years ago, on this day in 794 AH, Zafar Khan, sent by the Tughlaq sultan of Delhi defeated and killed Malik Mufarrah Farhat u1-Mulk, the rebellious governor of Gujarat, at Kambhu near Nahrwala, founded the village of Jitpur on the site of the victory, and made the city of Anhilwada Patan his capital. Son of the Rajput convert to Islam Wajih ul-Mulk, whose sister was Firuz Shah Tughlaq’s wife, Zafar Khan consolidated his rule in Gujarat, and when the Tughlaq sultanate collapsed as a result of the invasion of the Central Asian conqueror, Amir Timur, he declared himself independent with the title Muzaffar Shah I. He died after a 20-year reign. His son Ahmad Shah I built the city of Ahmadabad as the new capital. The dynasty ruled for almost 200 years, until the conquest of Gujarat by the Moghal Empire. The sultanate reached its peak under Mahmoud Shah I Begara, extending east into Malwa and west to the Gulf of Kutch. During Muzaffarid rule, Ahmadabad grew to become one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, and the sultans were patrons of a distinctive architecture that blended Islamic elements with Gujarat's indigenous Hindu and Jain architectural traditions. The court language was Persian and the Sultans of Gujarat maintained infrequent ambassadorial relations with Iran.

568 solar years ago, on this day in 1449 AD, the prominent astronomer-king of the Timurid dynasty, Mirza Mohammad Taraghay Ulugh Beg, was killed by his rebellious son, Abdul-Latif "Pidarkush" (Persian for Killer of Father), while on his way to Mecca for pilgrimage after being deposed, after a reign of two years as king, and 38 years as absolute governor of Transoxiana (today's Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and southern Kazakhstan). Born in Soltaniyeh near Zanjan in Iran, his father was Shahrukh, the son and successor of the fearsome Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur, while his mother was the cultured and religious Iranian lady, Gowharshad, the builder of the famous mosque  adjacent to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), in Mashhad. His seat of government was Samarqand, where he built a great observatory with the assistance of the famous Iranian astronomer, Ghiyas od-Din Jamshid Kashani. He also built madrasahs in Samarqand and Bukhara, transforming the two cities into cultural centres of learning. He determined the length of the sidereal year as 365.2570370, making it more accurate than the estimate of Nicolaus Copernicus, who had based his calculation mostly on that of Thabet Ibn Qurra. He also determined the Earth's axial tilt as 23.52 degrees, which remained the most accurate measurement for hundreds of years. In mathematics, he wrote accurate trigonometric tables of sine and tangent values correct to at least eight decimal places. The crater "Ulugh Beg", on the Moon, is named after him.

464 solar years ago, on this day in 1553 AD, Spanish physician, Michael Servetus, was burned at the stake in Geneva by the Christian Church at the age of 42 for studying the holy Qur’an, raising objections to the belief in Trinity and borrowing from Latin translations of the works of Islamic scientists to determine the correct circulation of blood in the human body. He believed Judaism and Islam had preserved the unity of God in their teachings, while Trinitarians had turned Christianity into a form of "Tritheism" (belief in three gods). He also defended the botanical views of his friend Leonhard Fuchs. Servetus indicated that the blood came from the heart through the pulmonary artery and back through the pulmonary vein; it did not go through the heart muscle itself.

412 solar years ago, on this day in 1605 AD, Mohammad Jalal od-Din Akbar, the 3rd Moghal Emperor of the Northern Subcontinent, died at the age of 63 after a 50-year reign. His ancestors include the fearsome conquerors Amir Timur and Genghis Khan. As a 13-year boy he ascended the throne on the death of his father, Humayun, shortly after the latter’s return from exile in Iran and re-conquest of northern India with the military help provided by Shah Tahmasp. His mother was the Iranian lady, Hamida Banu, the daughter of Ali Akbar Jami – a descendent of the famous mystic Shaikh Ahmad Jam of Khorasan. Initially his rule extended only over the Punjab and the area around Delhi. With the help of his guardian, the famed Baharlu Turkman Chief, Bayram Khan, he won the Battle of Panipat in 1556 by decisively defeating the newly self-declared Hindu king, Hemu. As his power and prestige increased, the Rajput chieftains acknowledged his suzerainty. He continued his conquests, taking the Muslim kingdoms of Malwa (1561), Gujarat (1573), Bengal (1576), Kashmir (1586), and Khandesh (1601). Initially, Akbar was a patron of arts and attracted scholars, poets, painters, and musicians, to his court from India, Iran and central Asia. He had Sanskrit classics translated into Persian and was enthusiastic about the European paintings presented to him by Jesuit missionaries. He respected religious figures. His Chief Judge was the famous Iranian scholar, Seyyed Nourollah Shushtari, the author of several books, including "Ahqaq al-Haq" – later martyred by Emperor Jahanagir, and famous ever since as “Shaheed Sallis” (Third Martyr) with his shrine in Agra.

287 lunar years ago, on this day in 1152 AH, Nadir Shah Afshar of Iran departed from Delhi with a booty estimated between 80-to-145 million rupees, which included the famous diamond encrusted Peacock Throne of Emperor Shahjahan, the Tent of Pearls and the world’s largest diamond, Koh-e Noor (Mountain of Light). Nader Shah had invaded the Moghal Empire due to the inability of Emperor Mohammad Shah ‘Rangileh’ to stop the infiltration of the Hotaki Afghan rebels fleeing into India after the end of their occupation of Iran. He won a decisive victory in the Battle of Karnal near Lahore, and then along with the defeated Mohammad Shah, whom he treated with respect, marched into Delhi, where he stayed for several days, before returning to Iran after restoring the Moghal Emperor to power.

112 solar years ago, on this day in 1905 AD, Norway seceded from Sweden to become independent. Norway was occupied by Denmark in 1380 and after over four centuries of Danish rule was handed over to Sweden in 1814 by the Vienna Congress for the role played by Swedish forces in the wars against Napoleon. This led to great resentment amongst Norwegians, who ultimately gained independence and set up a constitutional monarchy. Norway is part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It covers an area of 324,000 sq km, and shares borders with Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

107 solar years ago, on this day in 1910 AD, the Korean Peninsula was occupied by Japan after the defeat of Russia and China in successive wars. The occupation lasted until Japan's humiliating defeat in the World War 2 in 1945, when the victorious American and Soviet forces quickly moved in to divide the Korean Peninsula into the communist North and the capitalist South. The Russians have long withdrawn from North Korea but the US occupation forces still remain in South Korea against the wishes of the Korean people who long for unity and peace.

59 solar years ago, on this day in 1958 AD, Pakistan’s president, Iskander Mirza, was deposed in a bloodless coup by General Ayub Khan, whom Mirza had appointed martial law enforcer 20 days earlier. Iskander Mirza belonged to the princely family of Iranian origin of Murshidabad in Bengal. He died in London and was buried in Iran in the mausoleum of Seyyed Abdul-Azim al-Hassani (AS) in Rayy, south of Tehran.

44 solar years ago, on this day in 1973 AD, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Hussaini Zanjani passed away at the age of 83 and was laid to rest in Qom in the holy mausoleum of Hazrat Ma’souma (SA). After initial studies in his hometown Zanjan, he moved to Qom on revival of the Seminary of that holy city by Ayatollah Shaikh Abdul-Karim Ha’eri and mastered jurisprudence, theology, history, and literature. He was well aware of contemporary issues. His works include “Khayr al-Omour”, “Afwah ar-Rejaal”, and “Forouq al-Ahkaam”.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, Iranian Islamic scholar and Hadith researcher, Prof. Seyyed Jalal od-Din ‘Mohaddith’ Ormavi, passed away at the age of 75 and was laid to rest in Rayy in the holy mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Abdul-Azim al-Hassani (AS), beside the grave of the great exegete of the holy Qur’an, Shaikh Abu’l-Futouh Razi. Born in Orumiyeh in West Azarbaijan, his research in hadith literature earned him the epithet “Mohaddith” or Authority in Hadith, from Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Arabbaghi of Orumiyeh. He obtained PhD in Divinity and joined Tehran University as a lecturer at the faculty of Rational and Traditional Sciences. He diligently continued his research in hadith or the statements attributed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. He had “Ijaza” (permission) to relate hadith from many Sources of Emulation, including Allamah Aqa Bozorg Tehrani and Shaikh Mohammad Ali Mo’ezzi. He edited, researched, translated and wrote over 45 books.

28 lunar years ago, on this day in 1411 AH, Source of Emulation, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Shahab od-Din Mar'ashi Najafi, passed away at the age of 96 and was laid to rest at the doorstep of his famous library in holy Qom. He mastered theology, hadith, jurisprudence, exegesis of the Holy Qur'an, philosophy, and principles of ethics at the seminaries of holy Kazemain and holy Najaf in Iraq. After attaining the status of Ijtehad he returned to Iran and started to lecture and research at the Qom Seminary. He was a supporter of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, late Imam Khomeini (RA), in the struggles against the Shah’s despotic regime. He has left behind a large number of books on theology, jurisprudence, hadith, history and genealogy. He also founded the public library in holy Qom, which houses more than 300,000 books – many of them rare manuscripts collected by him.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD Turkmenistan’s independence from the Soviet Union was ratified. This land, which before the migration of Turkic tribes was Iranian territory, both before and after the advent of Islam, used to be part of Greater Khorasan and Khwarezm. The Iranian Samanid dynasty of Bukhara in what is now Uzbekistan exercised sovereignty over this land and also over most of Central Asia which witnessed the flowering of Iran's Islamic culture and the birth of modern Persian language in the 10^th and 11^th centuries. The Mongol invasion and occupation of Central Asia changed the demography of these lands, and although a greater part of what is now Turkmenistan, including the historical city of Marv, was part of Iran's Safavid Empire, the gradual weakening of Iranian authority, saw rise of Turkic Khanates, which in the 19^th century were occupied by Russia. The defeat of Turkmen tribes in 1881 saw Moscow formally annexing this land. After the Russian revolution of 1917, this land was the scene of struggles between communists and nationalists. In 1924, the Soviets created the Turkmenistan Socialist Republic. Turkmenistan has a coastline on the inland Caspian Sea, and shares land borders with Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. It has an area of 488,000 sq km. Its capital is Eshqabad.

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