Today is Thursday; 23rd of the Iranian month of Farvardin 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 25th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1439 lunar hijri; and April 12, 2018, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1778 solar years ago, on this day in 240 AD, Shapur I was crowned as the 2^nd Shahenshah or king of kings of the Sassanid Empire by his father Ardashir I, the founder of the dynasty two years before his own death. During his 30-year rule, he enlarged the empire in the east and the west that brought him into conflict with Roman Emperor, Gordian III, who was killed in 244 by Iranian soldiers in the Battle of Misikhe near present day Fallujah in Iraq. Shapur I has recorded this victory in the stone inscription at Naqsh-e Rustam near Shiraz:

“When at first we had become established in the (Sassanid) empire, Gordian Caesar raised in all of the Roman Empire a force from the Goth and German realms and marched on Babylonia against the Empire of Iran and against us. On the border of Babylonia at Misikhe, a great frontal battle occurred. Gordian Caesar was killed and the Roman force was destroyed. And the Romans made Philip (the Arab) Caesar. Then Philip Caesar came to us for terms, and to ransom their lives, gave us 500,000 dinars, and became tributary to us. And for this reason we have renamed Misikhe, Peroz-Shapur.”

In 250 AD, the 2^nd war of his reign against the Roman Empire started as a result of Roman incursions into Armenia, and Shapur I annihilated a Roman force of 60,000 at the Battle of Barbalissos in Syria. The Iranian armies swept across the region and reached the Mediterranean Sea coast. In the north, Armenia and Georgia came under the control of Shapur I by 252. In 257, when the next Roman Emperor Valerian (notorious for his persecution of Christians and the monotheist followers of Prophet Jesus), marched against the Persian Empire with a huge force, Shapur I advanced into Asia Minor and decisively defeated him at Edessa in what is now south-central Turkey. Valerian was captured and brought to Iran as prisoner along with thousands of Roman captives, who were employed in the construction of the dam on River Karoun – known till this day as Band-e Qaiser, or Caesar’s Dam. The Roman Emperor’s capture is presented in a mural at Naqsh-e Rustam, where Shapur I is represented on horseback wearing royal armour and crown, while before him kneels Valerian, asking for grace. Shapur I, who built several cities such as Naishapur in Khorasan, Bishapur in Fars, Gundishapur in Khuzestan, and Perozeshapur in Iraq, allowed the monotheist followers of Prophet Jesus as well as Christians, freedom to practice their religion at a time when they were persecuted in the Roman Empire.

1281 solar years ago, on this day in 737 AD, Zayd, the son of Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) – the 4^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) – launched his uprising against the usurper Omayyad regime. Two years later he was cruelly martyred near Kufa in Iraq at the age of 42. His mother was a virtuous lady from Sindh in what is now Pakistan, and he rose up against the tyranny of Hesham bin Abdul-Malik, the 10^th self-styled Omayyad caliph in order to safeguard the achievements of the uprising of his Infallible Grandfather, Imam Husain (AS). After being deserted by the Kufans, he bravely fought until he was martyred. His son Yayha buried him in the riverbed of the Euphrates by briefly diverting the waters and then restoring their normal flow, but the Omayyads bribed turncoats to betray the location. They took out the corpse of this pious and learned member of the Prophet’s Household, decapitated it, hung it on the gallows for four years, and finally burned it. Zayd’s martyrdom was foretold by the Prophet more than a hundred and ten years earlier when he put his hand on the back of his younger grandson, and said:

“O Husain, it will not be long until a man will be born among your descendants. He will be called Zayd; he will be killed as a martyr. On the day of resurrection, he and his companions will enter heaven.”

Zayd’s body was later buried, and his head which had been sent to Damascus was, after the fall of the hated Omayyads, buried in Karak in Jordan, which was then part of Syria. Zayd’s sons were also persecuted, especially Yayha, who was martyred in 125 AH, after a valiant fight in Khorasan in the area called Jowzajan which is presently in Afghanistan. Many of Zayd’s followers made mountainous Yemen the base of their struggle against the Omayyad and Abbasid regimes, and some of them in Tabaristan in Iran’s Caspian Sea provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan. The Zaydi Shi’a Muslims of Yemen, who make 40 percent of the national population (excluding the Ismaili and Ithna Ashari [Twelver] Shi’a Muslims of Yemen), revere Martyr Zayd as an Imam, although he never claimed the imamate, and was obedient to his elder brother, Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS), and after him to his nephew, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS). Yemen, which for over a thousand years, was ruled by successive Zaydi Shi’a Muslim dynasties, especially in the north, is today in the grip of a crisis, with aerial bombing by Saudi Arabia, whose founder, Abdul-Aziz in 1934 occupied large parts of Yemen, including Jizan, Aseer, and Najran, and whose new ruler, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, with the help of the US, Israel, and reactionary Arab regimes, is trying in vain to install a puppet regime.

1256 lunar years ago, on this day in 183 AH, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), attained martyrdom at the age of 55 in the prison of Baghdad, three days after being served poisoned dates by the jailor Sindi bin Shahak on the orders of Haroun Rashid, the 5^th self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime. His period of Imamate was 35 years, during which, as the son and successor of Imam Ja'far as-Sadeq (AS), he guided the seekers of truth in those days of Abbasid tyranny. He groomed a large number of scholars who spread the teachings of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt in different lands, before passing the mantle of divinely-decreed leadership to his son and successor, Imam Reza (AS). We extend our heartfelt condolences to all listeners on this doleful day, and later in our programme will present you a special feature on the life and times of the 7^th Imam, the "Bab al-Hawa'ej" (Gateway of Needs), whose sprawling shrine in Kazemain, north of Baghdad attracts pilgrims from all over the world.

1206 solar years ago, on this day in 812 AD, Imam Mohammad at-Taqi al-Jawad (AS), the 9^th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was born in Medina. His birthday according to the Islamic calendar is 10^th of Rajab 195 AH, a day which is widely celebrated by the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt worldwide. He was the son and successor of Imam Reza (AS), and his period of imamate was 17 years during which he groomed a great many scholars. He also held interesting debates with the adherents of various schools of thought in order to prove the truthful nature of the pure and pristine teachings of the Prophet's Household. The 9^th Imam reposes in eternal peace besides his grandfather, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS) in the magnificent gold-plated twin-domed shrine of Kazemain, north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

1178 lunar years ago, on this day in 261 AH, the Iranian Sunni scholar and compiler of hadith, Abul-Hussain Muslim ibn Hajjaj al-Qushayri Nayshapuri, the author of “Sahih Muslim”, passed away at the age of 55 years in his hometown Nayshapur in Khorasan, northeastern Iran. He was a student of the other famous Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith compiler, Mohammad bin Ismael Bukhari, and among his students was the third famous Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Mohammad bin Eisa Tirmizi. After travelling throughout Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, he settled down in his hometown Nayshapur where he first met Bukhari, with whom he would have a lifelong friendship. Of the thousands of hadith he has collected in his "Sahih", 2000 are common with Bukhari's "Sahih". There are many hadith in “Sahih Muslim” on the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt including the unrivalled position of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) compared to the companions of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He has mentioned that the term Ahl al-Bayt as referred to by God Almighty in ayah 33 of Surah Ahazab exclusively pertains to Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Fatema (SA), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS) and does not include the Prophet’s wives.

960 lunar years ago, on this day in 479 AH, Sultan Mo'iz od-Din Ahmad Sanjar, the last great ruler of the Iran-based Seljuq Empire that included Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and parts of Turkey and Central Asia, was born. As son of Malik Shah I, he ruled for 36 years, initially as sultan of Khorasan until he gained the rest of the territory upon the death of his brother Mohammad I. His capital was Nayshapur, and in addition to internal revolts, he faced external invasions from beyond the River Jaxartes in Central Asia, especially from the Sultan of Kashghar in what is now China, and the Qara Khitai Turks against whom he suffered a devastating defeat near Samarqand and lost all territory east of the Jaxartes. Oghuz Turks from Khuttal and Tukharistan captured Sanjar and held him prisoner for three years. A year after release he died in the Khorasani city of Merv which is presently in Turkmenistan and was buried there.

609 lunar years ago, on this day in 830 AH, the famous mystic and Arabic-Persian poet, Shah Ne’matullah Vali, passed away in Mahan, Kerman, at the age of 105. He was laid to rest in the same town where a shrine built by his devotee, Ahmad Shah of the Bahmani kingdom of Iranian origin of the Deccan (southern India), stands as a site of pilgrimage. Born in Aleppo, Syria, he traced his descent to Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Ne’matullah travelled widely through the Muslim world, learning the philosophies of many masters. He studied the works of the great Spanish Gnostic philosopher, Sheikh Mohy od-Din Ibn Arabi. In Mecca, he met Abdullah Yafe’i and became his disciple, studying for seven years. Spiritually transformed, he set out on a second round of travels. He took up residence near Samarqand, along the Central Asian Silk Road, where he met the fearsome Turkic conqueror, Amir Timur, but in order to avoid conflict with the ruler, soon left for Kerman. From here, his fame spread far and wide, throughout Iran and the Subcontinent, winning him thousands of adherents. He was invited to the Deccan by Ahmad Shah Bahmani, but citing old age, sent his grandson, who was warmly welcomed in the capital Bidar. Ne’matullah has left behind treatises and a bulky divan of Persian poetry that contains prophecies on the end of monarchy in Iran, emergence of rule of the deputy of the Imam of the Age, the eventual reappearance of the Prophet’s 12th and Last Successor, Imam Mahdi (AS), and establishment of the global government of peace, prosperity and justice. On his death, his son and spiritual successor, Shah Khalilullah shifted the headquarters of the Ne’matullahi Sufi Order from Mahan to Bidar in the Deccan, and over a century later on the rise of the Safavids in Iran, the Order openly declared adherence to the School of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt. In 1194 AH, after over three-and-a-half centuries in the Deccan, during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan of the Asaf-Jahi Dynasty, the Ne’matullahi Order was relocated to Shiraz, Iran, by Reza Ali Shah Deccani in the last decade of the Zand Dynasty. Around 80 years ago, with the passing away in Mashhad of the religious scholar Shahsavar Ali Shah (lineal and spiritual heir of Shah Ne’matullah) and the subsequent Gowharshad massacre by the British agent Reza Khan Pahlavi, his son, the religious scholar Shah Abbas Mansouri, migrated to Haiderabad Deccan where he lived till the end of his life (well after the victory of the Islamic Revolution), while his brothers returned to Iran. A deviant group claiming to be the Ne’matullahi Order which colonial agents set up in Gonabad during the Pahlavi regime and which has now shifted to the US, has no connection with the teachings of Shah Ne’matullah Vali and has been denounced by his lineal and spiritual descendants.

547 lunar years ago, on this day 892 AH, Shah Ismael I, the Founder of the Safavid dynasty, was born in Ardebil, northwestern Iran. His father Haidar was head of the Safaviyya Sufi order established by his venerable ancestor Safi od-Din Ardebeli. His mother, Martha, was daughter of the Aq Qoyonlu king, Uzun Hasan by his Greek wife Theodora, known as Despina Khatoun – daughter of King John IV of Trebizond. Ismail was only one year old when his father was martyred in what is now Daghestan, and at the age of 7 he succeeded his elder brother Sultan Ali, who was also martyred. He went into hiding along with his loyal followers before emerging at the age of 12 to set up rule in Azarbaijan. Soon he was joined by thousands of devotees of the Safavid order and gradually took control of all of today's Iran, as well as Iraq, the Caucasus, parts of Anatolia, Central Asia, and western Afghanistan. During his 24-year rule, he declared as state religion the School of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). To Shah Ismail and his successors, who ruled for 235 years, goes the credit of giving Iran its present religious, cultural, lingual and national identity and unity. Shah Ismail wielded spiritual influence outside Iran as well in Iraq, Syria, Anatolia (modern Turkey), the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Deccan Plateau of India. The Timurid prince, Babar, who later founded the Moghal Empire in northern India, regarded him as his suzerain, and so did the Deccan Sultanates of Yusuf Adel Shah of Bijapur and Sultan Qoli Qotb Shah of Golconda.

270 solar years ago, on this day in the year 1748 AD, the French biologist and botanist, Laurent Jussieu, was born in the city of Lyon. Like his father and uncles, he dedicated his efforts to the science of botany. He died in 1836.

195 solar years ago, on this day in 1823 AD, the prolific Russian playwright, Alexander Ostrovsky, was born. He graduated in Law but turned toward writing screenplays. He wrote a historical or satirical screenplay almost every year, depicting the deteriorating state of the Russian society. He was highly influential in the Russian theater and is considered as the leading playwright o the Era of Realism. He died in 1886.

157 solar years ago, on this day in 1861 AD, the American Civil War started with the Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. The cause of the war was the refusal of the rich plantation owners of the south to obey the federal law of abolishment of the slavery of the black African people, and resulted in the victory of the northern Unionists four years later. Over 620,000 soldiers died in the war, in addition to a large number of civilian casualties.

154 solar years ago, on this day in 1864 AD, during the American Civil War, the Fort Pillow massacre occurred in the state of Tennessee when Confederate forces killed in cold blood over 300 black African soldiers after tricking them to surrender.

57 solar years ago, on this day in 1961 AD, Russian Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first recorded human being to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, in Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok 1). In 1968, Gagarin was killed in an air accident. April 12 is thus marked as The International Day of Space Flight.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1992 AD, the Iranian university lecturer and author, Mohsen Saba, passed away. On completion of preliminary studies at Dar ul-Fonoun School, he left for France and after receiving a PhD in Law he returned to Iran to serve as university lecturer. He was the founder of Iran’s National Bibliography Society and The National Archive Committee, affiliated to the UNESCO. He has left behind numerous important compilations.

11 lunar years ago, on this day in 1428 AH, over two thousand pilgrims lost their life during a general stampede on hearing rumours of bomb blasts on the Jasr al-Aimmah Bridge over the River Tigris connecting the Baghdad suburbs of Kazemain and Azamiyya, on the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, Karim Fakhrawi, Bahraini journalist and co-founder of independent al-Wasat newspaper, was tortured to death in prison by the repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime at the age of 49. He was detained on April 5 when he complained that police were threatening to demolish his home. He was falsely accused of "deliberate news fabrication and falsification" by the Bahraini authorities and tortured for a week to death.

AS/M