Today is Tuesday; 22nd of the Iranian month of Khordad 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 27th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan 1439 lunar hijri; and June 12, 2018, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1222 solar years ago, on this day in 796 AD, Hisham I, the 2^nd Omayyad emir of Muslim Spain died at the age of 40 after eight years of rule. Born to Abdur-Rahman I and his wife, Halul, a couple of years after his fugitive father, fleeing persecution of his clan in Syria and Egypt by the Abbasids, arrived in Andalusia, and was installed as ruler by Syrian commanders. During his rule, Hisham faced with threats from France, sent his general Abdul-Malik ibn Abdul-Wahid ibn Mughith across the Pyrenees mountains to defeat Louis the Pious’ Carolingian mentor William of Orange. Despite this victory, the Muslims did not advance further into France as they had done half-a-century earlier, advancing till Poitiers before their historic defeat in 732. In 794, Ibn Mughith suppressed a Basque rebellion and soundly defeated the Christian principality of Asturias in southern France. Hisham was succeeded by his son, al-Hakam, who was a very cruel ruler.

1184 lunar years ago, on this day in 255 AH, the rebellion against the Abbasid regime by Sahib az-Zanj or Leader of the black-skinned people of East African origin, was launched in southern Iraq by a person of obscure origin who was said to be a descendant of slaves. A Godless person who went by the name of Ali bin Mohammad, he unleashed a great sedition and destruction that claimed tens of thousands of lives. He lived for a while in the Abbasid capital, Samarra, where he mixed with some influential slaves of Caliph Muntasir and saw the deep financial discrimination among Muslims as a result of state policy. He moved to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, where he pretended to be Shi’a Muslim in order to rouse the people into rebellion against the caliphate. His followers grew so large that land taxes were collected in his name, He then relocated to the Iraqi port city of Basra, where he claimed himself to be a Kharijite or renegade from Islam and started collecting around him the bonded labourers of the marshlands. Soon, supported by Bedouin Arabs and black-skinned people, he styled himself Emir and embarked on plunder, death and destruction. He launched a general massacre of the populace, burning entire localities including the Jame’ Mosque, where he killed the eminent grammarian Abbas bin Faraj Riyyashi while in prayer. His rebellion, which coincided with the secession of Egypt by Ahmad ibn Toloun and of the uprising in Iran of Yaqoub bin Laith Saffar, lasted 14 years, during which he seized southern Iraq up to Wasset and parts of Iran’s Khuzestan, defeating several armies sent by the Abbasid caliphs, until he was defeated and killed. He left a trail of destruction and famine, with agricultural lands desolate and as many as half-a-million people killed. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), had prophesied the revolt of Saheb az-Zanj two centuries earlier, citing Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) as source of information, as is evident from the following passage in Sermon 127 of Nahj al-Balagha:

“O' Ahnaf! It is as though I see him advancing with an army which has neither dust nor noise, nor rustling of reins, nor neighing of horses. They are trampling the ground with their feet as if they are the feet of ostriches.”

879 lunar years ago, on this day in 560 AH, the famous Spanish Muslim philosopher and Gnostic, Mohi od-Din bin Mohammad Ibn al-Arabi was born in Andalusia, southern Spain. A child prodigy, after acquiring the sciences of the day, he left Spain at the age of 30 to travel over the Islamic world, acquiring further knowledge and writing books during his journeys, which took him on pilgrimage to Mecca, and far off places like Baghdad in Iraq and Qonya in what is now Turkey. In 620 AH, he settled in Damascus, where he lectured and wrote books. Among his well-known works are “Fusus al-Hikam” (Bezels of Wisdom), and “Futuhaat al-Makkiyya”. His Gnostic school of thought has continued to have a profound impact over the centuries despite the senseless attacks on him by the pseudo scholar Ibn Taimiyya, who failed to taint Ibn Arabi’s saintly personality for elaborating the Qur’anic concepts of “wasila” (means of attaining the proximity of God) and “shafa’a” (power of intercession) that God has granted to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams. He passed away in Damascus in 638 AH.

874 solar years ago, on this day in 1144 AD, the Iranian Sunni Muslim exegete of the holy Qur'an, narrator of hadith, and linguist, Abu'l-Qasim Mohammad Ibn Omar Zamakhshari, died at the age of 72 in the city of Gurganj in the ancient Iranian land of Khwarezm, which today is divided between the Central Asian republics of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. He was born in the village of Zamakhshar and studied in Samarqand and Bukhara. He later lived in Baghdad for some years. He followed the rationalistic Mu'tazali doctrine and was known as “Jarallah” (literally ‘Neighbour of God’), since he stayed for several years in the city of Mecca, spending his time at the holy Ka'ba, the symbolic House of God Almighty. He wrote both in Persian and Arabic, and is best known for “al-Kashshaaf”, a commentary on the holy Qur'an, which is famous for its deep linguistic analysis of the ayahs. Another of his famous books is “Rabi al-Abraar”, a voluminous reference work in which he has exposed the dubious parentage of Mu’awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan. He has recorded many of the God-given merits of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and their superiority over all Muslims.

778 solar years ago, on this day in 1240 AD, an inter-faith debate, known as the “Disputation of Paris”, started between a Christian monk and four rabbis, on the orders of King Louis IX of France. Nicholas Donin, a member of the Franciscan Order and a convert to Christianity from Judaism, represented the Christian side against the Jewish Rabbis named Yechiel of Paris, Moses of Coucy, Judah of Melun, and Samuel ben Solomon of Chateau-Thierry. Donin had translated the Talmud – a Jewish religious book written around 200 AD, and pressed 35 charges against it, by referring to a series of blasphemous passages about Prophet Jesus (AS) and his virtuous mother, the Virgin Mary (SA), whom the Jews slander. In one of the Talmudic passages, for example, Prophet Jesus (AS) is depicted as being cast into Hell, while another passage permits Jews to kill all non-Jews.  The Talmud, which is a distortion of the monotheistic teachings of Prophet Moses (AS), also contains insulting remarks against Adam the father of mankind, and against Prophet Noah (AS). At the end of the long debate lasting several days, Christian theologians condemned the Talmud to be burned as a blasphemous book. On June 17, 1244 twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts, collected from various parts of France, were set on fire in the streets of Paris.

637 solar years ago, on this day in 1381 AD, The Peasants' Revolt occurred in England. Also known as Tyler's Rebellion, it was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the best-documented popular rebellion to have occurred during medieval times. The Tower of London was stormed and those summarily executed included the Lord Chancellor (Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was particularly associated with the poll tax), and the Lord Treasurer (Robert de Hales, the Grand Prior of the Knights Hospitallers of England). The names of some of the leaders of the revolt, John Ball, Watt Tyler and Jack Straw, are still familiar in popular culture, although little is known of them. The revolt later came to be seen as a mark of the beginning of the end of serfdom in medieval England, although the revolt itself was a failure. It increased awareness in the upper classes of the need for the reform of feudalism in England and the appalling misery felt by the lower classes as a result of their enforced near-slavery. It was brutally suppressed by the king and a large number of peasants were executed.

482 solar years ago, on this day in 1534 AD, the Turkish navy led by Khair od-Din Barbarossa allowed Giulia Gonzaga to kidnap people and plunder Naples in Italy.

480 lunar years ago, on this day in 959 AH, the prominent theologian, Hassan bin Zain od-Din, was born in Lebanon to Shaikh Zain od-Din al-Jubai Shaheed Thani (Second Martyr). He was a product of the Najaf Seminary in Iraq and wrote the famous book “Ma’alem al-Usoul”. On returning to his homeland he groomed numerous students and passed away in 1011 AH.

478 solar years ago, on this day in 1540 AD, the country known as Chile in South America was occupied by the Spanish invaders, after earlier defeats at the hands of the indigenous Mapuche people. The Spanish brutally suppressed the Amerindians and plundered the rich resources of the land. In 1817, the Argentinean commander, Jose de San Martin, attacked the Spanish and liberated Chile in the following year.

468 solar years ago, on this day in 1550 AD, the city of Helsinki, Finland – belonging to Sweden at the time – was founded by King Gustav I of Sweden.

329 lunar years ago, on this day in 1110 AH, the prominent Islamic scholar, Allamah Mohammad Baqer Majlisi, passed away in his hometown Isfahan and was laid to rest beside his equally renowned father, Mullah Mohammad Taqi Majlisi the First. His grandfather, Maqsood Ali was also a theologian and the genealogy of the family is traced back to the famous scholar, Abu Nu’aym Ahmad bin Abdullah Isfahani, the author “Hulyat-al-Awliya” and “Zikr-e Akhbar-e Isfahan.” By the age of 25, he gained certification of "riwayah" from the famous philosopher Mullah Sadra to teach. He was appointed Shaikh ol-Islam (Chief Religious Leader) by the Safavid King, Shah Sultan Hussain. During his 84-year lifespan, he wrote and compiled as many as 600 volumes of books and treatises, including the famous encyclopedic work “Bihar al-Anwaar” on hadith. His books are considered as the most important reference books for Muslims. He also popularized the Friday Prayers and guided tens of thousands of people towards the school of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

104 solar years ago, on this day in 1914 AD, the first experiment for harnessing of solar thermal energy took place on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, Cairo. It was conducted by American physicist, Frank Schuman, who managed to run a 50 horse-power steam engine by harnessing the sun’s rays. This test shaped the basis of the solar-powered driving engines.

99 solar years ago, on this day in 1819 AD, English novelist, Charles Kingsley was born in Holne, Devon, Britain. He was a prolific writer and his works include, such famous classics as “Westward Ho!”, “The Water-Babies” and “Madam How and Lady Why”.

83 lunar years ago, on this day in 1356 AH, Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Modarris was martyred through poisoning by agents of the despotic British-installed Pahlavi ruler, Reza Khan, in the city of Kashmar, Khorasan, at the age of 68, for his untiring efforts to safeguard freedom and liberties in Iran. Born near the city of Ardestan in central Iran, on completion of his studies, he left for the holy city of Najaf in Iraq, to attend the classes of prominent ulema, such as Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi. On returning to Iran, Ayatollah Modarris started his struggles against the despotic regime and its colonial masters. He was elected to the parliament and lobbied for implementation of Islamic laws in the country, a factor that angered Reza Khan, who exiled him from Tehran.

58 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, the renowned Islamic scholar, Mirza Mohammad Hussein Fazel Touni, passed away in Tehran at the age of 82. Born in the northeastern Iranian town of Ferdows, he was a polymath in theology, principles of theology, philosophy, mysticism, mathematics, astronomy, and Arabic literature. He later served as a professor at Tehran University’s Faculty of Literature, teaching Arabic language and literature as well as philosophy. Among his books are “Hekmat-e Qadim”.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1990 AD, Ayatollah Shaikh Ali Mushkaf, passed away at the age of 89. After preliminary religious studies in Isfahan, he departed for holy Qom, where he studied under Ayatollah Shaikh Abdul-Karim Ha’eri, Seyyed Mohammad Koh-Kamari, and Seyyed Mohammad Taqi Khwansari. He went to holy Najaf in Iraq where he reached the status of ijtihad. On his return to Iran, he settled in Isfahan. Among the books written by him, mentioned could be made of “Hashiya bar Kifayat al-Usoul.” He also compiled the notes he had taken while studying under such great scholars as Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Ha’eri, Ayatollah Ziya od-Din Iraqi, and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Hassan Isfahani.

27 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, the first free presidential polls were held in the Russian Federation after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and resulted in the election of Boris Yeltsin as president.

23 solar years ago, on this day in 1995 AD, Ayatollah Mirza Kazem Dinawari, passed away at the age of 93. A product of the Islamic seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, on return to Iran, he was engaged in teaching and grooming students.

7 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, the repressive Aal-e Khalifa minority regime of the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, sentenced 20-year old university girl student, peace activist, and budding Arabic poet, Ayat Hassam Mohammad al-Qurmezi, to imprisonment on absurd charges, including inciting hatred, after some two-and-a-half months of torture following her kidnapping from her home at gunpoint, for reciting poems critical of the regime. There were widespread protests in her support in many countries including the Islamic Republic of Iran. Even after release, she has remained under house arrest. On Wednesday, February 23, 2011, during the early days of the uprising of Bahrain’s long-suppressed majority for their denied rights, Ayat al-Qurmezi delivered a poem from the podium to the gathering of pro-democracy demonstrators at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama that was critical of the regime’s policies and specifically those of Khalifa ibn Salman Aal-e Khalifa, the longtime tyrannical prime minister. On March 6, 2011, she read out another poem to a huge gathering at the same venue (since demolished) censuring the self-styled king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Aal-Khalifa. Her widely applauded poem included the verse: “We are the people who will kill humiliation and assassinate misery. Don't you hear their cries? Don't you hear their screams?" Another verse of her poem has an imaginary dialogue between the Devil and Sheikh Hamad, in which the Satan complains to his pupil: “Hamad, the Bahraini people have shaken me. Don't you hear their cries?”

2 solar years ago, on this day in 2016 AD, Hamid Sabzevari, the father of revolutionary poetry in Iran, passed away at the age of 91 at a Tehran hospital and was laid to rest in his hometown, Sabzevar, in Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran. Named Hussain Aqa-Momtaheni at birth, he began composing poetry at the age of 14. He composed poems in different styles including couplets, sonnets and blank verse. In 1979, during the days leading to the victory of grassroots Islamic movement of the Iranian people, he composed the famous poem “Khomeini, O Imam!” in praise of the Father of the Islamic Revolution. The poem was performed and recorded by a group of students, weeks before the victory of the Islamic Revolution. He is the composer of “USA, USA, Shame on Your Deceits”, which was performed by a chorus following the capture of the den of spies that the US embassy in Tehran had turned into. Another of his famous poem is “This Is the Call of Freedom from the Orient”.

AS/ME