Today is Monday; 4th of the Iranian month of Tir 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 11th of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1439 lunar hijri; and June 25, 2018, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1442 lunar years ago, on this day, a couple of years before Hijrah or migration to Medina, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), left the persecuted atmosphere of Mecca for the fertile resort of Ta’ef to preach the message of Islam. The people of this city, including the influential clan of Thaqif, refused to believe in monotheism and subjected the Prophet to taunts including physical injury, as a result of which he returned to his hometown.

1383 solar years ago, on this day in 635 AD, Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, died at the age of 69, some 9 years after abdicating the throne in favour of his son, Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong), following 8 years of rule during which he united all of China and carried out reforms, such as equal distribution of lands and lowering of taxes. Born Li Yuan, he served as governor of what is now Shanxi Province under the Sui Dynasty on whose disintegration in 617 he defeated all contenders to establish in 618 the Tang Dynasty that ruled China for three centuries.

952 lunar years ago, on this day in 487 AH, Spanish Muslim lexicographer, geographer and historian, Abu Obayd Abdullah ibn Abdul-Aziz al-Bakri, passed away at the age of 82. Born in Huelva, the son of the ruler of the short-lived principality of the same name, he was a polymath in most of the sciences of the day. When his father was deposed he shifted to Qurtuba (Cordoba) where he studied with the geographer Ahmad Ibn Omar al-Udhri and the historian Hayyán Ibn Khalaf Ibn Hayyan al-Qurtubi. He spent all his life in his native Spain, mostly in Seville and Almeria, writing about Europe, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. Only two of his works have survived – the “Mu'jam ma Ista'jam” and “Kitab al-Masalek wa’l-Mamalek” (Book of Ways and Lands). The latter work was based on writings and the reports of merchants and travellers, including Mohammad Ibn Yusuf al-Warraq and the Arabicized Jew, Abraham ben Jacob. It is an important source for the history of West Africa and gives crucial information on the Ghana Empire, the Almoravid Dynasty and the trans-Saharan trade. He also updated information. Al-Bakri mentions the earliest urban centers in the trans-Saharan trade to embrace Islam such as Gao along the River Niger which had native Muslim inhabitants. Soon other kingdoms along the serpentine bends of River Niger eventually embraced Islam, such as Takrur (today’s Senegal); Songhay (present day Mali); Kanem-Bornu (currently Chad); and Hausa-territories (of what is now called Nigeria). His works are noted for the objectiveness with which they are presented. For each area, he described the people, their customs, as well as the geography, climate, and main cities. He also included anecdotes about each area. Unfortunately, parts of his main work have been lost, and of the surviving parts, some have never been published. In lexicography al-Bakri wrote the book “Amsaal al-Obayd”. 

735 lunar years ago, on this day in 1304 AH, Mahmoud Ghazaan, the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division that was based in modern-day Iran, and included Iraq and parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus, died. He was the son of Arghun and grandson of Abaqa, continuing a line of rulers who were direct descendants of Genghis Khan. Considered the most prominent of the Ilkhans, he is best known for accepting the truth of Islam in 1295 when he ascended the throne, although he was born a Buddhist, and because of his mother was baptized and raised as a Christian. On conversion to Islam at the hands of Ibrahim Ibn Mohammad Ibn Hamwayh Khorasani al-Juwaini, he changed his first name to Mahmoud, and Islam gained popularity within Mongol territories beyond Iran. His principal wife was Kokechin, a Mongol princess sent to Iran by his distant cousin Kublai Khan the ruler of China, and escorted by the famous Italian traveler Marco Polo. Military conflicts during Ghazaan's reign included war with the Egyptian Mamluks for control of Syria, and battles with the Mongol Chaghatai Khanate of Central Asia. Ghazaan also pursued diplomatic contacts with Europe. The Mongol capital was Maragheh in today's East Azarbaijan Province, west of Tehran.

207 lunar years ago, on this day in 1232 AH, the jurisprudent and theologian, Mullah Ali Akbar Eiji Isfahani, passed away. He groomed many students and authored several books, including “Zubdat-al-Ma’aref”.

196 solar years ago, on this day in 1822 AD, a group of black people in the US whose ancestors were kidnapped by Europeans from Africa and sold as slaves in the America, returned to Africa and settled down in the land which is today known as Liberia. In 1847, Liberia became a republic and its first president was Joseph Roberts, who had been enslaved in the State of Virginia.

142 solar years ago, on this day in 1876 AD, the white racist US administration suffered a severe setback in the Battle of the Little Bighorn that it imposed on native Amerindians in Montana. General George Armstrong Custer, who had vowed to decimate mostly Sioux and Cheyenne tribes as part of Washington’s policy of forcing them into the so-called reservations by seizing more of their ancestral plains, was instead wiped out along with over 250 of his horsemen of the 7th US Cavalry. The US pursues a policy of genocide against Amerindians and black people in addition to indulging in state terrorism on the international scene.

118 solar years ago, on this day in 1900 AD, Taoist monk Wang Yuanlu discovered the Dunhuang Manuscripts, a cache of ancient texts that are of great historical and religious significance, in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China. Dating from the 5th to early 11th centuries, the manuscripts include works ranging from history and mathematics to folk songs and dance. Most of the religious manuscripts are Buddhist, but other religions including Daoism, Nestorian Christianity and Iranian Manichaeism are also represented. The majority of the manuscripts are in the Chinese and Tibetan languages. Other languages represented are Khotanese, Sanskrit, Sogdian, Tangut, Old Uyghur language, and Hebrew. The manuscripts are a major resource for academic studies in a wide variety of fields including history, religious studies, linguistics, and manuscript studies.

115 solar years ago, on this day in 1903 AD, George Orwell, British novelist, essayist and critic, was born in India as Eric Arthur Blair. He took his pen name in 1932. His books include "Animal Farm" and "1984", which written in 1948 attacked totalitarianism. He died in 1950.

68 solar years ago, on this day in 1950 AD, in the wake of wide-scale provocations by the US, North Korea had no choice but to swiftly advance into the south. A UN resolution, however, not only halted the offensive but provided the US the pretext to invade North Korea. The timely entry of the Chinese army led to the retreat of US forces and liberation of North Korea.

55 solar years ago, on this day in 1963 AD, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him), was transferred from holy Qom to the Eshratabad military barracks in Tehran by the notorious intelligence outfit, SAVAK, following the historic mass uprising of 15th Khordad (June 5). Forty days later, the Pahlavi regime exiled him to Turkey, from where a year later he moved to Iraq and took up residence in Najaf near the holy shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), before returning to Iran in February 1979 to lead the Islamic Revolution to victory that ended 2,500 years of monarchy.

43 solar years ago, on this day in 1975 AD, Mozambique in southeast Africa became independent from Portuguese rule, after offering tens of thousands of martyrs. Mozambique lies on the Indian Ocean coast of Africa, and shares borders with Tanzania, Malavi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Muslims account for over 20 percent of the population of Mozambique, which is actually is a Portuguese corruption of the name of the chief Arab trader of the land, Mosa al-Bique.

27 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, Croatia and Slovenia became independent from the Federation of Yugoslavia, or more properly from the Serbs. Croatia and Slovenia are located in the Balkan region, which for several centuries was ruled by the Ottoman Turks. Still a sizeable Muslim minority exists in both the countries.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1992 AD, Ayatollah Madani Kashani passed away at the age of 93. In addition to grooming numerous scholars, he also shouldered social responsibilities and assisted the needy. He has left behind a large number of compilations, including “Fara’ez al-Moqaleddin”, and “Kashf al-Haqayeq”.

5 solar years ago, on this day in 2013 AD, Hamad bin Khalifa Aal-e Thani of the Persian Gulf Sheikhdom of Qatar, formally handed power to his 33-year son Tamim, following orders from the US, and refusal by Washington to review its decision. Hamad himself had seized power from his father Khalifa bin Hamad on 27 June 1995, on the orders of the US, while the latter was in Geneva, Switzerland on a pleasure trip. It is interesting to note that Khalifa who died in 2016 at the age of 84, had come to power by deposing his cousin, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali on 22nd February 1972 while the latter was in Iran on a hunting trip and had ruled since 1960 when his own father, Ali bin Abdullah had abdicated in his favour under British pressure. Qatar is currently facing pressures by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt for pursuing an independent policy and maintaining diplomatic, trade and industrial ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

AS/MG