Today is a very blessed day. It is the day on which the above mentioned supplication is recited by the faithful, after performing a special ritual prayer to thank God for His infinite favours that no human brain or the most advanced product of the brains of the intelligentsia, that is, the computer, cannot enumerate.

       To be more precise, today, the 25th of the month of Dhu’l-Qa’dah is the anniversary of "Dahw al-Ardh” the day on which the first dry spot of land emerged from underneath the water to catch the sun’s rays for the first time, and to gradually expand and spread above the surface of oceans, in order to serve as the cradle for transforming Planet Earth into the brilliant bed of civilization through the efforts and brains of the intelligent two-legged perfectly-moulded human race, which God was planning to create as the "Best of all creation”.

       The spectacular progress of mankind, the wonders of science and technology, the venture into outer space after having explored the depths of the oceans, are all indeed indebted to this day, when dry land in harmony with water made Earth hospitable for life, unlike the barren spherical bodies orbiting around the Sun as they turn on their own axis.

        "Have they not reflected in their own souls? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them except with reason and for a specified term. Indeed many of the people disbelieve in the encounter with their Lord.”  (Holy Qur’an 30:8)        

        Yes, it is Islam, the set of belief decreed for the entire human race by the All-Loving Creator, which enlightens us with these dynamic facts, including the exact location of the first spot of dry land to emerge.

        It was on this spot that the first man was commanded by the Almighty to build the first house. Adam did not built it as his own abode, but as the symbol House of the Unseen but Omnipresent Lord, Who has neither shape or form, nor is bound by time and place.
       Now we understand why the holy Qur’an refers to the holy Ka’ba as the First House. We also begin to realize why the pilgrims from all over the globe start their journey towards it in this sacred month of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, so as to be present in time in the initial days of Dhu’l-Hijjah for performing the annual Hajj at the place that was rebuilt by Prophet Abraham and institutionalized as the focal point for all humanity by the Last and Greatest of God’s Messengers, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).

       "Indeed the First House to be set up for mankind is the one at Bakkah (Mecca);, blessed and guidance for all nations. In it, are manifest signs [and] Abraham’s Station, and whoever enters it shall be secure. And it is the duty of mankind toward Allah to make pilgrimage to the House —for those who can afford the journey to it... (3:96-97)

         For the information of our readers, it was on the eve of 25th Dhu’l-Qa’dah (Dahw al-Ardh) that Abraham was born in antiquity, while over two millenniums ago, on this same night the Virgin Mary (SA) gave birth to Prophet Jesus (AS).

        This interesting fact further confirms the confusion of the pagans of Europe, who on conversion to Paul’s creed called Christianity – over three centuries after end of the monotheistic Islamic mission of the Messiah – made the fatal error of designating 25th of the Roman solar month of December as Jesus’ (AS) birthday, instead of the correct 25th of the Semitic lunar month of Dhu’l-Qa’dah that was in vogue in Palestine.
 
        At any rate, Dhu’l-Qa’dah is one of the four sacred months, in which even the pre-Islamic Arabs never dared to start any armed hostilities.
 
        Unfortunately, it was in this very month that the self-styled champion of Arab nationalism, Saddam of the tyrannical Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad, sent his bloodthirsty hordes across the Iranian border, on the orders of his masters in Washington, to start the devastating 8-year  waz against the newly founded Islamic Republic.

       Today, the 22nd of September happens to be the anniversary of that fateful day in history when an unprovoked aggression was launched on Iran. , which a year-and-seven- months earlier had rid itself of the despotism of the British-installed and American-backed  Pahlavi potentate.

      Exactly 34 years ago (35 according to the lunar calendar and the month of Dhu’l-Qa’dah), as the Ba'thist army advanced into Iran, there was joy in Washington, London, Paris, Bonn, Moscow, Baghdad, Cairo, and most other Arab capitals. The enemy and its backers throughout the world began to celebrate. However, they were in for a shock. The Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), promptly said it is "Haraam” (religiously forbidden) to pull back and it is the duty of all Iranians to defend their homeland. His words had electrifying effect and soon the tide of the war began to turn as Iran's Muslim combatants pounced on the cowardly enemy to liberate the occupied regions.

       Here it should be recalled that when the UN Security Council issued several unjust resolutions calling for ceasefire while over 20,000 square km of Iranian territory was under enemy occupation, Imam Khomeini had resolutely said: "An imposed peace is worse than an imposed war."

      It is outside the scope of this brief column to refer to the crimes against humanity of Saddam and his backers including the chemical bombardment. It is also tedious to cite the direct entry into the war by the US, which scuttled an Iranian merchant ship, set ablaze Iranian oil platforms, attacked Iranian warships, and criminally shot down an Iranian passenger plane with 290 passengers on board.

       What is important to note is that the key to the steadfastness and victory of the Iranian combatants were the values of Islam, including the observance of "Dahw al-Ardh” that unnerved Iraq and its backers during 8-years of the Holy Defence, for according to a narration, it will be on the 25th of Dhu’l-Qa’dah that the Imam Mahdi (AS) will reappear to establish the global government of peace, prosperity and justice.