Today is Tuesday; 4th of the Iranian month of Tir 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 21st of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1440 lunar hijri; and June 25, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.
1384 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.
1348 lunar years ago, on this day in 92 AH, the Muslim forces, led by Tareq Ibn Ziyad won a decisive victory in the Battle of Guadalete by routing the Visigoth Christian army of King Roderick and rapidly conquering much of southern Spain. Soon all of Spain and Portugal were liberated by the Muslims, who subsequently crossed the Pyrenees Mountains into France. Tareq had earlier, after crossing the Mediterranean from the northwestern African coast, landed on the island known ever since as Gibraltar (corruption of the Arabic "Jabal at-Tareq" – Rock or Mount of Tareq). He was governor of Tangiers under Musa Ibn Nusayr, the conqueror and Emir of the Province of Ifriqiya (western Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco).Tareq was made governor of Spain by Musa, but was called to Damascus by the jealous Omayyad caliph, Walid I, who also relieved Musa of the overall charge of Ifriqiya, Spain and the islands off the coast of France. There are three different accounts of the origins of Tareq given by Arab historians – he was a Persian from Hamedan; he was an Arab of the Sadf tribe; he was a Berber from North Africa. Musa Ibn Nusayr is also said to be the son of an Iranian Christian, according to the historian Tabari; while others say he belonged to the Lakhmid Arab clan who were Sassanid clients.
1086 lunar years ago, on this day in 354 AH, the Iranian Sunni Muslim compiler of hadith, Abu Hatem Mohammad ibn Hibban al-Basti, from Bast in Khorasan, passed away. He was a Shafe'i, and the actual name of his compilation is "at-Taqasim wa'l-Anwa", which is commonly referred to as "Sahih ibn Hibban". Many Sunni scholars regard it next only to the "Sahihs" of the two other prominent Iranian Sunni Muslim hadith compilers, Bukhari and Muslim, while the Egyptian scholar, Jalal od-Din Suyuti, places it fourth after Ibn Khuzayma Naishapuri's "Sahih”, and above the hadith collection of the five other Iranian Sunni Muslim authorities – i.e. Ibn Maja Qazvini, Abu Dawoud Sijistani, Abu Isa Tirmizi, Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb Nasai, and Hakem Naishapuri. It is worth noting that despite mentioning some of the unsurpassed merits of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), all these Sunni Muslim hadith authorities, who were Iranians, failed to have any direct contact with the Infallible Imams or their disciples, because of the fears of the Abbasid regime.
197 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. This country was initially administered like one of the US states, but in 1847, it became a republic and its first president was Joseph Roberts, who had been enslaved in the State of Virginia.
143 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.
119 solar years ago, on this day in 1900 AD, the 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.
116 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 included "Animal Farm" (1945) and "1984" (1949), which attacked totalitarianism. He died in 1950.
69 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 to invade North Korea. The timely entry of the Chinese army led to the retreat of US forces and liberation of North Korea.
56 solar years ago, on this day in 1963 AD, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), 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.
44 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.
28 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.
27 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”.
6 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 regarding the client regime in Doha. 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 is still alive at 83 years of age, had come to power by deposing his cousin, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali on 22nd February 1972 while the latter was on a hunting trip in Iran 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.
(Courtesy: IRIB English Radio – http://parstoday.com/en)