Today is Thursday; 1st of the Iranian month of Khordad 1399 solar hijri; corresponding to 27th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan 1441 lunar hijri; and May 21, 2020, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.
2447 solar years ago, on this day in 427 BC, Plato the prominent Greek philosopher, was born in Athens. His works include the "Republic”, "Laws”, and the dialogues "Critias” and "Timaeus”.
1186 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. 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.”
1142 solar years ago, on this day in 878 AD, the ancient city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, was captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. The first Muslims to land in Sicily were forces of the Aghlabid dynasty of Ifriqiyya or what is now western Libya, Tunis and Algeria, in 827 AD, when the island was part of Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire.
880 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.
617 solar years ago, on this day in 1403 AD, Henry III of the region of Castile in Spain, as part of the Christian policy to split the ranks of Muslims, who were advancing into southwestern Europe and still controlled southern Spain, sent Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo as ambassador to Samarqand to the court of Amir Timur to discuss the possibility of an alliance against the Ottoman Empire. Although the fearsome Timur did not sign any treaty with the Christians, the vast majority of his victims were the millions of fellow Muslims his armies slaughtered from Eurasia to West Asia and from Iran to the Subcontinent.
523 solar years ago, on this day in 1497 AD, Sunni Muslim jurist, Mohammad ibn Mohammad at-Tarabulsi al-Hattab ar-Ru’yani, was born in Mecca in a family of scholars of the Maliki school of jurisprudents from Tripoli, present day Libya, which was of Andalusian or Spanish Muslim origin. His book "Mawaheb al-Jalil” is considered as one of the thorough commentaries of Maliki law.
482 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.
381 solar years ago, on this day in 1639 AD, Italian philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet, Tommaso Campanella died at the age of 71.
332 solar years ago, on this day in 1688 AD, English poet, Alexander Pope, was born in London. He is best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of the works of the ancient Greek scholar Homer.
331 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. 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).
156 solar years ago, on this day 1864 AD, Russia declared end to its Circassian War in the Caucasus by forcing into exile almost the entire Muslim Cherkes population. The day is designated as Circassian Day of Mourning.
149 solar years ago, on this day in 1871 AD, French troops invaded the Paris Commune and engaged its residents in street fighting. By the end of what is known as "Bloody Week” in the history of France, 20,000 communards were killed and 38,000 arrested.
99 solar years ago, on this day in 1921 AD, the prominent Russian physicist and nuclear scientist, Andrei Sakharov, was born. He played a major role in the Soviet Union’s manufacture of the hydrogen bomb.
85 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.
38 solar years ago, on this day in 1982 AD, the US imposed economic sanctions on Iran, as part of its futile efforts to ruin the Islamic Republic’s economy, and if possible overthrow the Islamic system of government, following the failure at the warfronts of American stooge Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad. The Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), brushed aside the sanctions and called it a blessing in disguise for Iran to become independent of big powers in various economic and industrial fields.
29 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, former Indian prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber near Madras.
26 solar years ago, on this day in 1994 AD, Zionist commandos infiltrated Lebanon’s eastern mountains and kidnapped Mustafa Dirani, the Shi’a Muslim leader of the "Believer’s Resistance”. In 2000 Dirani sued Israel with charges of torture and immoral acts, Dirani was released in Jan 2004, as part of a prisoner exchange between the illegal Zionist entity and Lebanon’s legendry anti-terrorism movement, the Hezbollah.
18 solar years ago, on this day since 2002, UNESCO has been marking the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The day aims to deepen understanding of the values of peaceful co-existence for a better world.
14 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, following a referendum, Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia.
10 solar years ago, on this day in 2010 AD, Takfiri terrorists backed by Saudi Arabia and the US blew up a car bomb at an open-air market in Khalis, a Shi’a Muslim town northeast of Baghdad, leaving over 30 people martyred.
Khordad 1st: is commemorated every year in the Islamic Republic of Iran as National Day for the celebrated Islamic scholar and philosopher, Sadr od-Din Mohammad bin Ibrahim Shirazi, popular as Mullah Sadra. He is arguably the most significant Islamic philosopher after Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna to medieval Europe). He remains the single most important and influential philosopher in the Muslim world in the last four hundred years.
(Courtesy: IRIB English Radio – http://parstoday.com/en)