Today is Monday; 25th of the Iranian month of Esfand 1399 solar hijri; corresponding to 1st of the Islamic month of Sha’ban 1442 lunar hijri; and March 15, 2021, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.
Today is the first of Sha’ban; the month of worship and acceptance of forgiveness in the divine court. Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams have emphasized on fasting, charity and other virtuous acts in this month.
2065 solar years ago, on this day in 44 BC, Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, was stabbed to death by a group of senators, apprehensive of the totalitarian powers he had assumed in the wake of his elimination of all rivals in the civil wars that had followed his victories in Gaul (France) which had emboldened him to violate the law against the crossing of the River Rubicon into Italy with armed legions – to challenge Pompey for supreme power. Caesar was killed, while planning to invade the Iranian Parthian Empire to avenge the disgraceful defeat in the Battle of Carrhae (Harran in upper Mesopotamia and present day Turkey) nine years earlier in 53 BC when General Surena had routed a mighty Roman army led by General Marcus Licinius Crassus, who along with Caesar and Pompey had formed the First Triumvirate. A person of loose morals, Julius Caesar, like all other pagans was a sadistic barbarian, who in his official ‘triumphs’ (or public celebrations on Rome’s streets and amphitheatre) used to stage live battles and watch with delight as prisoners of war divided into groups brutally killed each other. His death transformed the republic into the Roman Empire under his designated heir, grandnephew Ocatavius, who after elimination of his main rival Mark Antony, assumed the imperial title of Emperor Augustus Caesar. Julius Caesar is mostly remembered for his replacement of the Roman lunar calendar with the Egyptian solar calendar of 365.25 days, by adding a leap day at the end of February every fourth year. The month of Quintilis was renamed July in his honour and thus, the Julian calendar (also named after him), opened on 1 January 45 BC. It was used in Europe until 1582 AD when it was replaced by the current Gregorian.
1123 lunar years ago, on this day in 319 AH, Head of the Baghdad branch of the Mu’tazila sect, Abu’l-Qasim Abdullah bin Ahmad al-Balkhi al-Ka’bi, died. He was from the Khorasani city of Balkh (presently in Afghanistan) and spent most of his life in Baghdad, where after him the Ka’biya sub-sect of the Mu’tazila was known. The sect was founded in Basra, Iraq, by Wasil ibn Ata. Among the books written by Abu’l-Qasim Balkhi are "The Glories of Khorasan”, "The Good Points about the Taherids” (Iranian dynasty of governors which ruled in Khorasan from 821 till 873 under the Abbasid caliphs), and an exegesis of the holy Qur’an to suit Mu’tazili ideas.
1058 solar years ago, on this day in 963 AD, Byzantine emperor, Romanos II, died at the age of 25 after a 4-year reign, during which his general Nikephoros Phokas, occupied the Muslim island of Crete after a 9-month siege and sacked Aleppo the capital of the Hamadanid Shi’a Muslim emirate. Romanos II is believed to have been poisoned to death by his wife, Theophano, who soon married her husband’s victorious general, Nikephoros Phokas and declared him emperor.
749 lunar years ago, on this day in 693 AH, famous scholar and literary figure, Seyyed Ghiyas od-Din Abdul-Karim ibn Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Tawous Hilli, passed away in holy Kazemain, Iraq, at the age of 45 and his body was taken to holy Najaf for burial. He was born in the holy city of Karbala. His father Ahmad ibn Musa is the compiler of the famous book "Iqbaal al-A’maal”. The Tawous family was prominent in Iraq and Iran, and its members not only were educated and knowledgeable, but also widely respected by for their virtue, piety, and devotion to the cause of the Ahl al-Bayt. Abdul-Karim memorized the Holy Qur’an by the age of 11 and studied Arabic literature and theology under prominent figures, including his father, as well as Muhaqqiq Hilli and Khwajah Naseer od-Din Tusi. He is the author of several books including "Farhat al-Ghari be Sarhat al-Ghari”, and "Farhat al-Ghariy fi ta’yin Qabr Amir al-Mu’minin Ali”.
535 solar years ago, on this day in 1486 AD, the Ottoman army was again defeated before Adana. Qaragoz Mohammad fled the field, while the general Hersekzade Ahmed was taken captive, and Cilicia in what is now south-central Turkey returned to the control of the Turkic Mamluk Dynasty of Egypt-Syria. The series of internecine Muslim wars between the two major Turkic powers were the result of intrigue by the Pope and West European Christian states, following the end of the Byzantine Empire and fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, when it appeared that it was matter of time before Islam could spread all over Europe. It was unfortunate of the Ottomans to halt their drive into Europe and turn towards the east against fellow Muslims in Anatolia and Syria, at a time when the beleaguered Spanish Muslims of Granada were desperately calling for help from the Muslim World, and the Mamluks had prepared a large army in what is now Libya for stopping the Christian aggressors in the Iberian Peninsula. This same seditious policy of the Ottomans in Muslim lands was the cause of the Battle of Chaldiran against the Safavid Empire of Iran that allowed much-needed respite to Europe to reorganize militarily and culturally (Renaissance) for eventually pushing back the Ottomans and gradually ending their supremacy in the Muslim lands of southwest Europe that were forcibly Christianized after centuries of Islamic rule and culture.
176 lunar years ago, on this day in 1266 AH, prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mohammad Hassan Najafi, famous as "Saheb-e Jawaher”, because of writing the famous jurisprudential work, "Jawaher al-Kalaam”, passed away. Son of Sheikh Mohammad Baqer, he was a student of Shaikh Ja’far Kashef ul-Gheta, and took over forty years to complete his monumental work which is still held in high esteem in Islamic seminaries. The book is an extended exposition of "ash-Shara’e al-Islam” of Muhaqqiq Hilli. In the preface to "Jawaher al-Kalaam”, which is indeed a comprehensive encyclopedia of discursive Fiqh, the author says that his purpose in writing this work is to acquaint jurisprudents with the hidden delicacies of the "ash-Sharae’e al-Islam”, illustrate its problems, explicate the mistakes made by other commentators of the book, and deal with the views of fuqaha and their arguments.
167 solar years ago, on this day in 1854 AD, German bacteriologist, Emil Adolf von Behring, who is considered the founder of the science of immunology, was born. He continued the researches of the French chemist, Louis Pasteur, and in 1890 working with S. Kitasato, he discovered that immunity against tetanus and diphtheria could be produced by injecting serum from an animal that had recovered from the disease. He coined the word antitoxin for such substances. In 1901 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology for his work on serum therapy.
133 solar years ago, on this day in 1888 AD, the Anglo-Tibetan War started following the end of deadline set by the British for withdrawal of Tibetan forces from Sikkim. Fought in the high Himalayan mountain ranges, the Tibetans were forced to withdraw and sign the Calcutta Accord in 1890, renouncing all claims to suzerainty over Tibet.
114 solar years ago, on this day in 1907 AD, the famous Iranian poetess, Parvin E’tesami, was born in the northwestern city of Tabriz in an academic family. Her father, Yusuf E’tesam ol-Molk, was an acclaimed translator and author who frequented the company of prominent poets and literary figures, such as the Poet Laureate Malik osh-Sho’ara Mohammad Taqi Bahar, and the Lexicographer Allamah Ali Akbar Dehkhoda. She learned Iranian and Arabic literature from her father and showed her talents for writing poems as of childhood. On graduation from high school she started teaching in Tabriz. She accompanied her father on his journeys around Iran and abroad, gaining valuable experiences and reflecting them in her poetry. Her Divan includes odes, elegies, and other styles of poetry. A realistic poetess she maintained strong ethical and religious beliefs. Parvin E’tesami passed away at the young age of 35 in 1941.
36 solar years ago, on this day in 1985 AD, the valiant Iranian commander, Mahdi Bakeri, attained martyrdom at the age of 30 at the fronts of the war imposed on Iran by Saddam of the repressive Bath minority regime at the behest of the US. Born in Miandoab in northwestern Iran, he was active since high school against the despotic British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime, whose agents had earlier martyred his elder brother. After victory of the Islamic Revolution he joined the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on its formation, and in view of his ability served as prosecutor at the revolutionary court and later as mayor of Oroumiyeh, the capital of West Azarbaijan Province. On the invasion of the country, he marched to the warfronts and after demonstrating his battle prowess was promoted to commander of the Ashura Brigade. Several times he was injured and recovered from his wounds, before attaining martyrdom during the Badr Operations.
26 solar years ago, on this day in 1995 AD, US President Bill Clinton, in a blatant act of hostility against the Islamic Republic of Iran, issued an executive order formally blocking a $1 billion contract between Conoco and Iran to develop a huge offshore oil tract in the Persian Gulf. Washington’s intention was to hurt Iranian economy, but it actually axed its own feet, resulting in multi-million losses for American oil companies.
9 solar years ago, on this day in 2012 AD, thousands of Bahraini people held a peaceful protest rally in the capital Manama, against the repressive policies of the Aal-e Khalifa minority regime, on the first anniversary of the invasion of this Persian Gulf island state by Saudi forces.