Today is Tuesday; 18th of the Iranian month of Khordad 1400 solar hijri; corresponding to 27th of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1442 lunar hijri; and June 8, 2021, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.
1445 lunar years ago, on this day in the third year prior to the Hijra, or migration to Medina, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny) left for the city of Ta’ef, to invite the people to Islam, following growing persecution of Muslims by the pagan Arabs of Mecca, in the aftermath of the death of his uncle and guardian, Hazrat Abu Taleb (AS) and his loyal wife of 25-long years, Omm al-Momineen (Mother of all True Believers) Hazrat Khadija (peace upon her). He met stiff opposition from idolaters in Ta’ef and returned to Mecca, although later the people of Ta’ef embraced the truth of Islam.
1389 solar years ago, on this day in 632 AD (according to the Gregorian calendar), the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) passed away in Medina after preaching for 23 years the message of Islam, which means peace, harmony, healthy way of life, and submission to none but God the Almighty Creator. The date of his departure, as per the Islamic calendar is 28 Safar, 11 AH. It is said the cause of his death was a dose of poison administered by a spiteful Israelite woman. Born in 570 AD in Mecca in the monotheist Hashemite clan which was directly descended from Prophet Ishmael the firstborn son of Prophet Abraham, his mission was prophesied by all divine messengers throughout the globe, as the Man with the universal message of Islam. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion, with at least 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide.
1122 lunar years ago, on this day in 320 AH, Muqtadar Billah, the 18th self-styled caliph of the usurper Abbasid Dynasty, was killed by his slave guard after 25 years of misrule that bankrupted the state and increased the people’s misery, while the Byzantines felt emboldened to attack at will and occupy large territories in Asia Minor or what is now Turkey. The killing of this caliph, who spent all his time with musicians and dancers in the harem, had been foretold by the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS).
1061 lunar years ago, on this day in 381 AH, the renowned Iranian theologian and philosopher, Abu’l-Hassan Mohammad ibn Yusuf al-Ameri, passed away in his hometown Naishapur in the northeastern province of Khorasan. He believed that Islam was the perfection of all religions, and the revealed truths of Islam were thus superior to the conclusions of philosophy, however logical, although the two did not contradict each other. He also believed that the Greeks, who produced such philosophers as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, did not have a final say because they as a society, lacked a prominent prophet, who ought to have a final say in all forms and matters. Ameri lived in a half century period between two other Iranian Islamic geniuses, Abu Nasr al-Farabi and Abu Ali Hussain Ibn Sina. He first studied under Abu Zayd al-Balkhi in Khorasan, before moving to Rayy near modern Tehran and then to Baghdad, where he met such noted intellectuals as Abu Hayyan Ali ibn Mohammad at-Tawhidi and Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Mohammad Ibn Miskawayh. After several years he returned to Iran and took up residence in Bukhara, where he had access to the royal library of the Iranian Samanid Dynasty. His works include: “al-E’laam be Manaqeb al-Islam” (An Exposition on the Merits of Islam), and “Inqadh al-Bashar min aj-Jahr wa’l-Qadar” (Deliverance of Mankind from the Problem of Predestination and Free Will).
342 lunar years ago, on this day in 1100 AH, the pious scholar Seyyed Mirza Ala od-Din Golestaneh passed away. He traced his lineage to Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the elder grandson and 2nd Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He authored the valuable book “al-Hada’eq” which is commentary on “Nahj al-Balaghah” (Highway of Eloquence), the collection of the eloquent sermons, letters, and maxims of the Commander of the Faithful, the Prophet’s 1st Infallible Heir, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (AS). He later summarized it under the title “Bahjat al-Hada’eq”. Among his works, mention could be made of “Manhaj al-Yaqeen” – a collection of letters and admonitions of the Prophet’s 6th Infallible Successor, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS). Golestaneh was the brother-in-law (wife’s brother) of the celebrated scholar, Allamah Mohammad Baqer Majlisi.
331 solar years ago, on this day in 1690 AD, Yadi Sakat, the Siddi Muslim general of Abyssinian origin, razed the Mazagaon Fort in British-held Mumbai, before withdrawing on the orders of his overlord Yaqut Khan of Janjira Island, following Governor John Child’s acceptance of the terms set by Moghal Emperor, Aurangzeb, for peace including payment of 150,000 rupees (Over a billion USD at present conversion rates). Yaqut Khan was the title given by Aurangzeb to Qasim Khan, the Siddi admiral and administrator of Janjira Island, who first served the Adel-Shahi Bijapur Sultanate of Iranian origin and after its fall the Moghal Empire. Years earlier in October 1672, while in the service of Bijapur, he had entered the seven islands of Mumbai and attacked the Marathas. He returned the following year on 10th October 1673, after destroying the towns of Pen and Nagothane. In 1689 Yaqut Khan and his Siddis on the orders of Aurangzeb attacked Mumbai for the third time after Moghal vessels sailing to Surat were captured in 1686 by the British. The Siddis had earned a reputation as excellent sea-farers. Yaqut, along with Khairiyat Khan, had earlier saved the Portuguese from the Marathas of Sambhaji at Chaul. The Siddis had adopted Persian language and culture.
212 solar years ago, on this day in 1809 AD, English philosopher Thomas Paine died at the age of 74 in New York. He came to New England in what is now the US in 1774, and helped foment the American Revolution through his writings, most notably “Common Sense”, an incendiary pamphlet advocating independence from Britain. His sixteen “Crisis” papers, published between 1776 and 1783, helped to inspire the colonists during the ordeals of the revolution. He was an active advocate of the French Revolution as well. In his work “Rights of Man”, written in reply to Edmund Burke’s criticism of the French Revolution, he dismissed monarchy. He opposed slavery and was among the early advocates of social security. In his works, Paine emphasized on faith and monotheism.
166 solar years ago, on this day in 1855 AD, in the wake of a massive earthquake, Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, went up in flames and was completely destroyed. Almost 40,000 people lost their lives and two thirds of homes and commercial establishments were flattened. A total of 2,000 ships, warships, and boats anchored at the port were sunk.
138 solar years ago, on this day in 1783 AD, Laki, a volcano in Iceland, began an eight-month eruption which killed over 9,000 people and started a seven-year famine.
126 solar years ago, on this day in 1895 AD, Iranian author and translator, Saeed Nafisi, was born in Tehran. He was the son of Ali Akbar Nafisi, popularly known as “Nazem ul-Atebba”, the compiler of Persian lexicon “Farhang-e Nafisi”. Saeed Nafisi studied Law and Political Science, and lectured on history and literature in Tehran. He was an active member of Iran’s Cultural Centre and cooperated with several cultural institutions in European and Asian countries. He wrote numerous articles and books in different domains such as history, poetry, and lexicography. Among his works, mention could be made of the book “Social History of Iran”. He passed away in 1966.
110 lunar years ago, on this day in 1332 AH, the Gnostic Seyyed Ahmad Karbalai, passed away. Born in Iran, he grew up in the holy city of Karbala and studied under such prominent scholars as Akhund Mullah Mohammad Kazem Khorasani and Mullah Hussain-Qoli Hamedani. He was an expert on ethics and among his students mention could be made of the Martyr Shaikh Mohammad Taqi Bafqi, Seyyed Mohammad Kazem Assar, the famous Gnostic Mirza Ali Aqa Qazi Tabatabai, and Seyyed Mohsin Amin al-Ameli of Syria – author of the voluminous biographical encyclopedia “A’yaan ash-Sh’ia”.
85 solar years ago, on this day in 1936 AD, the prominent researcher and jurisprudent, Ayatollah Seyyed Mirza Ali Aqa Shirazi, passed away at the age of 67. Son of the celebrated Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi (famous for his anti-tobacco fatwa to save Iranian economy from British exploitation), he reached the status of Ijtihad at the young age of 20, and was known for his piety.
54 solar years ago, on this day in 1967 AD, the army of the illegal Zionist entity occupied the Islamic Palestinian city of al-Khalil, naming it Hebron and desecrating the sacred shrine of Prophet Abraham, as well as the Cave of the Patriarchs, where many prophets of God used to worship.
54 solar years ago, on this day in 1967, the USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, resulting in the death of 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian). A total of 171 American crew members were injured and the ship was severely damaged, but the US didn’t take any action against the Zionist entity, calling it a “case of mistaken identity”, and instead blaming the Arab countries. The attack occurred in international waters of the Mediterranean, about 47.2 km northwest from Egypt’s Sinai port of Arish. The Zionist state terrorism which was intended to force Washington to side more openly with Israel.
35 solar years ago, on this day in 1986 AD, contemporary Iranian author, Zabihollah Mansouri, passed away. He was an expert on works and Divans of most Persian poets, and was fluent in English, Arabic, and French languages as well. Besides writing and translating books, he wrote articles in different magazines and papers for almost seventy years. Among his valuable books, mention can be made of “Imam Husain (AS) and Iran”, “Life and Works of Mullah Sadra”, and “The Fall of Constantinople”.
29 solar years ago, on this day in 1992 AD, the notorious Zionist spy agency, Mossad, assassinated in France, prominent Palestinian official, Atef Bassiso. It took seven years for the French Police to admit that Mossad had masterminded this terrorist act in France.
24 solar years ago, on this day in 1997 AD, prominent Hadith scholar and historian, Ayatollah Sheikh Qawwam od-Din Mohammad Veshnavi Qomi, passed away at the age of 90 in holy Qom and was laid to rest in the shrine of Hazrat Ma’soumah (SA). Born in Veshnavah village in the Fordu District of Kahak near holy Qom, at the age of 22 he left for Iraq to study at the famous seminary of holy Najaf, where he attained Ijtihad before returning to Iran. He was an expert on narrators of hadith, history and jurisprudence, and wrote several books in this regard such as “Hadith Thaqalayn”, Makarem al-Akhlaq”, and “Hayat an-Nabi wa Siratuhu” (The Prophet’s Life and Behaviour).
15 lunar years ago, on this day in 1427 AH, Grand Ayatollah Mirza Jawad Tabrizi passed away at the age of 82 in Qom and was laid to rest in the holy mausoleum of Hazrat Ma’souma (peace upon her). Born in Tabriz, after completing his preliminary religious studies, he moved to Qom at the age of 22 and studied under such prominent scholars as Ayatollah Hojjat and Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hussain Boroujerdi. At the age of 26, he travelled to holy Najaf in Iraq, where his teachers included Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassim Khoei. On attaining the status of Ijtehad, he returned to Iran and started holding classes at the Qom seminary on jurisprudence and other branches of Islamic sciences. He wrote several books including “Irshad at-Taleb”, “Tabaqaat ar-Rejaal” (Biography of Narrators) and the 6-volume “Siraat an-Najaat” (Path of Salvation)