Islamic Unity Week

The Islamic Unity Week is marked between 12-17^th Rabiul Awwal on the occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Prophet Mohammad SAW.  This period in which Muslims ponder on the fundamental call of unity according to the Holy Qur’an was proposed by the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini SA, following the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979.

 

Since then, the Unity Week is not only marked in Iran, but also throughout the world, and has played an important role in bringing the various Islamic Schools of  Thought on a single platform, since Allah is One, and Muslims believe in the single Qur’an and bow towards the same focal point, that is the Holy Ka’ba, five times a day during daily prayers.

Other commonalities among Muslims including fasting during the same month of Ramadhan and performance of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on the same dates of the month of Zil-Hijja. In view of these and other remarkable factors of unity, it is but natural for Muslims following the different schools of jurisprudence to close ranks in solidarity, especially in view of the divine commandment in the Holy Qur’an to “And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited.” (Holy Qur'an 3:103)

Bridging the gap

The late Imam Khomeini’s foresight helped bridge the gap of five days between the two dates believed to be the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). According to Sunni Islamic narrations, the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal is recognized as the birth date of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). On the other hand Islamic sources relied upon by Shia Muslims and based on the narrations from the Ahlul Bayt (The Prophet's pure progeny); the auspicious birthday of the Holy Prophet (SAW) was on 17th of Rabi-al-Awwal.

In order to bridge this difference and use it as an opportunity to unite the ranks of Muslims, the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Imam Khomeini (SA) designated the period of Milad-un-Nabi celebrations from 12th to the 17th of Rabi al-Awwal as the Islamic Unity Week. This dynamic concept aims to bring all Muslim schools of thought on the common platform of Islamic unity.

There is indeed unity in diversity and the idea of Islamic Unity Week has awakened Muslims from centuries of slumber largely because of the discord sowing policies of the enemies of Islam especially the Western colonialists and their local ignorant agents. The Ummah has also begun to realize that it is only unity and solidarity that will enable Muslims to utilize their vast untapped potential and rescue them from the never ending devious plots of their enemies who range from imperialists, Zionists, arrogant powers , Islamphobes and the emerging threat of Takfiris. Islamic unity is the need of the hour, especially after the crusading campaign against Muslims unleashed by western governments, led by the great Satan, the US, in the name of combating terrorism following the highly suspicious incidents that rocked New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.

The U.S. has since occupied two Muslim countries, Afghanistan and Iraq while launching attacks against Syria under the pretext of confronting ISIL takfiri terrorist group which is actually a creation of the U.S. and its regional allies including the Zionist Israeli regime. The U.S. is conducting illegal terror drone attacks against Islamic countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The issue of Palestine continues to linger on as Zionists and their western allies, aware of lack of solidarity within Islamic ranks, continue to occupy the Holy Quds, the first Qibla of Muslims. Nowadays we are witness to more belligerent and daring acts Judaization of the Holy Quds being carried out by the  Zionist regime. The plight of over 1.5 Million besieged Palestinians in Gaza is should serve as a call to unity among the over 1.5 Billion Muslims in the world. the recent rejection of Palestine’s statehood proposal at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) leaves no option for Palestinians except for continued resistance against Israel’s occupation.

Palestine has lashed out at the United Nations Security Council’s failure to approve a draft resolution demanding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state. The resolution needed to secure at least nine votes to be adopted by the 15-member Security Council. However, it managed to garner only eight positive votes, as the US and Australia voted against the resolution and the UK, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Korea and Lithuania abstained. The draft resolution designated occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of a future Palestinian state, addressed the issue of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and demanded the end of Israeli occupation by 2017.   Palestinian liberation, Palestinian rights, Palestinian sovereignty and the end of the colonial occupation can only arrive by the removal of the Zionist entity in all of historic Palestine as was the case with the South African apartheid regime.

In view of the threats, it is essential for the Islamic world to close ranks and coordinate efforts to counter the Zionist and U.S led aggressions. The predators have hatched a variety of plots to plunder the vast wealth and natural resources of Muslim countries through different means and at the same time brainwash minds of uninformed Muslims by way of distorted media reports, glamorous yet misleading films and TV programs, deceptive newspapers and magazines, decadent internet websites and the violence-filled computer games.

This is in stark contrast to the logical reasoning of Islam that gave the world a lasting civilization at a time when Europe was languishing in the dark ages. It is the quest for knowledge, the respect for others rights and fostering of humanitarian values that made Islam and true believers dynamic, much to the detriment of the detractors. It is the lifestyle and guidance of the Prophet (SAW), the immaculate members of his household, the Ahlul Bayt and the rightly guided companions which draws out the path of righteousness by giving a practical demonstration of the revealed word of Allah for the betterment of human society and acts as a beacon of light for mankind.

Muslims thus ought to follow the Prophet’s perfect path of establishing unity and solidarity, and thereby becoming immune from the onslaughts of their common enemies. They should be on guard against divisive tendencies since the Zionist regime and Western imperialists have made no secret of their plans to divide and rule. Alas, our failure to check the evil ambitions of the US and the devilish plots of our avowed enemy the illegal Zionist entity called Israel, have been due to lack of unity. Solidarity can neither be superficial by mere expressing of words of sympathy nor can it be imposed. The plight of the Palestinian Muslims and the American atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan, are examples in this regard. Our lethargy and our mere lip service makes matters more complicated matters. Unity and solidarity ought to be based on sincerity of purpose. This is possible only by heeding what God Almighty commands in the Holy Qur’an and what was practically demonstrated by the Prophet. Therefore, it is wrong to believe that slogans and submissive ties with the enemies will save Muslims. A true Muslim state has to be independent and independence is not possible unless people strive for self-sufficiency, solidarity and security.

Through authentic unity Muslims will certainly attain progress and conquer the pinnacles of powers in all fields, including political, social, cultural, technological, economic and industrial.

Although foreign policy with focus on building inter-Muslim solidarity is welcome, it is essential to pursue cultural and intellectual methods to help bridge the gulf of the past centuries. This is possible through expert gathering in different fields with sincere efforts to study and remove the root cause of differences among Muslims. The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown the way through annual international and national Islamic unity conferences.
This year, 1435 AH concurrent with 2015 CE, Iran will be hosting the 28th International Islamic Unity conference.

Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought has said the conference to be held from 7-9 January will bring together prominent Islamic scholars and intellectuals to discuss ways for confronting discord.

Ayatollah Araki expressed the hope that the international event will serve to enhance unity in the Muslim world.

Recently Ayatollah Araki called upon Islamic scholars, intellectuals and political elites to unite in the face of two dangers facing Muslims and the Islamic World namely Zionists and Takfiris.

In an open letter, Ayatollah Araki said the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought welcomes any plan or program which will lead to Muslim unity and strengthening the ranks of Muslims in confronting Zionism and Takfiri terrorism. He further called for Islamic unity considering the reality of sedition or fitnah in Islamic countries especially in Syria and Iraq and keeping in mind the fact that these wars are not Shia-Sunni and neither are they wars between Arabs and Kurds or among Muslims and Christians but are actually wars launched by the arrogant powers against the righteous resistance front which is battling the Zionist enemy and the Zionist-American conspiracy whose aim is to engage countries and masses of the region in internal wars and thus create and opportunity for Zionists to implement their devious plan and attainment of their long held ambition of establishing their complete hegemony on the region while fragmenting regional nations into small groups.

The Leader of the Islamic Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei also pointed out recently that: “I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that today; we have to focus our attention on the problems that arrogance has created in the world of Islam. This is while we should focus all our energy on confronting the plots of the Zionist regime and the move that they made against Holy Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque. This should move and stimulate the entire world of Islam. However, there is no other option. In fact, attending to the issue of takfirism is something that has been imposed on the ulama, activists and scholars of the world of Islam. The enemy has brought this to the world of Islam as a custom-made product and problem. Therefore, we have to attend to it. However, the main issue is the issue of the Zionist regime. The main issue is the issue of Quds. The main issue is the issue of the first qiblah for Muslims which is al-Aqsa Mosque. These are the main issues.

There is an undeniable point which is the fact that the takfiri orientation and the governments which support and advocate it move completely in the direction of the goals of arrogance and Zionism. Their work is in line with the goals of America, the colonialist governments in Europe and the government of the usurping Zionist regime.

Certain signs confirm this claim. The takfiri orientation is Islamic on the face of it, but in practice, it is at the service of the great colonialist, arrogant and political orientations that are working against the world of Islam. There are clear signs which cannot be ignored. I would like to mention a few of these signs: one is that the takfiri orientation managed to make the movement of Islamic Awakening deviate from its path. The movement of Islamic Awakening was an anti-American and anti-arrogance movement which was against the elements that America had installed in the region.”

Through sincerity of purpose and the strong resolve to unite the Islamic Ummah, this year’s conference will have a fruitful outcome. Islamic scholars and intellectuals shoulder a great responsibility at this hour of need.

The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought takes this opportunity to convey its heartfelt felicitations on the occasion of the Maulid of our Great Prophet Mohammad SAW and the Islamic Unity Week.