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The Personality of the Doyen of Believers, Imam Ali (A.S) is the Fountainhead of Unity
Source:
Islamic Unity, in the Light of Speeches of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Hazrat Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Ali Khamenei
Compiled by Hujatul Islam wal Muslimeen Ali Khaliqpur
Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib (A.S) is among the great personalities of the Ahlulbayt (A.S), whose blessed name is topping the list of Islamic personalities. His name is prominent because his conduct and behavior was acknowledged as the guardian of unity and coherence among Muslims. Therefore his personality while being the centre for unity and accord possesses the capability to bring the Muslims at one platform.
One thing among voluminous books of attributes and qualities of Hazrat Amirul Momineen (A.S) is that this great personality in his life, which is full of ups and downs, has concentrated more towards some issues, while justice and unity have been topping the list of such priorities. All this is a lesson for us.
The unity was a priority for Amirul Momineen (A.S). The restoration and prevalence of justice in Islamic Ummah was very important too. It signifies his truth loving tendency in both the places. He besides facing hardships and adversities and even he passed through hardest stages of life for the restoration of justice, all those battles that were imposed upon him and almost in the brief period of five years government, he had to face three wars and all this was for the restoration of justice. Here too he strictly follows the truth. The Doyen of Believers (A.S) forgets about his own rights and avoids the conflict for the sake of Allah and in the best interests of Islam and Muslims and for the restoration of unity of Muslims.
โWhen I suddenly noticed people surrounding the man to swear him allegiance, I, therefore, withheld my hand till I saw that many people were reverting from Islam and trying to destroy the religion of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his descendants). I then feared that if I did not protect Islam and its people and there occurred in it a breach or destruction, it would mean a greater blow to me than the loss of power over you which was, in any case, to last for a few days of which everything would pass away as the mirage passes awayโ Therefore, in these happenings I rose till wrong was destroyed and disappeared. In the atmosphere of turbulence he remained steadfast and followed the truth. Here the said right of the Imam (A.S) was to forget about his own right for the sake of unity, which is a lesson for us.
The Islamic society has become a victim due to injustice from every aspect also it has suffered due to malice, separation, confusion and dispute among the people. By this way the world of Islam has suffered. If you would go through history of Islam, particularly in the present century it will be more evident that the world of Islam is in need of unity. The Doyen of Believers (A.S) is to be declared as the base of unity. The enemies of Islam want to spread differences in the name of Doyen of Believers, who is the pioneer of unity. The world of Islam needs to pay attention towards all such issues.
The enemies of Islam want to create division among all Islamic sects in the name of Doyen of Believers (A.S), who himself is a source of unity. They want to create division. The Islamic Ummah needs to be aware and conscious at this juncture.
Today the world of Islam needs to keep a vigil over the elements, which blame Shia for creating division among Sunni and Shia and utter nonsense and create disunity. Similarly, some people on the other side too try to incite the feelings and sentiments of their Muslim brethren and break and harm their heart. Today the Islamic society wants to see all the Muslims united and live in cooperation and coordination with each other and never allow the enemies for any misappropriation. The enemy is not powerful at his own. What is Israel?! What hell is the position of Israel before one and half billion Muslims? What is its position?
The (weakness of) difference that lies in the world of Islam has been the cause that the feeble enemy is making incursions in Muslim regions, creating his supporters and searching out for his supporters among Muslim brethren.
The Doyen of Believers Imam Ali (A.S)-Advocate of Unity
After the heavenly departure of Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W), since the Doyen of Believers (A.S) was considering the Khilafah his own right, he made necessary efforts towards this direction too and talked about it and also made a claim about it, but when he understood that it couldnโt be so and felt that if he may take a front and go ahead for further canvassing, it would scatter the structure of Muslims, so he desisted from it.
 รรณรรณรรณรรบรรต รฆรณรรถیรบ รรกรบรรณیรบรครถ รรณรรณیٰ รฆรณรรถیรบ รรกรบรรณรกรบรรถ รรณรรณیٰ 
โSo I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throatโ.
The Doyen of Believers (A.S) maintained endurance for twenty five years for the restoration of unity and concord of Islamic Ummah and maintenance of Islamic government that he thought a complete right for himself. It is not a lighter side. Is it so easy? These are the sacrifices and offerings that make one to touch the pinnacles of humanity. These are the things which endow one the status of the shining sun that never sets.
The Doyen of Believers Imam Ali (A.S) โ The Standard and Source of Unity
The enemies of Islam are neither the supporters of this sect nor other, they only support one sect to harm the other and sometimes vice versa. These people are engaged in creating division and differences in Islam and Muslims and that too at the time when Muslims are in dire need of unity and coherence. The personality of Ameer-ul-Momineen Ali (A.S) could be the manifestation and exposition of this unity and could prove a source that all Muslims affirm, acknowledge and are confident about it. No one can claim that the Lord of Believers (A.S) belongs to him only. It is absolutely right that we the Shia of Lord of Believers (A.S) utter in the Ziyarat-e-Jamiah รฃรรบรรตรฆรบรรถیรบรครณ รรถรรณรรบรรถیรบรรถรครรณ รรถیรธรณรหรตรฃรบ that we are being known as the devotees and lovers of Doyen of Believes (A.S) and the households of Prophet (S.A.W). However, we can never claim that the Doyen of Believes (A.S) exclusively belongs to us only. All the Muslims of the world, belonging to various sects believe that the magnificent personality and the ultimate manifestation of Islam like the Doyen of Believers has ever been negligent or disobedient to the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) even for a moment. Accordingly from his childhood to youth up till his last, he has never been negligent from the Endeavour and struggle in the way of God, Islam and Quran even for a moment. Therefore, it can be a source, where Shia, Sunni and the people of other sects can determine the Doyen of Believes (A.S) as a source of unity.
The Commander of Believers (A.S) is the source of unity and not of separation and difference! He is fountainhead of union. The whole Islamic world is submissive to him. There is no issue of Shia and Sunni in it. A group in the name of โNawasibโ was hostile to the Lord of Believers (A.S).In Islamic history, during the period of Umayyad and Abbasid there have been the enemies of the Lord of Believers (A.S), but the general Muslims, whether Shias or Sunni all were admirers of Imam Ali (A.S). You may appreciate that the jurisprudential Imams of Ahlul Sunnah have admired Imam Ali (A.S). Their famous poems do glorify him. There are couplets of Shafe'ie. Imam Shafe'ie has said poems paying glowing tributes to the Lord of Believes (A.S), in which mostly or totally reverence towards Imams have been shown and all these towering personalities of Ahlul Sunnah seem to lower their feathers of humiliation before the Lord of Believers (A.S) and other Imams.
The Belief in Ghadir ought not to be the Cause of Conflict and Division
Hazrat Ayatullah Uzma Sayyid Ali Khamenei, while introducing the personality of Hazrat Ali (A.S) as a source and centre of unity, advises Shia Muslims that the Ghadir should not be made as an issue of difference and conflict. After the demise of Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) the issue of Ghadir and Imamat of Hazrat Ali (A.S) is an authentic fact before the Shias, although the Ahlul Sunnah doesnโt agree with it. However, it should be kept in mind that this issue should not become a tool for creating and spreading difference and division among Muslims by the hands of enemies of Islam.
The issue of Ghadir is having the status of fundamental belief for us Shia. Our belief is that after the pious life of Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) the Lord of Believers (A.S) is the rightful Imam of Islamic Ummah. This is the real foundation of Shia faith. It is obvious that our Sunni brethren donโt agree with this belief. Their theory is something else. They do adopt some other stand and have some other theory. However, this very issue of Ghadir is a kind of means for the unity of Islamic Ummah and that is the personality of the Ameer-ul-Momineen Ali (A.S). There is no difference found among Muslims about this gracious personality and his magnificence. All the people see Ameer-ul-Momineen Ali (A.S) as a source of unity at the highest level from the aspects of knowledge, piety and valour. It means that the hope and sanctuary of the whole Islamic Ummah is Ameer-ul-Momineen (A.S).
What we need to focus today is that Shia have preserved this belief from centuries as dearest to their lives. However, one is to be vigilant that this belief should not become the cause of any conflict and division. We have been repeating this thing from years and are again reiterating it. We are observing today as what are the intensions of the enemy and to what extent he is having these evil designs. The enemy of Islam, Quran and Monotheism tries to bring enmity into existence in Islamic Ummah, by way of creating split and division between various groups of Islamic Ummah in the name of Shia and Sunni etc, because the enemy considers the unity that has come into existence, a great threat for him.
The enemy has understood well that after the success of Islamic Revolution in Iran, it attracted the hearts of the people of world of Islam and Islamic countries, when they were not Shia. These were millions of people from Arabian, African and Asian countries among Ahlul Sunnah brethren, who were influenced by Islamic revolution. In this way it was a heavy blow for the enemy. The unity and sympathy of Muslims with Islamic Republic wreaked havoc to the enemy. For this very reason the enemy wants to make an end of this attraction. How he wants to finish all this? He wants to get rid of it by creating differences and enmity among Shia and Sunni.
Faith in Ghadir should not Cause any Difference among Muslims
The belief in Ghadir, Wilayah and Imamate, which are the basis of Shia faith, ought to be like other dialectical discussions and should not become the cause of difference among Muslims. Neither Shia, nor any other sect need to make it a sensitive issue, which may cause any kind of division and disintegration, because it is a thing of interest for the enemy. Although, Ghadir is an important and major event but the enemies of Islam are in search of even the smallest event that could be exploited for division and disunity. Today the Islamic Ummah is in need of unity. There are sufficient opportunities and the sources of unity and unanimity available, which always need to be focused. It we talk about unity we too stand by it. We are firmly and steadfastly resisting for the Islamic unity against the joint forces of the enemy. However, one should not think that we will forget about this very progressive, the basic and felicitous Islamic subject i.e., Wilayah and Ghadir.
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