“Say, come to a word common between us and you: 3:64 needs to be put into practice by all Islamic groups. The most important and fundamental focal point for unity to come into existence among Islamic Ummah is the blessed existence of Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) and Ahlulbayt (A.S), who are honourable and respectable to all Muslims.
Hazrat Ayatullah Uzma Sayyid Ali Khamenei declares the blessed existence of the noble Prophet (S.A.W) and the utmost love of Muslims for him as axis and centre for the unity of Muslims and there is no doubt.

The Love for Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) and the Respect and Regard for him is the Centre of Unity and Unanimity
The Muslims today are facing various difficulties and complicacies within different Islamic sects and it is always a problem for them. Anyway whatever possible they should get rid of it. In this connection only one aspect and centre which is available with them and nobody has any objection about it. Even they are unanimous in the belief of monotheism too. However, possibly some people may have some different opinion in its interpretation and elucidation which may not be acceptable to others. But the thing about which there is no disagreement that is the love and affection and reverence for Hazrat Muhammad ibn Abdullah (S.A.W) and his descendants. It is the centre of unity and unanimity. Attempts need to be taken to make concentration upon it. We have already said and some courageous people have made efforts towards this direction in order to establish a common platform among different Islamic sects. Today also these courageous people need to sit together and discuss about it and make the people to concentrate upon this centre of unity.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is the Pivot of Belief and Devotion for All Muslims
In every period, the blessed existence of the noble Prophet (S.A.W) has been the highest source and centre for Muslims and it can be so even today. Since the belief of all Muslims is affiliated with the love and affection of Prophet (S.A.W), therefore he is pivot and centre of beliefs and for the belief and devotion for all Muslims and this very centralization is being considered the cause of love and affection in the hearts of Muslims and the basis of proximity among different sects.
Whatever we have heard or understood about this blessed personality chosen by Almighty and about this Chief of the Prophets of human history is just a glimpse of his moral, spiritual and real divinely existence and this very limit of understanding is sufficient for Muslims as firstly it guarantees the guidance for Muslims towards ultimate, due to which a man gets access to human evolutionary climax and secondly it can persuade them towards Islamic unity and concord under and around this centre. Therefore we would like to advise all the Muslims to focus their attention towards aspects of personality, life and conduct of the noble Prophet (S.A.W) and may work more and more on the traditions and teachings of this holy personality.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) is the Centre of Love and Affection for the World of Islam
The blessed personality of the noble Prophet (S.A.W) is the most effective source for creating unity. We have already said that the world of Islam can unite on the basis of this very centre. This is the pivotal place for attracting the feelings of all Muslims. This is the centre of love and affection for the Muslim world. You may appreciate that Zionist hired writers are focusing their attention towards this centre and asperse them. They try to gradually lessen the significance of Muslim Ummah and world of Islam and abolish it once for all and it is noteworthy.
Our scientific and cultural experts, politicians, writers and artisans may focus their attention towards this point and may insist and persuade all Muslims to shun their issues of differences and may not blame each another and not declare each other as infidels and never dispel and expel each other out of religious bond. The commemoration and affection of the Prophet (S.A.W) bestows happiness and delight to the heart of whole Muslim Ummah. We all are his lovers and devotees.

The Love and Affection of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) Paves Way for Muslim Unity
The important aspect of the personality of Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) towards which reference can be made is the pivotal and central position of his personality regarding unity of Muslims and it is such a feeling and spirit that affiliates the relation of Muslims towards this blessed personality. The devotion and love of Muslims while smoothening the way of unity and unification of Muslims can bestow strength in their unanimity.
The Muslims of the world can unite and come together in the blessed name of noble Prophet (S.A.W) more easily than any other thing. This is special to his blessed personality. I have said that the holy Prophet (S.A.W) is the centre of feelings of Muslims and a sanctuary for them. Every Muslim is the lover of his Prophet (S.A.W). O’ Allah! You are a witness that our hearts are over brimmed with the love and devotion of Prophet (S.A.W). We need to take advantage of this love and affection. It can open the ways. The Muslims today are in need of brethren and friendship. Today the slogan of

“The believers are brethren to each other, so make peace with your brethrenâ€‌ is to be taken more seriously than before. Today in all countries of the world whatever disgrace and disparity the Muslims are facing that is all because of differences and division.
The Islamic unity is a desire. Some people are longing for unity in real sense and some people just talk about it which is nothing but a lip service. However, in any case this desire needs to be fulfilled through action.
No desire can be fulfilled without efforts and endeavour and when we think about the practical way of fulfilling this desire, the most important and highest choice that comes forth is the excellent personality of the whole world of creation i.e., the divine personality of the Great and the last Prophet (S.A.W), as his gracious self is the centre and pivot of feelings and beliefs of all Muslims. His gracious personality is perhaps the exceptional centre of unanimity among all the realities and sources. Besides him there is no any other centre and if it happens to be that too is very rare, as the feelings do have a greater role. However, apart from some people who are separate from general Muslims, they don’t have any business with love and intercession; the general Muslims possess the most emotional love and affection with the noble Prophet (S.A.W). It is because of this that the blessed personality of the Prophet (S.A.W) can be the pivot and centre of Unity of Muslims.

Except the Noble Prophet (S.A.W) no Comprehensive and Ample Aspect for Unity
The most painful disease is disunity and division. The centre of unity for Muslim world is the divine personality of the noble Prophet (S.A.W), which is the main source of all beliefs, and it can prove the centre of feelings for all human beings. We the Muslims have belief and besides this belief, this divine personality has tied up the emotional and moral relations and feelings of all Muslims, which is the best source of unity.
Today it is the obligation of Muslim scholars, enlightened, writers and poets and also the artisans of Muslim world, as far as their talent and capacity allows them, to highlight the personality of noble Prophet (S.A.W) and his lofty aspects before Muslims and non-Muslims, because this thing can prove helpful and instrumental for the unity of Muslim Ummah and the young generations of Muslim Ummah for their tendency of returning towards Islam.

The Noble Prophet (S.A.W) and his Households are among the Profound Components of Unity
The households of the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) can also prove among the pivotal components of Islamic unity, as all Muslim nations and sections are unanimous upon them. Although to what extent Shia are having faith in the status and rank of noble Prophet (S.A.W) particularly in holy Imams, others barely compete to it, but it is an established fact that all Muslims are having regard and respect for Ahlulbayt (A.S). Also the Islamic society and sects have full faith in the teachings and traditions of these personalities.
As an obedient, my opinion, thinking and the advice that I would like to share with my Muslim brethren and that too by a person who observes and feels the plots of the enemy is that the most important thing that Muslims need today is unity. This is not a fun or merely a slogan. The Muslim societies need to take a serious note about their unity in order to make a joint venture. However, this unity is a complicated thing. To bring the unity into existence is a complicated issue. The unity among Islamic nations, despite their religious differences, life style and also the jurisprudential differences, is possible and easy too. The unity among Islamic nations means to make joint efforts in resolving the issues of Islamic world, help each other and not to use the resources, energy, wealth and power against one another.
The module that can play pivotal role in this direction is the blessed personality of the noble Prophet (S.A.W). The Muslims and Islamic Intellectuals need to make investment for Islam, based on the teachings and love and affection of the personality of Prophet (S.A.W) under multidimensional outlook and vision. For example the element that can prove as crux for the unity and all Muslims can have consensus over it is the obedience of Ahlulbayt (A.S). All the Muslims are accepting the households of the Prophet (S.A.W). However, Shia believe in their Imamate and non-Shia people don’t agree with it in terms of Shia terminology. However, they too accept them as great personalities of Islam and consider them as households they are related to the households of the Prophet. Those who are conversant with the sources, teachings and laws of Islam have already faith in them. The Muslims should have consensus in the teachings of Imams and households of the Prophet (S.A.W) in the field of action. This too is one aspect and component of unity.

The World of Islam can be united by the Understanding of Ahlulbayt (A.S)
The world of Islam can agree and unite about Ahlulbayt (A.S) on two aspects. One aspect is love that contains devotion and faith, for which Muslims have been asked to have love for Ahlulbayt (A.S) and all the people accept it. This can prove as a source of unity and agreement of the emotions and feelings of all Muslims. The second aspect pertains to the laws and teachings of religious sources and divine laws, which is as per Quranic injections and according to a tradition that has been narrated by Shia, Sunni and other Islamic sects.
It is very important thing that in the world of Islam the opinion of the world of Islam and Muslims can of course be summarized by hoisting the standard of Ahlulbayt (A.S). Presently this great opportunity is available to the Muslims, particularly for the people who are following the religion of Ahlulbayt (A.S) in their actions and are affiliated to it through their faith and action.
There have been most of the people who didn’t have faith like Shias on Hazrat Imam Ja'far Sadiq (A.S), but they used to get benefited from whatever knowledge and understanding and Islamic teachings he possessed. In our traditions there are some narrations that have been narrated by some Ahlul Sunnah narrators. They are not Shia, still they have narrated it from Hazrat Imam Sadiq (A.S).
It means that the world of Islam is in need of sources of Ahlulbayt (A.S) and also the teachings of Imam Sadiq (A.S) and other holy Imams (A.S). The different segments of the people and the whole Islamic Ummah should take advantage of this source. They should promote it among themselves so that they can enhance the level of their Islamic knowledge. For this purpose it is necessary that the enmity, jealousy and envy should not create distance among different sects of Muslims. What Islamic unity we talk about is this very unity.

The Personality of the Doyen of Believers, Hazrat Ali (A.S) is the Fountainhead of Unity
Ali ibn Abi Talib (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.

“When 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 awayâ€‌
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 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 couldn’t 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.

“So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throatâ€‌.
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 (A.S) – 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

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 â€کNawasib’ 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 doesn’t 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 don’t 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.

No Policy of Self-Existence by Nullifying Others
Ours is the strongest logic in the contemporary Islamic world. There should not be any doubt in it. In different stages of the history, it has been the grace of Shia logic of Imamate and Wilayah and even today it is strongest and dynamic logic. Despite the fact that we are satisfied and confident over our logic and reason and the standard of Islam is lying in the hands of Iranian nation, we call upon the world of Islam, whether they belong to any sect, for unity and brethren. We don’t want to create any difference. We don’t like to prove our existence by nullifying others and it is very important aspect. It is exactly the aspect that the enemy wants to make the position of Islamic world weaker than its present condition by way of influence and penetration. These people have always taken advantage of the weakness of world of Islam and Islamic governments since long and by this way they have done whatever they wanted.
Now, when the Islamic nations have awakened and when in one part of the Islamic Ummah i.e., Islamic Iran the marvelous awakening has taken place in which the power and authority of the people is being observed and other Islamic nations are becoming aware day by day, the imperialism today i.e., the perpetual enemy wants to spread the germs of differences in very deceptive and wicked manner on the structure of this part of the Islamic region. We have to resist against it. This is one of the lessons of Ghadir. One of the lessons of Ali (A.S) is that some people at that time came to him and said, O’ Ali (A.S)! It is your right, we stand by you and shall do this and that for you and you need not to come under pressure. The Lord of Believers (A.S) made them to go away. If he wished to defend his right and would had like to bring revolution, he didn’t need anyone for this purpose; but he saw that Islamic society didn’t possess any strength to bear any difference and conflict, he therefore, avoided it which is a lesson for all of us.
Today it is not the time for promoting and exposition of any difference. The sacred things or feelings of any Islamic sect need not to be harmed or insulted. To highlight the weak and subtle aspects of one another means to incite his feelings, which may result into creating of differences in the world of Islam, which should not happen and this is what we say.

Conviction to one’s Belief doesn’t mean Enmity and Confrontation to what others believe
Albeit the dependence of this issue is not concerned with the event of Ghadir only, instead it is related with every kind of belief and dialectical deliberations. It is in terms that the belief based on following of principles and laws of the religion should not go along with the aggression on the beliefs of other Islamic sects. Also the doctorial issues of differences need not be highlighted in general congregations of the people that may cause difference and division.
Two important and collective elements are found against unity that needs to be rectified. One element is our internal factor: Our religious persecutions, our devotions towards our beliefs, everyone has its own belief and faith, we need to control it. It is good and desirable to have faith and devotion for one’s own fundamentals and beliefs and it is also good to be adhered to it. However, while substantiating its authenticity one need not to cross the limits resulting in refusal, enmity and violation to others. All those brethren who come under the sphere of Ummah, they need to show respect and regard for each other. If they want to preserve their belief, they can do so, but they should keep in mind the respect and regard, the rights, thoughts and beliefs of others too. The deliberations and discussions should be confined to the learned circles only. If the clergy and experts want to have religious discussions, they can, but it should be an academic discussion and in academic atmosphere. They need not to criticize each other openly and not to publicize it and make it to reach to those who do not possesses the capability of academic evaluation and analysis, because it could create critical situation. The ulama and other responsible authorities need to control it and it is also obligation of all groups of Muslims. It is the responsibility of Shia as well as Sunnis. They need to take steps towards unity. This is an internal factor and element. There is another factor which is external and a tool for the enemies of Islam for spreading division and difference, which is not to be neglected. This element of division and disintegration has not come into existence only today but from the day when the self-imposed political powers of the world felt that they can prove affective for the nations and today it is more activated than before.