The Week of Islamic Unity
The Week of Islamic Unity spans from the Prophet's birthday on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal (the strongest scholarly view among Sunni Muslims) to the 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal (the strongest scholarly view among Shia Muslims).
When I speak of Islamic unity as a living necessity for the movement of Islam in our era—both now and in the future—I do not mean merging all Islamic sects into a single doctrine. That is not a realistic proposition, given the nature of jurisprudential reasoning (ijtihad), whether within a single sect or across multiple ones.
Differences exist in intellectual frameworks within the Islamic sphere—whether in theology, jurisprudence, or conceptual understandings derived from this or that text, whether negative or positive in implication. These cannot be erased by mere slogans alone. However, when we move in this direction, we recognize that there are core issues of faith, broad principles of Sharia, and general Islamic, ethical, and social concepts upon which all Muslims agree. There are also points of disagreement—not only between different sects but even within the same sect. We know, for instance, that there are internal disagreements within the Shia school, just as there are within each Sunni school, regarding theological reasoning, jurisprudential interpretations, and other matters.
Therefore, we call upon Muslims to build their unity on the foundational principles of faith, the general outlines of Sharia, and the ethical and social framework, and to follow the Quranic approach in matters of dispute: referring back to Allah and the Messenger, and adopting the objective, dialogical methods that the Quran itself championed—distinct from any other intellectual tradition. This makes objectivity in dialogue and debate a deeply rooted principle in the Islamic methodology for resolving differences.
Our vision of Islamic unity is one where sects come together on what they agree upon, and engage in objective dialogue regarding what they differ on. When we consider unity at the political level, we see critical, fateful issues that unite all Muslims—issues where we sense that global arrogance (imperialism/oppressive powers) does not target this or that sect specifically, even if one issue arises within one community and another within another. Rather, it targets Islam as a whole, out of hostility and deep-seated animosity toward it. We call on Muslims to move within a shared political framework that defines these fateful issues, so they may face global arrogance from a united position, and confront disbelief (kufr) with a unified stance.
We do not view sectarian diversity as a negative phenomenon in Islamic cultural life; rather, we see it as a positive one, as it enriches our understanding of the texts and the formulation of jurisprudential principles. Whether that diversity manifests in negative or positive areas, it does not prevent us from coming together on the issues of unity that concern Islam's standing in the face of disbelief, and the Muslim community's position in the face of global arrogance.
H.E. the Religious Authority Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah
The Week of Islamic Unity
The Week of Islamic Unity spans from the Prophet's birthday on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal (the strongest scholarly view among Sunni Muslims) to the 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal (the strongest scholarly view among Shia Muslims).
When I speak of Islamic unity as a living necessity for the movement of Islam in our era—both now and in the future—I do not mean merging all Islamic sects into a single doctrine. That is not a realistic proposition, given the nature of jurisprudential reasoning (ijtihad), whether within a single sect or across multiple ones.
Differences exist in intellectual frameworks within the Islamic sphere—whether in theology, jurisprudence, or conceptual understandings derived from this or that text, whether negative or positive in implication. These cannot be erased by mere slogans alone. However, when we move in this direction, we recognize that there are core issues of faith, broad principles of Sharia, and general Islamic, ethical, and social concepts upon which all Muslims agree. There are also points of disagreement—not only between different sects but even within the same sect. We know, for instance, that there are internal disagreements within the Shia school, just as there are within each Sunni school, regarding theological reasoning, jurisprudential interpretations, and other matters.
Therefore, we call upon Muslims to build their unity on the foundational principles of faith, the general outlines of Sharia, and the ethical and social framework, and to follow the Quranic approach in matters of dispute: referring back to Allah and the Messenger, and adopting the objective, dialogical methods that the Quran itself championed—distinct from any other intellectual tradition. This makes objectivity in dialogue and debate a deeply rooted principle in the Islamic methodology for resolving differences.
Our vision of Islamic unity is one where sects come together on what they agree upon, and engage in objective dialogue regarding what they differ on. When we consider unity at the political level, we see critical, fateful issues that unite all Muslims—issues where we sense that global arrogance (imperialism/oppressive powers) does not target this or that sect specifically, even if one issue arises within one community and another within another. Rather, it targets Islam as a whole, out of hostility and deep-seated animosity toward it. We call on Muslims to move within a shared political framework that defines these fateful issues, so they may face global arrogance from a united position, and confront disbelief (kufr) with a unified stance.
We do not view sectarian diversity as a negative phenomenon in Islamic cultural life; rather, we see it as a positive one, as it enriches our understanding of the texts and the formulation of jurisprudential principles. Whether that diversity manifests in negative or positive areas, it does not prevent us from coming together on the issues of unity that concern Islam's standing in the face of disbelief, and the Muslim community's position in the face of global arrogance.
H.E. the Religious Authority Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah