According to Sunni traditions, the messenger of love and mercy, the Seal of the Prophets, His Eminence Muhammad (c), was born on this day. According to Shia hadiths, the generous Messenger of Allah was born on the 17th of Rabi-ul-Awwal according to the lunar calendar.
On the initiative of Ayatollah Khomeini, the interval between these dates – 12 and 17 Rabi-ul-Awwal, was declared the “Week of Unity”. This week serves as an auspicious opportunity for Muslims to learn about the need for unity and unanimity in the Islamic world, especially in these troubled times of misunderstanding and turmoil.
Although Muslims of different madhhabs differ in their opinions on some issues, they have a large number of commonalities: belief in the One God, belief in the Koran, a single prophet and the Qibla.
On the day when the sun of prophecy rose over the Kaaba, no one thought that this messenger of God, who was sent to awaken mankind from ignorance, had such immense knowledge. The pious and blameless Muhammad, proclaiming the majestic slogan of monotheism, led the Islamic ummah and breathed morality into the hearts of people thirsty for knowledge of the truth. Thanks to his wisdom, His Eminence took a course to eliminate discord and unify Muslims. The Muhajirs and the Ansar cleansed their hearts of evil and ignorance and became brothers. In order to preserve the bonds of brotherhood, His Eminence Muhammad informed all people about the following command of God: “Hold fast to His connecting rope, and do not divide among yourselves” (sura “The Family of Imran”, verse 103) And now we will tell about two traditions from the Shia and Sunni sources about the birthday of His Holiness Muhammad. Most Sunnis believe that the Prophet of Islam was born on the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, while the Shiites believe that this great event took place on the 17th of Rabi al-Awwal.
As Ayatollah Khamenei says: “The personality of the great Prophet of Islam has always served as the most important factor in the unification of Muslims. The same should happen today. Because Muslims all over the world feel special feelings for the sacred personality of the Prophet. His Holiness Muhammad is the core of all the pure feelings and motivations of the followers of the holy Islamic religion. This love for the Prophet Muhammad unites the hearts of all Muslims and brings together different Islamic currents.”
The principle of brotherhood and unity was one of the constructive strategies of the Prophet Muhammad to improve the ideological image of Muslim thinking. The hadith says: “When the Prophet, together with 740 of his companions, was in the area of Nakhliya, the Most High sent Jibraeel to him and ordered: “The Lord made a covenant of brotherhood between the angels.” Thus, His Eminence Muhammad made a covenant of brotherhood between his followers. The Prophet of God made the union of unity of Abu-Bakr with Omar, Osman with Abdor-Rahman, Mekdad with Ammar, Aisha with Hafisa, Om-Salmini with Safiya. Muhammad himself concluded the alliance of brotherhood with Ali.” (Al Bahar-Anwar, 38)
This alliance was so strong that the Messenger of God ordered to bury in the same grave two martyrs of the Ahad war – Abdullah ben Omar and Amra ben Jamuh, between whom an alliance of brotherhood was concluded. (Nakhjol-Balagha, commentary by Ibn Abi al-Hadid)
It should be understood that His Eminence Muhammad was entrusted with a mission of world scale. He was sent to destroy ignorance and injustice. And today, in the modern world, the deceptive appearance of materialism puts pressure on a person. In Unity Week, the best gifts for the human race are monotheism, morality and justice. Today, our world needs light, the source of which is God’s precepts. The Prophet of Islam is the personification of friendship, freedom and security. His followers should cleanse their hearts of vice and absorb the wisdom of life. If Muslims in their personal and social life will follow Islamic precepts, then they will bring the message of the great Prophet to the world by their actions, and they will achieve greatness themselves. Today, Muslims are overcome with Islamic joy; millions of Muslims became active in Islamic countries. If we unite this powerful force, it will change not only Muslims and the Islamic world, but also all of humanity.
The last Messenger of God, His Eminence Muhammad, by eliminating ethnic and national privileges and creating a spiritual connection between people, presented the world with a perfect example of religion. This perfect and comprehensive religion is called “Islam”; and the followers of the last messenger of God – “Muslims”. The pillars of the Islamic religion are monotheism, the favor of God’s Messenger and belief in the afterlife. His Holiness Muhammad believes that all Muslims must strictly follow the code of rules laid down by Islam.
According to the Messenger of God, a Muslim is one who does not offend others with his words and actions and does not commit violence. Oppression and violence against other people is an unpardonable sin. Encroachment on the rights of other people deprives them of peace of mind, and it is
an important factor of discord and division in society. His Eminence Muhammad calls on people to revive the spirit of brotherhood and purify themselves from evil. He commands: “A Muslim is a Muslim’s brother. He does not do violence and does not curse.”
Undoubtedly, an equally important factor in creating brotherly bonds is the preservation of these priceless bonds. In Islamic hadiths, those who abandon their brothers in religion are categorically condemned.
Betrayal, lying and not helping each other create obstacles to the perfection of the Islamic Ummah. His Holiness Muhammad says: “A Muslim is a Muslim’s brother. He does not betray him or lie to him and avoid helping him.”
It is obvious that betrayal and lies destroy trust, as a result of which Muslims do not trust and do not help each other. As a result of the weakening of trust in Islamic society, the enemies of Islam can easily enslave Muslims and plunder their rich natural resources.
In the culture of God’s Messenger, a Muslim should serve as a mirror for his brother in faith. On the one hand, he shows all the valuable and high qualities of his brother, and on the other, he reminds him of the need to avoid vice and evil. Muslims must help each other in creating the foundations for sound economic activity. The Messenger of God said in this regard: “A Muslim is a Muslim’s brother. Water and trees for all, and for a beautiful life. Muslims should help each other for economic prosperity.”
We have repeatedly heard the priceless words of the Prophet: “You are a non-Muslim if you do not engage in the affairs of other Muslims from the very morning.” Specialists in religious matters explain that the term “dealing with the affairs of Muslims “means the desire to eliminate the problems and needs of Muslims in various economic, political and cultural areas. One should never ignore the problems of one’s fellow believers.
In the holy Koran it is said that the Almighty has predestined greatness and a bright destiny for the Prophet and his followers. In the 165th verse of Surah “The Cow” it is emphasized that all power belongs to the Creator of the worlds. It is wonderful to see how, under the cover of the radiant teachings of Muhammad, Muslims are making efforts to save their souls and elevate the Islamic Ummah.