While celebrating the Islamic Unity Week that spans the two dates of Rabi al-Awwal, that is, 12 to 17, believed by the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims respectively to be the auspicious birthday of the Messenger of Mercy, Peace, Fraternity and Human Dignity, let us cast a glance at the Godless Takfiri/Salafi terrorists that are masquerading as Muslims in order to distort the image of Islam.
The Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), was indeed a foresighted and farsighted sage. As a loyal servant of the Prophet and the blessed Ahl al-Bayt, his vision saw beyond his times, deep into the future. For this reason he took the commendable step of declaring Islamic Unity Week to bridge the gap between the two dates of the month of Rabi al-Awwal, regarded as the birth anniversary of the Seal of Divine Messengers. Thus, ever since 1979, the Islamic Unity Week has become a permanent fixture for Muslims, not only in Iran, but throughout the region, and also beyond in the West and other cultures, where Muslims live, and aspire to knit the ranks of the Ummah. The Islamic Republic of Iran has provided equal opportunities to all Muslims – irrespective of the jurisprudential schools they follow – in order to mould them into a great economic and political power on the world scene. In view of this fact, Iran does not differentiate between its backing for the people of Lebanon, the majority of whom are Shi’ites, and the people of Palestine, Sudan and other places, who are overwhelmingly Sunni.
Without the least doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the harbinger of Islamic unity, and is the only country firmly opposing the hegemonic policies of the West, especially the US. Thus, in view of these facts, Global Arrogance has aligned itself with Zionism and reactionary Arab regimes, to create terrorist outfits styling themselves as Muslims, in order to shed Muslim blood in the most brutal way, as part of the plot to distort the image of Islam. These ungodly terrorists, at times pretend to be Sunni in order to mislead Sunni Muslims, but this does not inhibit them from slaughtering Sunni Muslims in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and North Africa. In violation of the letter and spirit of the holy Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet, these dastardly groups term Shi’ite Muslims as well as Sufis, as heretics, and openly call for the shedding of their blood, while at the same time they refuse to lift their arms against the Zionists who are occupying Islam’s former qibla Bayt al-Moqaddas and are suppressing Palestinian Sunni Muslims. This is indeed hypocrisy, and part of an intricate plot to divide Muslims so that the West and Israel could easily prevail over them. Among these devilish Takfiri terrorist outfits, is the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which indulges in cannibalism and indiscriminate murder of all.
Historically, Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims have lived in peace, with respect for each other’s beliefs. Islam even advocates peaceful co-existence with non Muslims, as was the habit of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), who used to invite the Jews and Christian as “People of the Book” to come to a mutual understanding. The Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt set practical precedents of unity. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) during his four-and-a-half year model rule of social justice, granted security to all Muslims as well as non-Muslims living in the Islamic lands. Imam Khomeini (RA) thus followed the footsteps of the Prophet and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt in designating the Islamic Unity Week in Rabi al-Awwal. His successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, follows the same policies and has spared no efforts to promote proximity among the various schools of Islamic jurisprudence, since the commonalities of Islamic schools are overwhelmingly more than some trivial differences of opinion. Moreover, it is the expression of the Shahadatain or the two-fold testimony of Allah’s indivisible monotheism, coupled with faith in Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) as the Messenger of God, which makes a person Muslim. In other words, it is haraam or forbidden for a Muslim to shed blood.
The birth anniversary of the Messenger of Mercy thus affords us the opportunity to bridge the gaps that have emerged in the body politic of the ummah over the past 14 centuries. All it needs is courage to scientifically evaluate our beliefs, to find out whether these are in accordance to what the Prophet had said, or are we stumbling in the dark by following the path of those that had deviated from the Prophet’s explicit instructions – because of worldly pursuit or thirst for political power. Certainly the terrorists who are killing Muslims and destabilizing Muslim states in the name of Islam – much to the delight of the US and the Zionists – cannot be called real Muslims, even if these hypocrites grow long unkempt beards, carry copies of the holy Qur’an in their pockets, bow towards the holy Ka’ba in prostration at the call of the Azan, and claim to be Salafis – or those following the predecessors, that is, the early Muslims. It is clear these Salafis are not following the Salaf of the old. These Takfiris and Salafis are neither following the Prophet nor his Ahl al-Bayt, who never indulged in violence and massacres. Therefore, the Salafis, Wahhabis, al-Qa’eda, Taleban, ISIL, and terrorists of all hue and colour, who vigorously oppose the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday and desecrate the shrines of the chosen ones of God, should at least have the courage to confess they are not Muslims. But these cowards will not do that since they are the creation of Zionists and the Imperialists. The enemies of Muslims aim to weaken Muslims and destroy their countries through the Takfiri terrorist outfits in order to strengthen the usurper state of Israel. Analyzing the nature of the Takfiri groups, Ayatollah Khamenei said that these terrorists are handy tools for the enemies of Islam, since they indulge in fratricide and never oppose the Zionists. Moreover, these terrorist groups are being supplied arms and ammunitions, as well as money, to kill and slaughter Muslims. The Islamic Unity Week is thus the right moment for Muslims all over the world to reflect on the teachings of God’s Revealed Word, the holy Qur’an, in order to correct their ways. Our aim is to build the sound and healthy society of respect for all, as called by the holy Qur’an and as practically demonstrated by the Prophet and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. This requires Muslims to firmly oppose the Takfiris, the enemies of Islamic Unity, and to root them out from the Muslim countries, for the sake of Islamic unity.
Source: http://english.irib.ir/
