The one self-explanatory word, the word when put into practice can give an extremely strong outcome. Unity has the power to bring huge powers to their knees. As the famous story goes, a single stick can be severed by anyone but a bunch cannot be broken
Unity among Muslims
Today as Muslims somewhere we lack unity. Be it unity among countries or people. Mere
condemnation by countries for atrocities against Muslims in another part of the world is not
sufficient, there is more that needs to be done. And among individuals, just a social media
post isn’t enough, though it’s a platform to voice one’s opinion but still not exhaustive. Allah
says in the Quran,
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٠٣ And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favor upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you—by His grace—became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be ˹rightly˺ guided. 3:103 (Translation by: Dr Mustafa Khattab)
It’s mentioned that we as Muslims should remain united. If we want to succeed, unity is
crucial.
When We Look Back
In 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Saudi Arabia
proclaimed an oil embargo which targeted the countries that supported Israel in the Yom
Kippur war, which led to the oil crisis. This can be considered as an example of actions that
need to be taken to strengthen the unity of Muslims.
Foreign forces standing against Muslims will have to think a hundred times to take a step against Muslims who are united
During the Ottoman Era, Muslims around the world were living in security as anything that
would happen to Muslims anywhere the Sultan would send an army to defend Muslims.
Paying attention to the Ottoman history it seems the British dissolved the empire to disrupt
the Muslim unity.
This shows us how apprehensive enemies are about the Muslim Brotherhood, so imagine
how powerful will Muslims become if united.
If we read the history of Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi R.A we will get to know how he united
Muslims who were busy in their businesses during those times and the result was something
that the whole world knows, Jerusalem was liberated from the Crusaders. That’s the power
of Muslim unity.
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam has said:
“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6011, Sahih Muslim 2586
of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”
When any limb aches, the whole body reacts. That’s the essence of unity and brotherhood.
One cannot be united unless they have compassion for each other.
First and foremost is to be aware of what’s happening in the community. Being aware is the
very first step towards being united. Oblivious ones will end up nowhere.
Social media is a very powerful tool, for example, during the Palestinian issue hashtags were
used to spread awareness about the situation in the country as mainstream media weren’t
bringing out the truth, being part in volunteering to spread such hashtags can also be a part
of being united. The least one can do is dua and trust me never underestimate the power of
the dua. As individuals, it’s not easy to go out there but wonders can happen when we raise
our hands for our brothers and sisters struggling.
May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala keep us steadfast in our religion and keep us united
always.
