The Event of Ghadir is a Great Message for the Convergence of the Islamic Ummah

According to the Taghrib News Agency (TNA), Noor al-Ain Misbahi, a Sunni Mufti from Pakistan, at the international webinar "Ghadir, Wilayah, and Unity" organized by the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, referring to the emphasis of the Holy Quran on the issue of unity, stated: "From the Quran's perspective, unity is not merely a social virtue, but the fundamental condition for the survival, happiness, and victory of the Islamic Ummah."

Citing verses of the Holy Quran, he added: "God Almighty, in the verse 'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided' (Quran 3:103), has called upon Muslims to collectively hold fast to the rope of God and avoid division. Also, in the verse 'Come to a common word between us and you' (Quran 3:64), He emphasizes gathering around commonalities, and in the verse 'And obey God and His Messenger and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart' (Quran 8:46), He warns that dispute and disagreement are the cause of weakness and loss of power for the Ummah."

Misbahi, stating that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) also always strived to preserve the cohesion of the Islamic Ummah during his blessed life, said: "One of the clearest manifestations of this effort is the Hadith al-Thaqalayn (the tradition of the two weighty things) and the announcement of the Wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) at Ghadir Khumm. The declaration of Ghadir is, in truth, a great message of unity, oneness, and authority for the Islamic Ummah."

He stated: "The event of Ghadir was not merely a historical incident or the introduction of a personality; rather, it was the establishment of an intellectual, spiritual, and political center for guiding the Islamic Ummah—an axis that can bring together all the schools of thought in the Islamic world based on love, affection, and the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH)."

This Sunni Mufti from Pakistan, posing the question "What is Ghadir?" stated: "Ghadir is the axis and center of the unity of the Islamic Ummah. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) announced the Wilayah of Ali (AS) at the historic gathering of Ghadir Khumm, and this action was not merely the selection of an individual, but rather the creation of a strong fortress to protect the Ummah from division and dispersion."

Explaining the philosophy of this event, he added: "The goal was for the Islamic Ummah to gather around a single axis and an agreed-upon personality. Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), due to his scholarly, spiritual, and justice-centered status, is respected by all Muslims and can bind the Ummah together like beads on a single string."

Misbahi noted: "The declaration of Ghadir, in truth, established the foundation of affection, brotherhood, and tolerance among Muslims. Whenever the Islamic Ummah moves around a single center and a single intellectual and spiritual path, the plots of the false powers and enemies of Islam will fail."

Emphasizing the practical messages of Ghadir for today's Islamic world, he said: "Ghadir teaches us that Muslims should set aside their superficial differences and move together for the pride of Islam, the elevation of the word of God, and the security and happiness of the Islamic Ummah."

This Pakistani Sunni scholar added: "This great day also teaches us that, by following the conduct of Imam Ali (AS), we should institutionalize values such as justice, piety, sacrifice, and responsibility in our individual and social lives."

In conclusion, he emphasized: "The most important need of the Islamic world today is for Muslims to set aside their minor and major differences and gather around that same axis of unity that the Messenger of God (PBUH) delineated in the Hadith al-Thaqalayn, and to make the love and affection for Imam Ali (AS) the common point of their unity. We ask God Almighty to grant all Muslims the correct understanding of the religion and the success to act upon this unifying prescription that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) left as a legacy for the Islamic Ummah."