Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 40th International Islamic Unity Conference in Mashhad, al-Asi emphasized that Muslims must remain committed to their religious convictions while practicing mutual respect, fostering harmony, and holding fast to the divine rope to move beyond division and realize unity in practice.
Unity: The Shared Goal of All Muslims
"Islamic unity is the goal and aspiration of all Muslims who have dedicated their lives to God," al-Asi told the gathering of Shia and Sunni scholars from Iran's Khorasan Razavi province and across the Islamic world, held at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) complex.
The Quran, he noted, describes the Muslim community as a single Ummah and calls believers to worship God. "The critical question is how to achieve this unity, because one of the fundamental obstacles in forming a unified Ummah is bigotry and prejudice within the human being—a tendency not exclusive to Muslims but present throughout human history since creation."
Prejudice: As Old as Humanity Itself
Al-Asi traced the roots of this destructive tendency to the story of creation, citing Iblis's refusal to prostrate before Adam (AS). "Iblis justified his disobedience with the argument: 'I am better than him; You created me from fire and created him from clay.' His problem was precisely this superiority complex—he placed his own ego above God's command."
The Quranic commentator pointed to another example from the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), whose brothers' jealousy and sense of family-based superiority led them to mistreat him and his brother.
Even within the early Muslim community, al-Asi recalled, a dispute between a Muhajir (migrant from Mecca) and an Ansari (Medinan helper) escalated as each called upon their respective group for support, with slogans shouted in favor of both sides. "Both the Muhajirun and Ansar held exalted status, but this incident demonstrated how group prejudice and excessive tribal attachment can create division even among believers."
The Quran: The Shared Foundation
Al-Asi urged Muslims to return to the Quran as their common ground, asking whether sectarian prejudice should be permitted to create distance between believers who are commanded to obey God's order—a command that grants no individual or group superiority based on religious, ethnic, or factional affiliation.
Citing the Quranic verse:
"وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا"
"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." (Surah Al-Imran, 3:103)
He stressed that this address is directed at all Muslims without distinction between Shia and Sunni in the fundamental call to unity. "All Muslims must hold fast to the divine rope and shun division."
The Quran, he added, speaks not only of unity but of the imperative to bring hearts together. "The reconciliation of hearts is one of the most important responsibilities of Muslims—a duty whose fulfillment requires transcending prejudice and the sense of superiority."
Unity Does Not Mean Abandoning Belief
Al-Asi was explicit that Islamic unity does not require retreating from religious convictions. "Every Muslim can live and worship according to his own school of thought. But at the same time, he must respect followers of other Islamic schools and regard them as part of the Islamic Ummah."
He offered a practical example: "If a Sunni Muslim attends a Shia Mosque and participates in congregational prayer, or a Shia attends Sunni congregational prayer, the essential principle is that both sides respect one another and create space for Islamic coexistence and cooperation."
Acceptance and mutual respect do not mean abandoning one's beliefs. They mean acknowledging that despite doctrinal differences, Muslims share fundamental principles of faith and common belonging to the Islamic Ummah.
"If Muslims can draw their hearts closer to one another and set aside resentment and enmity, they will have accomplished one of the most powerful acts for strengthening the Islamic Ummah," al-Asi said.
Palestine: The Test of Muslim Unity
In his concluding remarks, al-Asi identified Palestine as one of the most critical shared causes of the Islamic world—and a practical measure of whether unity is genuine or merely rhetorical.
"Muslims wherever they are must feel responsibility toward Palestine and bring Islamic unity from theoretical concept into the arena of action," he said.
He proposed convening a global conference on Palestine in Khaybar, saying: "If Muslims speak of Islamic unity and hold joint meetings in various countries, they must demonstrate this unity on the question of Palestine. A global Palestine summit in Khaybar could serve as a platform for Muslim gathering and dialogue on one of the most pressing issues facing the Islamic world—and reveal who truly seeks Islamic unity and cooperation."
Al-Asi concluded by honoring the memory of the martyred leader and his services to Muslim unity, praying for divine mercy upon him and stressing the necessity of continuing the path of convergence and strengthening bonds among Muslims.
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