Together hand in hand

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The word of unification and the unity of word

Islam was keen on unifying the word, as it was keen on the word of unification. In addition, if the word of unification is the key of Islam, unifying the word is the secret of remaining in it as well as reserving it. 

Islam has created a unified nation believing in the unification of Allah. It has established the society of the "one body"; "so that, if any part of the body is not well, then the whole body shares the sleeplessness and fever with it." [Reported by Muslim 2586] 

The worthless Arabs, the Shepherds turned into the leaders of the nations. They conquered east and west. Allah has opened for them the hearts of peoples as He has opened for them the lands. They filled the world with mercy and justice, good and blessings, safety and security. The state of the unified Muslims expanded that the Muslim Caliph, Hârûn ar-Rashîd used to stand in the porch of his palace talking to a cloud saying, "Go east or go west, wherever you rain I will get your revenue."

The acts of worship and the unity of Muslims
The laws and morals of Islam are based on the concept that the individual is inseparable from the nation. Taking a scrutinized look into the acts of worship makes that concept completely clear.

- The Divine Guidance is forwarded to the community not to the individual
{O you who have believed! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful. [77]. And strive hard in Allâh’s Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior).} [Surat Al-Hajj: 77-78]

- The discourse of the Muslim when invoking his Lord in prayer
He talks to his Lord as a part in a community not a separated individual, {You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).} [Surat Al-Fâtihah: 5] The Muslim does not say, "You (Alone) I worship, and You (Alone) I ask for help." Then he asks his Lord from His good and guidance. He does not single out himself with the invocation; in fact, he asks for the mercy of Allah for himself and for others by saying, {Guide us to the Straight Way.} [Surat Al-Fâtihah: 6] 

- It is also that the reward of praying in congregation is greatly multiplied. "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business center." [Reported by Abu Dawud 559 and authenticated by al-Albani]. In another narration, "is twenty seven times more superior."[Agreed upon] 
- For the Muslim to mingle in the society he lives in, Allah has decreed the following:
Congregation: for the daily five prayers and incited attending them in the mosque of the neighborhood.
The Friday prayer is enjoined in the al-masjid al-jami (the major mosque) so that the people of the neighborhood and city meet every week.
Eid prayer was enjoined so that a bigger meeting is held outside the town in the empty parks. Men, women, even menstruating women are ordered to attend.
Then a bigger meeting is held to gather people from east and west.
So, Pilgrimage is enjoined to be established in one time at one place, so that it is inevitable for different nationalities of the Muslims to meet. The same goes with other acts of worship and obligations. 
- The unity of word and solidarity are brought up by Islam and it ordered for it. Islam incited for it. It made it one of the basic rules that the nation is built upon.
The nation that Islam wants is one nation, a nation that does not know division, dispersion, or fragmentation. It does not know enmity or hatred among each other.
Together, hand in hand, the logic of Islam makes this nation as one
Islam has unified its doctrine, laws, qiblah (direction in prayers), feelings, and traditions. It is one nation that believes in the Oneness of Allah. Allah the Greatest has said in truth, {Truly! This, your Ummah [Shari‘ah or religion (Islâmic Monotheism)] is one religion, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone).} [Surat Al-Anbiyâ': 92]
He has said, {And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur’ân), and be not divided among yourselves} [Surat 'Al-Imrân: 103] This verse means that you should hold fast to the religion of Allah and to His straight laws. Do not divide amongst yourselves. Do not differ as has done by the Jews and Christians before you. 
Allah the Almighty has said, {And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment.} [Surat 'Al-Imrân: 103] 

- Division is evil and dispute is defeat and feebleness
Allah the Glorified and Exalted has said, {and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient.} [Surat al-Anfâl: 46].
- Together hand in hand, the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has ordered for unity and solidarity.
It is reported in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has said, "Verily Allah likes three things for you and He disapproves three things for you. He is pleased with you that you worship Him and associate not anything with Him, and that you hold fast the rope of Allah, and be not scattered…" [Reported by Muslim 1715]

- Together hand in hand, unity is strength, pride and victory
This is one of the laws of the universe. If a feeble strand is joined with another one just like it, it will become a solid rope that can drag weights.
- Together hand in hand, the logic of the mind calls for unity and not for division
in the past, an ancient sage explained this meaning to his children upon his death, to teach them a lesson in unity. He gave them a bundle of tied sticks. They were unable to break it. However, when the tie was unfolded and the sticks dispersed, they broke the sticks one by one.

Be, sons, as one if something happens
Do not separate. 
Spears do not break together
But when separated break forever.


- Together, hand in hand. Separation is weakness, feebleness, and defeat.
Dissension weakens the strong nations and causes the death of the weak ones. 
Therefore, Allah has made the first lesson for the Muslims after the victory of Badr to unify their arrays and to devise their plot. However, when the Muslim fighters desired the spoils of war and competed to share them, the words of Allah almighty has revealed {They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: "The spoils are for Allâh and the Messenger." So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of difference among you, and obey Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad), if you are believers.} [Surat al-Anfâl: 1].

Then, Allah Almighty taught them that unity in action for the sake of Allah is the way of established victory and the fearful power. Allah, the Exalted says {And obey Allâh and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient.} [Surat al-Anfâl: 46].
Then, in the battle of Uhud, the Muslims faced a great disaster where seventy heroes were killed, the face of the Prophet, (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) was split, and four teeth of his were broken. Why did they face these disasters while they were the sincere Believers? 

This is because they disputed and disobeyed the orders of Allah and His Messenger, as Allah Almighty says, {And Allâh did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then He made you flee from them (your enemy), that He might test you. But surely, He forgave you, and Allâh is Most Gracious to the believers.} [Surat 'Al-Imrân: 152]


The ways of Unity:
1- Our loyalty must be to Allah Alone.
One of the most dangerous diseases that disintegrates nations and weakens them is dissention and fanaticism. They arise among working groups, in particular, and between the Muslim countries, in general, from time to another. The bond that links between Muslims is Islam; it is the relation that has merged all the fanaticism of sex, color, lineage, and country. Therefore, any assembly under any other umbrella than that of Islam became pagan, abominable, and odious to Allah and His Messenger, (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said, "The one who fights under the banner of people while he is blind (to the cause for which they are fighting. I.e. he does not know whether their cause is just or otherwise), the one who gets flared up with family pride, the one who calls (people) to fight for their family honor and supports his kith and kin (i. e. fights not for the cause of Allah but for the sake of his family or tribe), if he is killed (in this fight), he dies as one belonging to the days of Jâhiliyya (pre-Islamic era)."
- Loyalty to religion: 
Allah says {The believers, men and women, are Auliyâ’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden);} [Surat At-Tawbah: 71].
If separation and dispersion are the reasons of humiliation and disgrace, then the unity that is based on Islam is the way to pride, sovereignty, and dignity.

2- Accomplishment of brotherhood in faith 
Allah says, {The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islâmic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers,} [Surat Al-Hujurât:10].
The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said, "the Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim." [Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim] in addition, the brotherhood of faith is stronger and greater than the kinship brotherhood.

Brotherhood for the cause of Allah: Allah Almighty has created a brotherhood amongst Muslims stronger than the brotherhood of kinship, it is a bond greater than blood bonds. He has legitimized loyalty for it and aroused the interest in all that strengthen this relationship, as it establishes Islam and the cooperation amongst Muslims.

Moreover, Allah has prohibited anything that disturbs this relationship, for its disturbance corrupts the religion and disperses Muslims. Allah Almighty says {O you who believe! Fear Allâh (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islâm [as Muslims (with complete submission to Allâh)]. [102]. And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur’ân),} [Surat 'Al-Imrân: 102-103].
See how Allah, the Almighty, has linked the blessing of uniting the hearts of Muslims to the blessing of saving them from Hellfire because of this Religion.

- Brotherhood of faith is deep-rooted; its root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high). It is a permanent brotherhood. Allah, the Almighty, has not only affirmed this relationship in the state of peace and love, but in the state of war as well. He says {And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both.} [Surat Al-Hujurât: 9] till {The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islâmic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers,} [Surat Al-Hujurât: 10].
The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has pronounced this brotherhood, he said, "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his Muslim brother. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith: his blood, his wealth, and his honor." [Reported by Muslim 2564] The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has also said, "Don't sever relations of kinship, don't bear enmity against one another, don't bear aversion against one another and don't feel envy against the other and do not undercut one another in business transactions; and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah". [Reported by Muslim 2564]
- A lasting brotherhood in this worldly life and the hereafter
It is a brotherhood that remains with them in their worldly life and in the Barzakh (the intervening stage), it was narrated that the spirits of the believers call on one another in the Barzakh. Rather, they will find it on the Day of Resurrection when they intercede for each other where Allah will accept their intercession. Allah Almighty has said, {Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)} [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 67]

3- The integrity of the heart
The Muslim does not hold any enmity, grudge, oe envy to other Muslims. What about the story of the man about whom the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has said, "He is from the dwellers of Paradise." The man was asked about the reason that he has reached such a degree. He answered, "I sleep at night with no enmity, grudge, or envy whatsoever towards anyone of the Muslims." A community where love and affection are spread is a coherent community. It can defend its country in one line as if they were a solid cemented structure. On the other hand, a community built on selfishness and envy is cracked from within. It is internally consumed by hatred and enmity before meeting outside enemies. Which community should we choose for ourselves? Which morals should we adopt? Together hand in hand.

O dear brother
This country where we live on its soil, we take its sky as our shade, drink from its water, breathe its air, benefit from the bliss of Allah and His bounty, and enjoy its security and safety. Our duties towards it are many, and its rights are great. It is high time to perform and meet them.
Let us all be united in one array, one body, one heart and one mind. Let us establish in these days - more than others – the community of one body. Let us stand one line behind our wise leadership, so that we make our enemy miss the chance and Allah bless our country with safety and security by us.

May Allah protect Kuwait and its people, and all Muslims from all evils. O Allah, Amen.


Prepared by the Sector of Mosques, the Office of Technical Affairs
Ministry of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs