Unity is a command of Allah to Muslims and it is obligatory upon them. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi expressed the vital importance of unity for Muslims with the words, “Unity of Islam is the greatest obligation of this age.” The state of the Islamic world today, and incidents occuring in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, East Turkestan and other countries reveal how disunion can cause detrimental results. In the face of all these, for this cruelty to come to an end and for the welfare and security of not only Muslims but also of all humanity, it is obvious that the Islamic world should unite. Consequently, it is obligatory upon each Muslim to strive for the union of the Islamic world.
However while doing this, as is the case with every moment of our lives, the path we should follow for the union of Islam must be the path shown by Allah and His messenger, our Prophet (saas). Those who abide by a path other than shown by Allah and those who are in quest of other ways according to their own rationale, interpretations and ‐ according to their own thinking ‐ the conditions of the day must know that the path they choose will never succeed. The help of Allah is upon those who follow His way and thus the path of our Prophet (saas).
Throughout history Allah created every tribe with its leader, its pioneer. This is a requisite of the law of Allah. In the periods of Prophet Noah (as), Prophet Abraham (as), Prophet Moses (as), Prophet Joseph (as), Prophet Jesus (as) and our Prophet (saas), Allah’s holy messengers led the Islamic communities as the leaders of believers. In the time of Saul and Dhu’l-Qarnayn too Muslims always had a leader. From the time following our Prophet (saas) until recent history, Muslims also have never remained without a leader. The absence of a spiritual leader of Muslims in this age is one of the portents of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) who is predestined by Allah. However within destiny, Allah granted a beauty for the Islamic community and, following this period without a spiritual leader, He gave the good news of a very blessed person of compassion and love with moral perfection, who is deeply concerned for Muslims and has a very strong sense of protection of Islam. This person is Hazrat Mahdi (as). As a requisite of the preordination of Allah, the Islamic world which has remained without a leader for 1.5 centuries will, in this century, unite in the leadership of Hazrat Mahdi (as).
Consequently those who, as a command of Allah, wish for the Unity of Islam must be aware that this unity should solely be established around Hazrat Mahdi (as). The Islamic world will unite with contentment, joy and enthusiasm only around our Prophet’s (saas) grandson, his holy son. That is because this is the righteous path our Prophet (saas) informed all Muslims by way of Allah’s revelation.
The style employed by those who say, “the Islamic world must unite” but does not remember and mention the name of Hazrat Mahdi (as), or who try to cover the system of the Mahdi is simply insincere. Furthermore such a style is against the Qur’an, Sunnah, wisdom and rationale. According to this attitude of such people, it is obscure in which form and in whose leadership Muslims will unite in the absence of a leader. The measures by which this union will be established are also unknown, for if these people were to take the Qur’an and Sunnah as basis, it is clear that the Islamic world would have a leader. However if these people say that Islamic world should join together in the absence of a leader, then it becomes apparent that these people are not actually in favor of Unity of Islam. According to these people it is normal for even the smallest group of people coming together to have a leader. While they consider it normal for Catholics to have a Pope, Orthodox Christians to have a Patriarch, Jews to have a leader, and even freemasons to have a Master, they regard it to be abnormal for a population of 1.5 billlion Muslims to have a leader. With such a rationale it is seen that they subconsciously desire for the Islamic world to remain in disunion. They utter the words, “How good it will be if Muslims ever unite” while with the system they advocate they encourage disunion and fragmentation of the Islamic world.
However in the case of the existence of the Unity of Islam, Hazrat Mahdi (as) also absolutely exists. If Hazrat Mahdi (as) exists, the Islamic world will definitely unite. This is a requisite of the law of Allah. By means of our Prophet (saas) Allah informed Muslims in the End Times that their leader would be Hazrat Mahdi (as). Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a person who will become the leader by election but a person who, as a requisite of his destiny preordained by Allah, will be instrumental in the deliverance and unity of the Islamic world. Prophet Jesus (as) stated, “In the End Times a person of my descendant will come, remove cruelty and injustice from the face of the Earth, unite Muslims and save them from captivity.” This is the revelation of Allah to His messenger and the solution He shows to the Muslims living in the End Times. If Muslims ignore this path revealed by Allah, tend to disregard the Hazrat Mahdi (as), whose coming is informed by Allah, and act in accordance with their own rationale, the repayment of this state in Allah’s Sight may be very grave.
In a spirit in full submission to the path of Allah, genuine believers must feel the blessings, beauty and joy of living in the End Times and desire to see Hazrat Mahdi (as) as soon as possible and wish for the union of all Muslims under his leadership. We need to keep in mind that even if some people do not desire, and even act just the otherwise, Insha'Allah, the promise of Allah will definitely be fulfilled and the Unity of Islam will be established in the leadership of Hazrat Mahdi (as). This century will be the time when Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be instrumental in causing morality of Islam to rule the world and the light of Allah to enlighten all humanity.