In a meeting with a group of scholars and Muslim figures who participated in the International Conference on the Lovers of the Ahl-al-Bayt (‘a) and the Issue of the Takfiris, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi expressed his satisfaction concerning the holding of this conference and stated: “The organization of a conference in which the lovers of the Ahl-al-Bayt from all Muslim schools would attend was a novel and innovative attempt”.
He further added: “under the current circumstances, Muslims must find ways through which they can create unity among themselves; this can be done through finding the common points on which all Muslim schools agree and emphasizing those common points”.
His eminence referred to the love for the Prophet’s (s) Ahl-al-Bayt (‘a) as a unifying factor in the Muslim community and asserted: “one cannot find a true Muslim who would not have any affection toward the Prophet’s Ahl-al-Bayt”.
He then added: “Shiʿa Muslims believe the Ahl-al-Bayt (‘a) to be Infallible Imams; though some Muslims may not consider them Imams, they all share a deep love for the Prophet’s Ahl-al-Bayt, a love which has its roots both in the teachings of the holy Quran and the Islamic traditions”.
Stating that, based on the teachings of the Quran and the tradition, we should all gather around the Ahl-al-Bayt (‘a), Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi continued: “we must all work hand in hand in order to promote unity and prevent those who seek to create a schism within the Muslim community from putting their evil plots in to practice”.
His eminence further noted: “in order to strengthen the unity of the Muslim Ummah, all Muslim schools must respect each other’s sanctities; We, as Muslims, will not allow Shiʿas to insult what Sunnis hold sacred and we will not allow Sunnis to insult what Shiʿas hold sacred; no Muslim school of thought is allowed to insult the sanctities of other schools.”
Referring to the recent victories of the resistance front, he stated: “we witnessed the result of such unity in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq and Syria; when all Muslims, both Sunni and Shiʿa, united against their enemy, they could finally overcome this dangerous enemy”.
His eminence also added: “recent victories are among the most successful experiences of the cooperation between all Muslims against a common enemy; we can draw important lessons from this experience for the future. Nonetheless, we must be vigilant and cautious at the time being for, the enemy has not, yet, been fully exterminated”.
Referring to the vigilance of the Muslim Ummah and the resistance front as “crucial” in the face of the future plots of the enemies, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi asserted: “the enemies will, without a doubt, seek to find other ways to create sectarian wars and division within the Muslim world. If we are not vigilant, they might succeed in their evil plots”.
He further added: “if we put the teachings of Islam in to practice in our lives, Islam will become more attractive to non-Muslims and they will be drawn to the religion more than ever. The Islamic ethics is perhaps the most attractive aspect of Islam and this was why the Prophet (s) also used it as a means of calling people to the religion”.
His eminence finally asserted: “the Muslim scholars and elites must follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (s) in order to call all the people of the world to Islam”.
