Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib, an imam at Makkah’s Grand Mosque, said that Muslim solidarity is essential for survival.
“We live in a world that only respects the strong and the united,” he said during the Friday sermon. “Muslims don’t want another religion to rule them, so they must unite. We are in need of brotherhood, true conduct that achieves our goals and justice to prevail in our societies. We need equality to live in a state of peace and worship.”
Undoing disunity is the responsibility of the nation’s leaders and intellectuals, he said.
“Nations achieve their own unity, so why is it that our nation is fragmented even though we have the resources and factors for success,” he said. “Unity will not be achieved unless we have a fixed reference that unites us and creates a renaissance. This reference is represented in the Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should follow in the footsteps of his companions.
“Scholars should gather the Muslim nation under one reference and highlight right from wrong. Having multiple religious sects and using religious pretexts to achieve political ambitions contributes to the nation’s disunity,” he said.