Imam Khomeini on Islamic Unity

"Today, world peace is such that all countries are under the political influence of the superpowers; they observe a control everywhere and have schemes for defeating every group. The most important of these is sowing discord among brothers.

Muslims should be awake, Muslims should be alert that if a dispute takes place among Sunni and Shi'ite brothers, it is harmful to all of us, it is harmful to all Muslims. Those who want to sow discord are neither Sunni nor Shi'ite, they are agents of the superpowers and work for them.


Those who attempt to cause discord among our Sunni and Shi'ite brothers are people who conspire for the enemies of Islam and want the enemies of Islam to triumph over Muslims. They are the supporters of America and some are supporters of the Soviet Union.

I hope that through considering this Islamic precept - that all Muslims are brothers - all Islamic countries will triumph against the superpowers and succeed in actualizing all Islamic ordinances.

Muslims are brothers and will not be segregated by the pseudo-propaganda sponsored by corrupt elements. The source of this matter - that Shi'ites should be on one side and Sunni on the other - is on the one hand ignorance and on the other hand propaganda of the foreigners.

If Islamic brotherhood comes to the fore among Islamic countries, such will become a great power which none of the global powers will be able to cope with.

Shi'ites and Sunnis brothers should avoid every kind of dispute. Today, discord among us will only benefit those who follow neither Shi'ia nor Hanafi. They neither want this nor that to exist, and know the way to sow dispute between you and us. We must pay attention that we are all Muslims and we all believe in the Qur'an; we all belive in Tawheed and must work to serve the Qur'an and Tawheed."

Al Azhar Fatwa and Amman Message

After a long period of discussion, the Fatwa was announced on July 6, 1959 and was summarized as follows:

1) Islam does not require a Muslim to follow a particular Madh'hab (school of thought). Rather, we say: every Muslim has the right to follow one of the schools of thought which has been correctly narrated and its verdicts have been compiled in its books. And, everyone who is following such Madhahib [schools of thought] can transfer to another school, and there shall be no crime on him for doing so.

2) The Ja'fari school of thought, which is also known as "al-Shia al- Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah" (i.e., The Twelver Imami Shi'ites) is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought.

Today, both Sunni and Shi'a students study at and graduate from the Al-Azhar University.


Amman Message
The Amman Message (Arabic: رسالة عمان‎) is a statement which was issued on 9 November 2004 (27th of Ramadan 1425 AH) by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, calling for tolerance and unity in the Muslim world.[1] Subsequently, a three-point ruling was issued by 200 Islamic scholars from over 50 countries, focusing on issues of: defining who a Muslim is; excommunication from Islam (takfir), and; principles related to delivering religious edicts (fatāwa).[2]

Content

The Amman Message was delivered in Amman as a Ramadan sermon by Chief Justice Sheikh Iz-al-Din al-Tamimi in the presence of King Abdullah II and a number of Muslim scholars.[3] According to a report issued by the International Crisis Group, "The sermon stressed the need to re-emphasise Islam's core values of compassion, mutual respect, tolerance, acceptance and freedom of religion."[1] The next year, in July 2005, an Islamic convention brought together 200 Muslim scholars from over 50 countries who issued a three-point declaration (later known as 'Three Points of the Amman Message').[2] This declaration focused on:[4]

1. The recognition of eight legal schools of thought (madhāhib) and the varying strains of Islamic theology viz.
1. Sunni Hanafi
2. Sunni Hanbali
3. Sunni Maliki
4. Sunni Shafi'i
5. Shia Ja`fari
6. Shia Zaidiyyah
7. Ibadi
8. Zahiri

Further the recognition of Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), and of true Salafi thought.

1. The forbiddance from pronouncing disbelief upon (or excommunicating) others recognized as Muslims
2. The stipulations placed as preconditions to the issuing of religious edicts, intended to prevent the circulation of illegitimate edicts

Explaining why the message was issued, King Abdullah stated: "[W]e felt that the Islamic message of tolerance was being subjected to a fierce and unjust attack from some in the West who do not understand Islam's essence, and others who claim to be associated with Islam and hide behind Islam to commit irresponsible deeds."[5]

1. ^ a b c "Jordan's 9/11: Dealing With Jihadi Islamism", Crisis Group Middle East Report N°47, 23 November 2005
2. ^ a b c "SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER THE RT HON TONY BLAIR MP" (04/06/07), British Embassy in Bahrain
3. ^ "Jordan issues the 'Amman Message' on Islam". Embassy of Jordan - Washington, DC. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/new/pr/pr11092004.shtml. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
4. ^ The Amman Message summary - Official website
5. ^ "King Abdullah calls to end extremism". Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885839539&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Retrieved 2007-08-15.

Fatwa's of the ulama

Following is the list of individual & organizations who have issued fatwa in relation of Amman Message (as per official website listing)[1]:
http://ammanmessage.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=60 FATWAS OF THE 'ULAMA