Hajj An Invitation to One God, Unity: Senior Cleric
Ayatollah Jafaf Sobhani made the remark in a message to a conference on the status of Hajj in enhancing Muslim unity.
Organized by the Peace and Dialogue Center of the University of Religions and Denominations, the conference began Thursday morning.
Ayatollah Sobhani in his message referred to verse 97 of Surah Al Imran “In it, there are clear signs; the station where Abraham stood. Whoever enters it let him be safe. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to Allah for all who can make the journey. And whosoever disbelieves, Allah is Rich, independent of all the worlds,” and said Hajj is among the Islamic obligations that is not just an act of worship but also has social and political dimensions.
He added that Hajj is not just about the relation between man and God but also about the relation among Muslims.
The cleric noted that Islamic unity, which is promoted by Hajj, does not mean abandoning some beliefs but means pushing for the convergence of the Muslim Ummah on the path of reaching joint Islamic goals and confronting joint enemies and challenges.
Ayatollah Sobhani urged all Muslim world scholars, thinkers and elites to discuss and conduct research about ways for promoting unity and proximity among Muslims.
He also called for best using the opportunity of Hajj for enhancing Islamic unity.
The conference is being held as one million Muslims from around the world began the annual Hajj rituals in the holy city of Mecca on Thursday.
