Unity Week: All Divides Pulled down as Shias, Sunnis Celebrate Birth of Prophet on the Week of Unity
Roh Al-Abbas Hussein
The Week of Unity is celebrated from 12 to 17 Rabi-ul-Awal by Shias and Sunnis in Pakistan in order to jointly celebrate the birthday (Milad) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Festivities, celebrations surround the event of the birth of Prophet (pbuh).
Imam Khomeini (R.A), the founder of the Islamic revolution had insisted to All Muslim Ummah to jointly celebrate the Birth Anniversary of Holy Prophet Peace Be Upon Him. And for this purpose, He declared Week of unity, which starts from 12th Rabi ul Awal to 17th Rabi ul Awal. This move of Imam Khomeni highlights the importance of Solidarity among Muslims. He broke the statues of hatred by ending the difference of Date and unites Muslim Ummah to one plat form.
Like everywhere else in the world, the country is celebrating the birthday of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) on Rabi-ul-Awal 12 with high religious spirits. The celebrations of Milad-un-Nabi and Milad-related conferences, competitions and parties are being held in almost every nook and corner of country. The festivities also include a Seerat Conference held in federal capital.
Many other events also marked the arrival of day, the biggest of which, the Annual Milad Conference, going to held in the Iqbal Park, Minar-e-Pakistan. The arrangements for the upcoming 30th annual International Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference to be held under the banner of Minhaj-ul-Quran International are in the final stage.
The hundreds of thousands of the faithful will attend the International Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference only from Lahore and adjoining areas while millions of people from across 250 cities of Pakistan would take part in the proceedings through video links at their respective places. The chief highlight of the event is the keynote address of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri that he would deliver through video link.
Apart from religious organizations and parties, a number of social groups, educational institutions and trader groups have also arranged special events for the commemoration of day where sermons on the lessons from life of Prophet (pbuh) would be delivered and naats would be recited. The streets and markets are illuminated with fancy lights and decorated with flower ropes, ribbons and banners. Public places and official buildings are illuminated with decorating lights of different colors.
For the processions and conferences, strict security measures have been adopted and checking gates were installed at entry paths of the venues of events. The government has directed to beef up the security arrangements all over the country, especially along the route of processions to avoid any untoward situations. Personnel of bomb disposal squad and ambulances are also kept on high alert for early response to any emergency and security personnel have been deployed all over the city. This Rabi-ul-Awal witnessing exemplary association between Shiite and Sunni, both are celebrating the Eid Milad-ul Nabi together. The world will see that Shiite and Sunni are united.
Talking with al-Ahed News Head of Islamic Unity Movement, Allama Javed Akbar Saqi has said that, late Imam Khomeini's foresight helped bridge the gap of five days between the two dates believed to be the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). According to Sunni Islamic narrations, the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal is recognized as the birth date of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
In order to bridge this difference and use it as an opportunity to unite the ranks of Muslims, the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Imam Khomeini (SA) designated the period of Milad-un-Nabi celebrations from 12th to the 17th of Rabi al-Awwal as the Islamic Unity Week. This dynamic concept aims to bring all Muslim schools of thought on the common platform of Islamic unity.
He added that there is indeed unity in diversity and the idea of Islamic Unity Week has awakened Muslims from centuries of slumber largely because of the discord sowing policies of the enemies of Islam especially the Western colonialists and their local ignorant agents. Allama Saqi said that the Ummah has also begun to realize that it is only unity and solidarity that will enable Muslims to utilize their vast untapped potential and rescue them from the never ending devious plots of their enemies who range from imperialists, Zionists, arrogant powers and Islamphobes.
