Unity..perpaduan..integrasi...

When we talk of unity, let us remember that unity does not mean uniformity.

It does not mean that we should look alike, eat alike, dress alike. It does not mean that we should not have any differences in opinions.

This is diversity, not disunity. Unity does not mean negation of diversity. Diversity is good; disunity is bad.

Diversity is a mercy; disunity is a curse. Unity can be achieved with diversity.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “You shall not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you shall not attain faith until you love each other. Should I tell you something that if you do, you shall love each other? Spread salam among you” (Reported by Muslim).

Unity means the unity of purpose and goal.
United people are diverse people, but their purpose and goal is one and the same.
They must remain conscious of their purpose and goal, and all their efforts must be directed to that purpose.
When people of diverse backgrounds and cultures become united for one purpose, they achieve progress and success.
However, when the people of one and the same culture and race lose consciousness of their purpose, they become divided and they fail.

Our purpose as Muslims is moral and spiritual.
Our purpose is to please Allah and to work for the advancement of His religion in this world.
Our goal is to achieve ultimate success and salvation in the Hereafter.
There is no better reason to be united than this.
If we keep in our mind our purpose and goal, we can easily overcome our differences.
We would not bicker on minor issues or take petty quarrels.
We would not be jealous or hateful to each other
. We would not worry who takes the credit because our aim would be to please our Lord, not to please our ego or to promote our own interests.
We would see whether the religion of Allah is promoted or not, whether the ultimate objective would be achieved or not.
This would make us more open minded, more accommodating, more merciful and kind to each other.
Unity is not a slogan; it is a mission. Wherever we are we should try to see how we can achieve unity among ourselves. Each one of us should ask ourselves: Do I want to be united with my fellow Muslims? What am I doing to work with others to promote my purpose and achieve my goal? If I have a problem, what am I doing to solve the problem? Unity does not come down as rain from the sky. Unity is not a miracle that will happen among those who do not believe in unity. Unity will only come if we strive for it and work hard to achieve it. It is a reward of faith, sincere efforts, lot of patience, good will, tolerance, and sincere commitment to the objectives and aims. Unity requires continuous efforts.