The reason the 12th through the 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal was named the Week of Unity
As the members of the Muslim Ummah, we have been presented with this great blessing and we must make use of it. We must enlighten our hearts, faith, thoughts, and lives through the blessing of this holy religion. We must enlighten our world. Islam is a source of light and insight. We can get close to it and benefit from it. That is the responsibility of all Muslims.
Unity, which is among the greatest and the most important duties of all Muslims, is one of the issues that I will stress today. The week leading to Rabi al-Awwal 12 was named as Unity Week at the beginning of the Revolution. That was because according to famous traditions narrated by our Sunni brothers, Rabi al-Awwal 12 marks the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). But according to famous traditions narrated by the Shia, the Prophet's birth anniversary falls on Rabi al-Awwal 17. At the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation and government officials named the period between these two dates as Unity Week. They wanted Unity Week to be a symbolic representation of unity among Muslims. But it is not enough to choose names and talk about things. We must engage in action. We must move towards unity. The world of Islam is in need of unity today. There will be obstacles and sources of discord, but we must overcome these obstacles.
All great aspirations require serious efforts. No great aspiration can be achieved in the absence of serious efforts. Unity among Muslims is not an exception: It requires efforts. It is our duty to make efforts to create unity in the world of Islam. This unity can solve many problems. It can bring about glory for Muslim nations and communities. Consider the current situation of the Muslim countries in the world.