LET THE YEAR 2000 BE THE UNITY YEAR!

Prof.Dr. Mahmud Es'ad COSAN

October 1999, Mecca-Hijaz

I would like also to remind all of you about the year 2000. As you know, we declared the Year 2000 as the "Tawheed Year" -- the Year of Unity. We must undertake some special works in this year. Our first duty in this year is to explain the proper belief. Our second duty is to procure the unity and cooperation among the believers.

One implication of the Tawheed Year is to explain the Oneness of Almighty Allah to people who don't know it. The Year 2000 is the year for us to convey the message of Islam to people whose beliefs about God are defective, flawed, improper, lacking, primitive, or incorrect. We must explain them His superiority, greatness, and His being the Lord of the universe and the Creator of everything as explained in Qur'an: "There is no deity but Allah (La ilaha il-lallah), Almighty Allah is the One, Unique (Qul Huwallahu ahad), He doesn't have associates, and no similar one exists. He is the Omnipotent; He knows and sees everything." We must spread the word of His presence and Oneness. I request you to work on these subjects in the year 2000.

Owing to the meaning of the word Tawheed, i.e. unity, I also request you to consider uniting believers by abolishing division among them and ensuring believers' conduct collaboration. Although we, Muslims, are the most effective and the largest society in the world, and our population is close to one fourth of the world's population, the communication, connection and contact among believers are weak. This area requires immediate attention. I am pleased with your efforts to use computers in medicine and other fields because the computer is a very important tool for communication. I must add that it is also most useful for you to utilize computer for international communication. This Year 2000 can be a great service year for uniting believers, advancing those who fell behind and educating masses as well as for the reconciliation of believers who have problems with one another. We believe that if the believers unite, most of the oppressions would disappear from this earth because those who want to exploit the believers and wish bad for them benefit from the disunity of believers. Thus, we are going to unite believers and make peace among them in accordance with the orders of Almighty Allah.

Establishing peace among people is very important; it is even more rewarding than Salat (Prayer) and Sawm (Fasting) as Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) stated in a number of his Ahadith (sayings). I request you view this Tawheed Year from this point and work on this aspect, too.

Naturally this process of unification will begin from our immediate surroundings, and the circle will expand. Hence, I would like to remind you of the importance of unity and togetherness in Turkey. I would like to get your attention to unity and togetherness in our group. I request you be extremely careful in this matter. There shouldn't be any kind of separation, disobedience, and disorder! These would break our ties and weaken us. I request you be on guard against disunity. I would like to remind you a Hadith of our beloved prophet: "O, you Muslims! Do not get angry at or be hostile to each other; do not be jealous of one another or get cross with each other. Do not be offended by each other! Do not turn your backs to each other! O, you servants of Allah, be brothers as Allah commanded you to be."

Our time has major and serious tests. These years seem to be important test years in Turkey. Therefore, O you servants of Allah, be brothers in the best and beautiful way as Allah commanded! Work as brothers so that you may be successful in the tests.

May Almighty Allah grant his help for our success. May He make your activities suitable to His pleasure. May He give you insight and vision. May He make you see the truth as truth and follow the truth. May He have you to see the falsehood as falsehood and stay away from the falsehood.

There are many Ahadith indicating that even if the signs of the Day of Resurrection appear, judgment values deteriorate, the evil appears to be good, or bad people rule, there will always be a group of good people working for Islam until the Day of Resurrection. They will never deviate from this straight path, nor will they be harmed by the lack of support from the rest of the people. I pray that Almighty Allah place us among this praised group. May He have us work for the truth, for Islam and for the salvation and happiness of Muslims. May He have us work for His pleasure. May He grant us His pleasure. May He grant us elevated spiritual states and happiness in this world and in the hereafter. May He honor us with His Beauty in Heaven .

May the peace and mercy of Allah be with you.