التفسير السياسيّ للوحدة الإسلاميّة؛ الضرورات والآليّات والمعوِّقات في فكر ‏القائد الشهيد آية الله العظمی السید علي الخامنئي(ره)

This article employs qualitative content analysis to examine the political interpretation of Islamic unity in the thought of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei. It argues that, within his intellectual framework, Islamic unity is not merely an ethical recommendation or an expression of emotional solidarity among Muslims; rather, it constitutes a political and civilizational strategy aimed at preserving the Islamic Ummah, resisting external domination, and reconstructing the collective power of Muslims. The central question of the study is how Islamic unity is understood and what functions it performs in the Leader's political thought, and how this conception differs from interpretations that are exclusively jurisprudential, theological, or merely exhortatory. This question gains particular significance in light of the contemporary crises confronting the Muslim world, including sectarian conflicts, takfiri movements, interventions by hegemonic powers, media warfare, and the widening of identity-based divisions—all of which undermine the cohesion, independence, and strength of the Islamic world.
The principal objective of this article is to explain the political interpretation of Islamic unity by focusing on its necessities, strategies, and obstacles. In this context, the study demonstrates that, in the thought of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei, Islamic unity does not require eliminating doctrinal or sectarian differences; rather, it entails their prudent management on the basis of common principles, the higher interests of the Islamic Ummah, and the avoidance of conflict. Accordingly, unity is understood not merely as an intra-religious concern but as a concept fundamentally connected with the security, identity, independence, and civilizational future of the Muslim world. The article also clarifies the relationship between Islamic unity and resistance to systems of domination, showing how Muslim solidarity can strengthen collective power and prevent the erosion of the Islamic community's capacities.
The study adopts qualitative content analysis as its methodological approach. Research data were collected from the Holy Qur'an, together with speeches, messages, and written works concerning Islamic unity. These materials were subsequently categorized and analyzed thematically under three principal dimensions: necessities, strategies, and obstacles. The objective of this method is not merely to compile selected statements or provide a descriptive account of views but to identify the underlying conceptual framework governing the political understanding of unity. Accordingly, the article examines Islamic unity as part of a coherent conceptual system and formulates it as an integral component of the political understanding of religion within the Islamic world.
The findings indicate that Islamic unity, in the thought of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei, possesses a distinctly political, civilizational, and anti-hegemonic character. It is closely linked to concepts such as independence, resistance, Islamic awakening, and the reconstruction of the collective power of Muslims. Within this framework, unity serves as a means of preserving the cohesion of the Islamic Ummah, preventing the fragmentation of the Muslim world, and strengthening the defensive and political capacities of Muslims in confronting common adversaries. Another significant finding is that theological and jurisprudential differences do not, in themselves, constitute obstacles to unity. Rather, the principal threat arises when such differences evolve into hostility, conflict, and social division. Consequently, unity should be understood as resting upon the avoidance of discord, mutual respect, and collective deliberation in addressing shared challenges.
Regarding practical strategies, the article emphasizes the importance of highlighting common Islamic values, strengthening Islamic brotherhood, enhancing religious and political awareness, managing sectarian differences constructively, promoting solidarity among Muslim intellectuals and societies, concentrating on common external threats, and supporting the Palestinian cause. These strategies demonstrate that unity is not a passive or merely rhetorical project but one that must be translated into meaningful social and political action.
The article also identifies two categories of obstacles: internal and external. Internal obstacles include religious ignorance and misunderstanding, sectarian prejudice, extremism, takfīr (the excommunication of fellow Muslims), and the transformation of scholarly disagreements into social and political conflicts. External obstacles consist of the divisive policies of hegemonic powers, the exploitation of sectarian differences by colonial and neo-colonial actors, extremist takfiri movements, and media warfare, all of which contribute to weakening the cohesion of the Islamic Ummah.
The article concludes that, according to both the Qur'anic perspective and the thought of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei, Islamic unity is a political and civilizational strategy for safeguarding the Islamic Ummah, resisting foreign domination, and restoring the strength of Muslims. Such unity is an essential condition for preserving the identity and authority of the Muslim community, and its realization requires emphasizing shared values, strengthening Islamic brotherhood, enhancing political and religious insight, and managing differences according to the higher interests of the Ummah. The principal contribution of this study lies in moving beyond emotional and purely normative interpretations of unity by analyzing it within the broader relationship between religion, politics, and power. From this perspective, Islamic unity does not entail eliminating diversity; rather, it seeks to organize diversity in the service of convergence, resistance, and the construction of the collective power of the Islamic world.