Eminent Saudi Scholar and Member of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Youssef Bin Muhammad Bin Saeed urged the faithful not to be carried away by malicious campaigns and rumors. Delivering the Arafat sermon at the Namirah Mosque here on Tuesday, Sheikh Bin Saeed said that the Islamic Shariah forbade Muslims from following rumors and disinformation that aim to divide their ranks. “The believers are warned against malicious campaigns in all their forms and manifestations, aimed at dividing their ranks and inciting one group against another,” he said in the sermon. Sheikh Bin Saeed called on the pilgrims to hold fast to unity and eschew discord. He emphasized that the difference in languages, colors and ethnicities does not justify falling into discords and divisions. Rather, it is a sign from the signs of God in this universe. Sheikh Bin Saeed noted that the Islamic texts reaffirm the command for unity, love, harmony, and prohibit disputes, divisions, and differences. “The Prophet (peace be upon him) has commanded his followers to be united and cooperative, and prohibited them from discords and conflicts. Thus, through him, Allah has united his followers" hearts,” he said. Sheikh Bin Saeed warned, “When unity is broken, personal whims and animosities prevail, and intentions become conflicting, resulting in the shedding of forbidden blood.”. Underscoring the significance of holding fast to unity and closing ranks, the preacher said that the Hand of Allah is with the collective body of Muslims (Jamaa’h) while Satan is with those who separate themselves from the Jamaa’h. The significance of unity becomes apparent through the negative consequences of division and differences, affecting individuals, families, and societies, he emphasized. “From this standpoint, Islam has implemented appropriate preventative measures and robust defensive strategies to halt the influence of destructive intentions and acts of sabotage that aim to tear apart communities. “It does that by erecting a resilient barrier that inhibits the disintegration of its structure and the destabilization of its pillars, at the individual, familial, societal, national, and even global levels,” he said while reminding that God has commanded the Muslims, in times of dispute, to return back to the Holy Qur"an and the Sunnah (Tradition of the Prophet). God has commanded them to maintain good conduct, interact with one another in an exemplary manner, and demonstrate compassion and mercy towards one another. “In order to achieve the objective of unifying our word, Islam has emphasized the importance of strengthening social, familial, and spiritual bonds. “It commanded us to uphold ties of kinship, and clarified the rights of spouses, parents, children, and daughters. Likewise, it commanded us to show kindness and goodness to relatives, neighbors, and the needy,” he said. He also pointed out that Islam came to remind those who are in conflict with their brothers to reconcile and encourage them towards rectification in times of disputes. Underscoring the need to stand united, Sheikh Bin Saeed made the pilgrims aware of the fact that God has prescribed several collective acts of obedience, such as the pilgrims’ gathering today on the plains of Arafat and their congregational prayers on Fridays. “One of the means to foster unity is the social solidarity mandated by Islam, which includes the payment of Zakat and other charitable contributions, establishment of trusts, and giving of voluntary alms,” he said. Sheikh Bin Saeed’s sermon focused on the universal message of Islam, underlined by the Prophet in his farewell Hajj. He quoted the following Tradition of the Prophet in this regard: “O people! Indeed, your Lord is One. Your father (Adam) is one. No Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab. Similarly, no white person is superior to a black person, nor is a black person superior to a white person, except by piety. I have certainly conveyed the message. Indeed, God has made inviolable between yourselves your blood, your wealth, your honor just as He has made this day of yours inviolable, in this inviolable land of yours and in this inviolable month of yours.”