Lebanese researcher: Prime targets of prophets were practice of reform in political, economic and social areas, justice in society

Ladies and gentlemen,
At the beginning I wish to thank organizers of the present precious gathering particularly people from the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought.
Title or main theme of the present meeting revolves around the establishment of unity and practice of reform among Muslim populations and avoidance of conflict and division between them. Within the same respect the Holy Prophet of Islam says: “He who does not thank people does not thank Allah." Any action depends on the intention behind it. We read in the Holy Quran the one who believes in the Divine Book, the one who says prayers and the one who is at the service of the Almighty God, he and only he can make reform among all human beings. And this is the main purpose behind the Holy Quran.
This means that making reform and peace among people can be done by those who are of pure essence. As mentioned before, any action depends on the intention behind it. Those who cannot spend five minutes in order to be at the service of the Almighty God, those who cannot spend few minutes to say their prayers, they will not be able to make reform and peace among the people. And then Quran says that divine messengers and prophets were selected and assigned by the Almighty God: “Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds”; the prophets who intended to make reform: “I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my success is not but through the Almighty God. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.” In the Holy Quran we have an expression against “the drive for reform” that is “spread corruption on earth”.
According to the Holy Quran prophet Shuaib (PBUH) was selected by the Almighty God in order to make reforms within His society, and among His people and ruler of Midian: “To the Midian people We sent Shuaib, one of their own brethren: he said: "O my people! worship the Almighty God. You have no other god but Him” Then prophet Shuaib told His people: “O my people! Give full measure and full weight in justice, and wrong not people in respect of their goods. And do not evil in the earth, causing corruption.” And in return the people and ruler told Him: “O Shuaib! does your prayer enjoin you that we should give up what our fathers worshipped or (does it bid you) that we cease to do with our possessions as we like? You (O Shuaib!) are you (so to say,) the only intelligent and the right-directing one? And in repose Prophet Shuaid said to them: “And my people! let not your breach with and hostility towards me make you guilty, so that there may befall you the like of that calamity which befell the people of Noah, and the people of Hûd and the people of Sâlih. And the people of Lot are not far off from you. (You should ponder over their destruction and learn a lesson therefrom.)”
The prime targets of the prophets appointed by the Almighty God included practice of reform in political, economic and social areas as well as establishment of justice in the society: “Corruption has appeared in land and sea because of the doings of the people’s hands, that He may make them taste something of what they have done, so that they may come back.”; the political, economic, social as well as the religious corruption. “The Jews say, ‘The Christians stand on nothing,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Jews stand on nothing,’ though they follow the [same] Book.” It is to mentioned the route in favor of practice of reform has already been defined in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran says: “It is He who sent to the unlettered [people] an apostle from among themselves, to recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom, and earlier they had indeed been in manifest error.” Moving in favor of reform is tantamount to moving against ignorance. And dealing with ignorance was set as the prime target of all divine messengers of the Almighty God. Within the same respect the Holy Quran stipulates: “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity?’ He said, ‘Indeed I know what you do not know.” But if we want to deal with the corruption, we firstly need to establish unity among people. These all were already mentioned in the Old and the New Testaments but not practiced. And then the Holy Quran revealed and stipulated: “The example of those who were charged with the Torah, then failed to carry it, is that of an ass carrying books. Evil is the example of the people who deny Allah’s signs, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot” implying that if Ulamas and people do not obey what has been mentioned in the holy books then nothing will happen in the society. As we can see the Holy Quran has mentioned: “The example of those who were charged with the Torah, then failed to carry it, is that of an ass carrying books”; the same emphasis that has laid in Al-Araf Surah as well. We cherish greed and selfishness. We ignore the Holy Quran and its sublime teachings. All the routes shall pass through unity among Ulamas and peoples against ignorance. And this is the way already introduced by all divine prophets. We need to stand against division anf conflict among us. And it is the Holy Quran that has been revealed in this favor. We shall not forget what transpired during the battle of Uhud. “You disobeyed the Almighty God and His Divine Messenger.” Within the same respect the Holy Quran stipulates: “And obey Allah and His Apostle, and do not dispute, or you will lose heart and your power will be gone. And be patient; indeed, Allah is with the patient” implying if you have division and conflict among yourself, you will surely fail. On the corruption of Bani Israel, the Holy Quran also adds: “Certainly We wrote in the Psalms, after the Torah: ‘Indeed My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.” And this is the divine order and tradition. Those who commit corruption do not believe in the Almighty God. Only if we obey the Almighty God then we can practice reform on earth. And the obedience shall come from the heart heart as the Holy Quran says: “There is indeed in this a proclamation for a devout people.” Without belief in the Almighty God, you may not practice reform in the society. In another verse of the Holy Quran, we read: “So when the first occasion of the two [prophecies] came, We aroused against you Our servants possessing great might, and they ransacked [your] habitations, and the promise was bound to be fulfilled.” If we are not real Muslim, if we really do not believe in the Almighty God, we can do nothing. And this occurred when Ulamas of Bani Israel disobeyed the Almighty God. Within the same respect the Almighty God in His Holy Book, Quran, says: “Say, ‘Shall I inform you concerning something worse than that as a requital from Allah? Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He is wrathful, and turned some of whom into apes and swine, and worshippers of fake deities! Such are in a worse situation and more astray from the right way.” And this the torment set by the Almighty God for those people who are out of justice. And without justice, practice of reform in not possible. The Holy Quran also stipulates: “We did not send you but as a mercy to all the nations.” The Holy Quran says that the Almighty God has spread all His blessings on earth in justice in favor all beings. And without justice reforms cannot be practiced in the desired manner. The Divine Messenger was sent in order for Him to extend mercy of the Almighty God to all people and by extent the whole world. And this the prime divine purpose of Islam, divine prophets, infallible Imams, the Holy Prophet of Islam and His companions. And in order for us to move in this direction we need to get united. Disunity just breeds division and conflict taking us nowhere. We shall ignore and disregard our differences avoiding divisions. We cannot enter into any discussion claiming that the Holy Prophet was whether Shia or Sunni. Because the Holy Quran again stipulates: “Indeed, this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so be wary of Me.”
And, in short, we need to reinforce ourselves; the reinforcement that just passes through the unity. The unity which gives rise to the establishment of a formidable nation and Ummah.
And the last of their call will be, "Praise to the Almighty God, Lord of the worlds”.