بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
War Must Be Between the Islamic Ummah and the Disbelievers, Not Amongst Muslim States
Amidst growing tensions that are leading to a destructive war between Muslim states, on 17 September 2026, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) of Iran reported that, “Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held separate telephone conversations with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest.”
The calls between three of the strongest Muslim states took place after the foreign minister of Pakistan released a statement on 16 September stating, “Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the Houthi militia’s reprehensible drone attack targeting the Holy City of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.” As for the proxies of Iran in Yemen, the Houthis, they are claiming that they are targeting military installations within Makkah province. Alongside the diplomatic tensions, in order to win the support of the Muslims, each Muslim state is engaged in a war on social media that includes the issues of the sanctity of the Noble Kaaba, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower and the King Fahd Air Base (KFAB) in Taif, Makkah province.
Thus, the current tensions are building to a devastating regional war in which Muslim states will fight Muslim states, over months, if not years. However, under the current nationalistic way of thinking there is no possible permanent resolution to the tensions. Each Muslim state is looking at the region from the narrow view of nationalistic interests. It is looking within its nationalistic borders from the angle of defense of the homeland. It is looking beyond its nationalistic borders from the angle of strategic depth for its nation-state, whether it uses proxies or other styles. Nationalism can never bring peace between Muslims, as the last century has established. Nationalism has led to continuous wars amongst Muslims, with countless examples including the First Persian Gulf war, the Second Persian Gulf war and the Saudi-Yemen conflict. Each Muslim state clings to this destructive nationalistic thinking, having operated on its premise for decades, to the point that it considers it an immutable fact.
O Muslims! Under nationalism, our states today are in continuous conflict like the tribes of Yathrib, Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, under tribalism. Islam alone can gather us together as one hand against the disbelievers, as Islam did in the case of Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
«هَذَا كِتَابٌ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَيَثْرِبَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ فَلَحِقَ بِهِمْ وَجَاهَدَ مَعَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أُمَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ دُونَ النَّاسِ»
“This is a pact of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) between the Muslims and the believers from the tribes of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those under them, waging war in their company. Indeed, they are one Ummah, distinct from all other people.” [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra]. The Aws and Khazraj abandoned tribalism and accepted a single authority governing all Muslims by Islam, changing Yathrib to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. It was then that the Muslims fought as one force against the real enemies, from amongst the Jews, the mushrikeen (polytheists) of Arabia and Persia, and the Christians of Rome.
O Muslims! We are at the brink of a pit of raging fire, and the only salvation is through our unification under the Deen of Islam. As the threat of a devastating war looms, we must demand the abolition of nationalism and all its consequences, including borders between Muslims and separate armies and state treasuries. We must mobilize for the establishment of the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly-guided Caliphate) that will unify all the current Muslim states as a single Islamic State. It is the Khilafah that will mobilize the believers against the Jewish occupiers of Palestine, the mushrikeen of the Hindu State and the American crusaders, that have tormented us for decades. Allah (swt) said,
[وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ]
“And hold fast, all of you, to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you—when you were enemies, He united your hearts, and by His grace, you became brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His signs, that you may be guided.” [TMQ Aal-i-Imran:103].