Referring to Imam Ja’far (PBUH) as the main source of Imam Abu Hanifa’s knowledge and his teacher, Rajeh said “You can imagine the consolidation and harmony among these sects, which we should see as a rich source for Islamic provisions. And this is also one of the basics of the unity.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the cleric stressed that the Muslim nation “flies with these two wings”: Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH), the household of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and Sahabah, the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), stressing that this comparison not to underestimate Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH), whom we worship God through loving them and get closer to God through them.

He also noted that no Sunni- “and I apologize for naming as whoever knows me knows that I have gone beyond these names”- can say in each prayer: Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad [O Allah: (please do) bless Muhammad] without saying “wa ali Muhammad” [and the Household of Muhammad], stressing “I say this feeling which exists in the heart of every Muslim across the world and which is an integral part of the feeling which exists in the heart of the Shiite.”

Rajeh added that this issue makes us focus on the greatest common denominator which gathers Sunnis and Shiites, “then we should go beyond everything else and look at the common part which gathers us on the love of Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) and the Sahabah”.

Referring to “the part which has stirred things in the souls”, the cleric cited the Quranic verse “That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.”

He also referred to the woes of the nation, calling for unity among Muslims to confront them.

“I -a Sunni and a Shiite- am looking at a nation which the world climbed over, and at a nation where ignorance, division, poverty and dependency increased,” Rajih said.

“When I look at Iran, and I hope my context will be understood correctly as I am not talking because I am in Iran as even when I am in Syria I feel proud that we are allied with Iran and we saw the impact of that alliance on the ground and we saw the victories achieved in Syria as it cooperated with its Muslim brother …, then with the comprehensive Islam we achieved power that has confronted the west and whoever wanted to antagonize us,” he added.

“Then what do you think [will happen] when you, Muslims, unite?” he asked.

Rajih also referred to the requirements to attain the basics of unity, saying firstly we have to go beyond this psychological state which make the Sunni suspects the Shiite, and the Shitte suspects the Sunni, and to go beyond the state where the Shiite doubts that this Sunni thinks that he seeks Shia expansion in the nation.

He noted that “the nation, which follows Shia sect, enjoys the basics of strength and the geographical expansion, then you, Sunni, don’t fear that. And you, Shiite, when you look at the Sunni look at him with the same vision,” stressing that respecting the particularity of each team should be the base of the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites. “I am sorry for using the word ‘team’ as we have never been parties. We are one team,” he said.

He further said “if this man loves Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) and we love Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH), then look at what gathers me and him to make a team in the love of Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH).”

Regarding companions, there is a historical problem concerning some of them, let’s go beyond that state and say ‘That was a nation which has passed on’, the cleric added.

Rajih, instead, called on Muslims to remain vigilant against plots the enemy hatched against the nation, which aimed to destroy it, and to form a power to face such plans.

“Then, we have to look for the common and we have to respect the particularity [of each sect],” he said, adding “If an issue does not belong to me, I won’t interfere [in it] and let you with your particularity and instead focus on the common areas between us.”