IF one word were to describe the spectacle of the yearly Hajj, it has to be unity. United by faith, beyond race, culture or class, Muslims from around the globe gather for their epic journey of a lifetime. What does the two pieces of unsown cloth that drapes men of all shapes and sizes, and of all classes and stature, symbolize? Equality in the sight of Allah, definitely. But the Muslim Ummah forgets that it also means we in essence are One – One Nation.

Last year, the Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Sheikh Saud Bin Ibrahim Al-Shuraim, reminded the Ummah of this essence in his sermon before the start of Hajj.

“We should make the Hajj a point of departure for the conveyance of its wisdom and lessons to all Muslims worldwide. Every pilgrim should carry in his heart the sense of unity, cohesion, brotherhood and justice, however different the languages and colors may be. All should abide by Allah’s Book and the Prophet’s Sunnah,” he said.

This year, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais cried: "O Allah, unite all Muslim nations."

Our faith is one – we have believed and submitted to our Creator; we have believed in the Last Prophet. Yet Muslims today are not one. They are divided into sects, groups and nations. Calls for unity have often been made, unsuccessfully. Giving rise to the notion that being one may no longer be possible – an illusion, a mirage – with the precarious situation that exists today.

That notion however is proved false every year with Hajj. The world’s biggest and the most diverse gathering, the Hajj is proof of Muslim brotherhood. For days Muslims live, travel and worship together, returning back home with heroic tales and emotional experiences of the loving bonds of brotherhood.

Unity is possible. But how? Sheikh Shuraim had put it well: “All should abide by Allah’s Book and the Prophet’s Sunnah.”

How can a nation unite while it has differences in its core? The underlying factor that gives us our identity is our belief in Allah and His Messenger. How will that identity be true and legitimate if we do not abide by Allah’s Book and the Prophet’s Sunnah?

Muslim leaders, scholars and intellectuals have a daunting task before them. They must bring Muslims back to their basics; guide them to set aside their differences and cultural influences to embrace the legislation of the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is necessary to stop the current deterioration, stagnation and confusion the Ummah is going through now.

Hajj comes every year. But we seem to overlook the important lesson it teaches for our victory.