MAKKAH — 24 Safar 1448 AH | 7 August 2026
It was a remarkable Friday in the Holy City of Makkah.
As hundreds of thousands of worshippers gathered around the Holy Ka'bah for Jumu'ah prayers at Masjid Al Haram, the sermon delivered from its Minbar carried a powerful and timely message: the brotherhood of Muslims, their responsibility towards one another, and the strength of the Ummah through unity and solidarity.
Only a short distance away, Makkah was also hosting the leaders of three major Muslim nations.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan gathered in the Holy City, where the three leaders signed the Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement at Al Safa Palace.
The agreement and the Friday sermon were separate events. Yet the language heard in Makkah throughout the day produced a striking convergence around the themes of brotherhood, solidarity, mutual support and unity.
From the Minbar of Masjid Al Haram came a reminder of the timeless religious bond encompassing the entire Muslim Ummah.
From Al Safa Palace came an agreement between three states whose joint statement itself invoked their bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity.
“The believers are but brothers”
Leading the Friday prayer at Masjid Al Haram, His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Faisal bin Jameel Ghazzawi centred his sermon on one of the fundamental relationships established by Islam: the brotherhood of believers.
Allah Almighty says:
“The believers are but brothers.”
(Qur'an 49:10)
Sheikh Faisal reminded worshippers that among the greatest blessings bestowed by Allah upon Muslims is that He made them brothers through faith.
This bond, the Khateeb explained, is what unites hearts. It is stronger than the distinctions that otherwise separate people and must therefore be protected from hatred, resentment and division.
Brotherhood for the sake of Allah, he stressed, is not simply a slogan.
Rather, it is a firm bond of faith that transcends blood, language, colour, lineage and ancestry — and it forms a foundation upon which a cohesive Muslim society is built.
“Like one body”
One of the most powerful moments of the sermon came as Sheikh Faisal addressed the obligation of solidarity among Muslims.
He recalled the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
“The believers, in their mutual affection, mercy and compassion, are like one body: when one limb suffers, the rest of the body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”
The Khateeb explained that Muslims should therefore resemble a single body and a single structure.
When one Muslim is afflicted by calamity, others should feel his pain, sympathise with him, support him, stand beside him and provide whatever assistance lies within their ability.
“Brotherhood and solidarity among Muslims are a religious obligation,” Sheikh Faisal said.
He further emphasised that solidarity among Muslims is not something supplementary, nor is it an optional virtue that can simply be set aside.
Rather, it is among the foundations of the life of faith.
Through solidarity, blessings endure and afflictions are repelled.
Islam, the sermon reminded worshippers, came to unite hearts that had been divided and bring together souls that had been separated.
The responsibilities of Muslim solidarity
The sermon did not present Muslim unity merely as an abstract ideal.
Sheikh Faisal outlined the responsibilities that accompany it.
He called upon Muslims to cleanse their hearts of resentment, envy and hatred; to refrain from harming others; to cooperate in establishing justice; to assist the oppressed against the oppressor; to concern themselves with the affairs of fellow Muslims; and to comfort those struck by calamity.
When a Muslim sees his brother suffering from poverty, need, distress or hardship, he should not remain indifferent.
He should assist him according to his ability, share in his pain, help restore his happiness, provide what he needs and seek to remove the hardship that has befallen him.
The sermon therefore presented the unity of the Ummah not simply as words to be spoken, but as a responsibility to be lived.
“Cooperate in righteousness and piety”
The Khateeb then turned to another essential dimension of Islamic brotherhood: cooperation.
Allah Almighty says:
“And cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety.”
(Qur'an 5:2)
Sheikh Faisal explained that Allah has commanded cooperation in matters of both religion and worldly life, provided that such cooperation is founded upon righteousness and piety.
At the same time, Islam prohibits cooperation in sin and transgression.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah continues to aid His servant so long as the servant aids his brother.”
Every Muslim, the Khateeb explained, has something through which he can contribute.
Some may cooperate through their knowledge.
Others through their wealth.
Others through their position or influence.
And others by guiding people towards goodness and encouraging them to pursue it.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward similar to that of the one who does it.”
“The strength of the Islamic Ummah lies in its unity”
Towards the conclusion of this theme, the message from the Minbar became particularly emphatic.
The strength of the Islamic Ummah lies in its unity and cohesion, while its weakness comes from division.
The Ummah, Sheikh Faisal said, must therefore strive for mutual support and solidarity among its people.
Muslims must guard against the causes of hostility, spread affection and harmony among themselves, and extinguish discord and conflict.
It was a message addressed not to one nationality, government or people, but to Muslims as an Ummah.
And on this particular Friday in Makkah, those words carried a striking resonance.
At Al Safa Palace: the Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement
On the same day, the Holy City witnessed a major political and diplomatic gathering.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement at Al Safa Palace in Makkah.
The agreement was signed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The joint statement accompanying the agreement notably began by referring to the deep-rooted historical ties between the three countries and the “bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity” that unite them, alongside their shared strategic interests and defence cooperation.
The agreement seeks to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression.
At the heart of the pact is a significant commitment: an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be considered an attack against them all.
The three countries said the agreement reflects their commitment to strengthening collective security and promoting security, peace and stability in the region and the wider world.
A striking convergence in the Holy City
There is no suggestion that the subject of the Friday sermon was connected to the political agreement signed at Al Safa Palace, and the two should not be conflated.
The Khutbah of Masjid Al Haram addressed the universal religious duties of Muslims towards one another, while the Makkah Mutual Defence Agreement is an agreement between three sovereign states.
Yet the convergence of language and themes on the same day in the same Holy City was difficult to overlook.
At Al Safa Palace, three Muslim nations spoke of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity and collective security.
At Masjid Al Haram, the Khateeb spoke of brotherhood, solidarity, cooperation, mutual assistance and the strength found in unity.
One was an agreement between states.
The other was a reminder to an Ummah.
And the latter was far broader.
The message from the Minbar did not stop at Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan. It transcended nationality, ethnicity, language and political boundaries.
As Sheikh Faisal reminded the worshippers, brotherhood for the sake of Allah transcends “blood, language, colour, lineage and ancestry.”
Makkah and the unity of Muslims
There was perhaps no more fitting place for such a message than Makkah.
At the centre of Masjid Al Haram stands the Holy Ka'bah, towards which Muslims throughout the world turn five times every day in prayer.
People of different nations, languages, cultures and backgrounds stand shoulder to shoulder around it, facing a single Qiblah and worshipping one Lord.
That visible unity gives particular meaning to the reminder delivered from the Minbar on Friday:
“The believers are but brothers.”
Political agreements may be concluded and circumstances may change. Alliances between states belong to the affairs of governments and international relations.
But the brotherhood described from the Minbar of Masjid Al Haram is not limited by treaties or borders.
It is the brotherhood of faith.
And its obligation extends across the Muslim Ummah.
On 24 Safar 1448 AH, Makkah witnessed both a significant agreement between three Muslim countries and a sermon reminding Muslims everywhere of something much greater than any agreement:
That the Ummah is like one body.
That Muslims are brothers.
That cooperation must be upon righteousness and piety.
And that the strength of the Muslim Ummah lies in its unity and cohesion.
From the Minbar overlooking the Holy Ka'bah to the halls of Al Safa Palace, Makkah on this Friday became the setting for a powerful recurring word:
Unity.
Inside the Haramain
Makkah Al-Mukarramah | 7 August 2026 | 24 Safar 1448 AH
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