His hopes had been refreshed by the Egyptians discussions...

His hopes had been refreshed by the Egyptians discussions and the Azharite “muraja’at”, [^3] which had happened between him and the Allama of Egypt Sheikh Saleem al-Bishri, the head of al-Azhar University. Those friendly meetings had solved many problems and questions. They both had exchanged their passions to each other and each of them had found in his friend abundant knowledge, magnanimity and determination to invite for unity that had to be among the fair ulama.

As a result of those discussions and reviews was the book of “al-Muraja’at” by Sayyid Sharafuddeen that had spread all over the Islamic world in several editions. A very fine saying was said by Sayyid Sharafuddeen in the beginning of his book al-Muraja’at about these meetings. He said: “How well it is when the ulama meet with pure spirits, pleasing sayings and prophetic morals! Whenever an aalim[^4] is in this neat garment, he will be in goodness and blessing and people will be in safe and mercy.

No one of people will refrain from telling such an aalim of his real opinion or what there is inside him. Such was the aalim and imam of Egypt and such were our meetings, which we thanked infinitely. I complained to him my passion and he complained to me the same thing. It was a lucky hour that inspired to us to think of something, by which Allah might reunite the Ummah. Among what we had agreed upon was that the two sects, the Shia and the Sunni, were Muslims believing in pure Islam.

They are equal in what the Prophet (S) has brought and there is no difference between them concerning a basic origin of the religion that may spoil their belief in pure Islam and there is no dispute between them except for the differences between the mujtahids concerning some verdicts due to their different points of views in interpreting those verdicts out of the Qur’an, the Sunna, the consensus and the fourth evidence (reason) and all these differences do not lead to separation (between the Muslims) nor to serious disputes.

There is no any reason for this dispute, whose sparks have scattered since the existence of these two names, Sunni and Shia.” In such a high Islamic spirit our master Sayyid Sharafuddeen acted throughout his life, whose long years did not add to him save determination and insistence on this path. It was for this continuous Islamic jihad that we found the different Islamic sects had agreed on loving and appreciating him and on looking at him with admiration and respect.