MUSLIM YOUTH OF TODAY PART II

We ask Allah to grant us the maximum benefit of our discussion, and save us from any fitna(s) that comes with it.....

Our topic is THE MUSLIM YOUTH OF TODAY PART 2

In the first part of our discussion, we concluded that the most ideal state that every Muslim youth should strive to reach is the state of uprightness, a state of complete and sincere submission to Allah(SWT)  and His Prophet(PBUH).

However, we find ourselves in a time and place where materialism, godlessness and decline in family and community living have made it extremely difficult to reach and maintain the state of righteousness and piety.

Nonetheless, this cannot be an excuse for us to continue to wallow in immorality and deviation for Allah(SWT) says.

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.

Baqara 2:286

 

Inn shaa Allah in this session, we shall look at some practical strategies and steps we can adopt in order to survive or succeed in our quest to attain righteousness as Muslim youth.

The most important area we need to pay critical attention to both on the individual and on the ummah level is our Islamic education.

Today, most of us are far advanced in what we term as secular knowledge but we are lagging with regards to our religious knowledge.

We've spent a chunk of our active years in school from childhood (primary school) to the university level.

 

So we look at Islam with the lenses of the scientific and philosophical criteria and methods that we learnt in school instead of the other way round.

And it doesn't make sense for you to believe in something you are fundamentally ignorant of. A lot of us today are just Muslims because we were born into it.

In essence, we can only strive to perfect our duties towards Allah(SWT)  if we are completely certain in our faith... and we can't be certain in our faith until we have enough knowledge about it.

It is not too late for you no matter your age, as some may assume. Most of the Sahabah were adults when Islam came to them but they studied and memorized the Quran, understood the message and propagated it to others who were also guided through it.

 

Alhamdulillah we are surrounded by uncountable Islamic schools, where we can take up courses in the basic Islamic sciences.

Also, most of the books in the Islamic sciences have been translated into English and are available in PDF formats.

You can get books and other materials on Islamicline.com and other trusted websites to complement what you study at the madrasa.

In the long term, we need to work on developing our schools and building new ones at all levels where we can develop a well integrated curriculum with both secular and religious knowledge to cater for a complete upbringing of the future Muslim youth.

 

The second area of concern is mentoring and guidance.

Every young person needs a mentor or a role model to assist them in successfully navigating their environment (including education, work, social, family or religious).

It is best to attach yourself to a scholar who is also well versed in the current trends. A professional who is also diligent in his deen is also a good option.

Meet him or her regularly to discuss your life and how you can effectively combine your religion, school, work etc. 👔 You can also decide to have more than one. At least one mentor for every aspect of your life.

Finally, volunteer groups and associations

Formation of youth volunteer groups and youth based circles is a way of encouraging brotherhood and creating an Islamic social atmosphere for the youth.

Regular meetings at homes, masajid, and other joints to discuss how to improve their eemaan and take up realistic community service projects, embarking on dawah and reading of Islamic literature together are some of the activities we can engage in as clubs and associations.

We should however not be tempted to turn these groups into competing brands in a market- like endeavour. We have to also try and avoid duplication of efforts, where lots of volunteer groups are competing in a similar project while other potential projects lie unattended to.

Our intentions should be regularly checked and renewed in such endeavours as it is a very slippery zone.

In summary, the price to pay for a sustained life of submission and uprightness is huge but the end results is worth the sacrifice. Knowledge, mentorship and volunteering efforts will go a long way to help in this regard.

Alhamdulillah this is the little we have to share concerning the topic. The Muslim youth of today.

May Allah have mercy on the Muslim youth and increase us in faith and piety till jannah.Wassalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu