SYED KAZIM takes stock of the Muslim society to find that the Muslim youth today stand too much enchanted with the glare of the world to be Muslims, and urges the elders to work towards showing the beauty of Islam to the youth and bringing them closer to Islam.
Today’s youth are in spiritual crisis. We believe in Allah but we don’t perform His rights. We claim to love Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) but we leave his Sunnah. We read the Qur’ān but don’t understand it and thus don’t act upon it. We eat the provision of Allah but don’t thank Him.
We know Satan is our enemy but we easily agree with him. We say Jannah is true but we don’t work for it. We say Hellfire is true but we don’t flee from it. We believe Death to be a truth but we don’t prepare for it. We bury our dead but we don’t learn from them.
Today, the youth claim they have a very busy life; first they are busy with their studies and then with their jobs. They have become so busy that they complain they don’t have enough time to study Islam and to involve in Islamic activities. Were the Companions of the Prophet also busy? Did they also have the same complain? Did they have enough time to study Islam? The Companions were not born with a silver spoon and even they had to work.
We might claim we are living in the 21st century and we need to work more; then we are wrong. The companions were shepherds, farmers and businessmen; they were much busier than we are. They could not go to the cattle to tell them they are busy and will see them after a week or so; they had to take care of them every day. The farmers cannot go to the plants to tell they will see them after a month; they have to take care of them every day. Even doing business was not that easy then; they had to put a lot of effort. How come they were able to study Islam from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), involve in Dawah activities and make a living? The companions were very active and were never lazy.
Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had a business and also some pieces of land; he had a partner from among the Ansar. He made an agreement with his partner, saying that he was going to work for one day and the latter would go to Madina and accompany Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) the whole day and when the latter would come back in the night, he would report to the former everything the Prophet had said and the next day the former would accompany the Prophet and the latter would take care of the work. They both end up doing more work as they had to do the work of the partner in his absence.
In order to earn money, both Muslims and non-Muslims will have to work; there is no discrimination in this regard. A Muslim will have to put double effort when compared to a non-Muslim as he has to work not only for this world but also for the hereafter. And to work for both we need to sacrifice – we need to sacrifice our comfort, we need to sacrifice our sleep, we need to sacrifice our entertainment, and we need to sacrifice our family and much more.
Today’s youth are living a life of split personality. They behave in a different manner when they are in the mosque (if they really care to visit the mosque) and have a completely different personality when they are outside the mosque. As soon as they enter the mosque, they wear a cap and fold their pants and when the leave the mosque, the cap is off and the pants are unfolded. Are we just going with the swing of the society? Why don’t we think and question as to what we are doing? On Fridays they follow the LIFO (Last in First Out) Policy; they try to be the last to enter the mosque and the first to leave the mosque. Their attachment to the mosque is decreasing day by day while Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) has promised that the people who have attachment to the mosque will be in the Shade of Allah on the Day of Judgement.
Today the Muslim youth are busy discussing trivial issues: 1. Hands should be on the chest or on the stomach while performing Salah? 2. To wear the cap while praying or not? 3. Should one do Rafaidain during Salah or not? 4. Should we move the finger during Tashahhud or not? 5. Aameen should be pronounced loudly or slowly? 6. We should pray Taraweeh, eight rakats or twenty rakats? 7. To shake hand with one hand or both hands? 8. Should the pant be above the ankle or not? 9. What should be the size of the beard? 10. Should we go with universal moon sighting or with local moon sighting? The more people discuss these issues, the more the issues get bigger and bigger and we will never come to a common conclusion. Is Islam all about these trivial things or there is much more Islam has to offer?
If we are only busy with all these discussions and finish on these issues then: 1. Who will convey the message of Islam to those who still need to know it? 2. Who will motivate the youth to read and understand the Qur’ān? 3. Who will raise the voice against the illegal arrest of innocent Muslim youth? 4. Who will strive to remove the capitalistic, imperialist and interest-based economic system which has been impacting our lives from every angle? 5. Who will stand up against the unjust killing happening in Palestine, Egypt and Syria? 6. Who will speak against pornography, vulgarity in televisions and movies? 7. Who will protest against pre- and extramarital sex and live-in relationship which is hampering our society? 8. Who will speak against the various social evils like female foeticide, alcohol consumption, rapes and gambling which are paving the way for greater evils? 9. Who will strive to implement value-based politics? Who will fight against corruption? And, finally, 10. Who will work to establish the law of Allah on this earth?
Today’s youth have gone on to become Google Intellectuals; they read something on the internet and feel that know everything. They start criticising groups and organisations which go on to become their favourite pastime. The discussion goes on for hours with no conclusion in the end. Let us come out of the mode of criticism and enter the mode of striving and struggling for Islam and work with unity in the Ummah. Umar ibn Khattab would teach a principle that if you disagree with someone on Fiqh, you obey for unity as unity is more important.
Today’s youth are struggling to surrender to Islam as they have already surrendered to the western culture. They are unable to surrender to the Qur’ān as they have already surrendered to other books. They are not able to use their brains to think critically as they have already become slave to what the society is following. And finally they are happy living in their comfort zone that they don’t want to come to Islam completely.
Today’s youth should understand their duties as Muslims. They should not merely be confined to the affirmation of faith in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgement, nor should they be confined to performing the prayers, observing the fasts, paying Zakat and performing Hajj. Over and above theses duties, there is one which is the most important that your lives bear witness to the Truth that you have been given by God before all mankind, the Truth which you believe to be true. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “And thus We have made you a median (i.e., just) community that you will be witness unto people and the Messenger will be a witness unto you.” (Qur’ān 2:143).
For this very purpose all the Messengers were sent to the world; this was their primary duty. After them, their followers were entrusted with the same duty. And now the Muslim Ummah, as the followers of the Last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), is charged with the very mission, just as he was charged with it during his lifetime. This witness of ours would not be complete unless we establish a society based on the principles and teachings of Islam. By translating its ideas and practices, its norms and values, its rules and laws, into public policies and programmes, such a society would demonstrate how the Divine guidance leads to equality and justice, reform and upliftment, caring and efficient administration, social welfare, peace and order, high standards of morality in public servants, virtue and righteousness in internal policies, honesty in foreign policies, civilized conduct in war, integrity and loyalty in peace.
Today, to what extent we love our Muslim brothers and sisters? Today, to what extent we are going against our way to help the fellow Muslims? What is our contribution to the unity of the Ummah? Today, to what extent do we keep our words and promises? Today, to what extent we have a forgiving nature? Today, to what extent we are learning from the events which happen around us? Today, to what extent we have love for Islam? Today, to what extent we are ensuring that we don’t spoil the image of Muslims? Today, to what extent we are striving to understand, learn and live by the Qur’ān? Today, to what extent we are making Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) our role model?
There is no point in ignoring the big elephant in the room. This article is not only for the youth to read and understand the problem but also for the elders to understand the real problem of the youth today and try to think of practical solutions which will help them overcome the problem and develop the true understanding of Islam. The knowledgeable and educated should work towards showing the beauty of Islam to the youth and bringing them closer to Islam. Islam is not only about physical appearance, it is not only about praying five times a day, but it has a lot more to offer, when the youth will understand this. It is always better to work on the youth today rather than working on the men tomorrow.