The Muslim Youth
Al-Fajr Magazine, December 86
The tide of permissiveness and corruption that engulfs this society threatens
to drown all who come in contact with it. No one, however, is more vulnerable
to the seduction of this materialistic society than ouryouth. The
corruption that affects every layer of society is causing the Muslim parents
not only to worry about the morals and abnormal behaviour of their children,
but even to fear for their well being andsafety. The tremendous pressures
of living in the west, whose entire basis is founded upon values and principles
contradicting Islam, is having its impact on those most liable to deviate
from the straight pathof Islam i.e. the Youth.The youth, with their lack
of basic Islamic concepts and necessary Islamic culture, are little equipped
to face the evil that confronts them from the media, in the schools and
streets, and from every facet of this system. They have no immunity.
And although many Muslim parents endeavour to create an Islamic atmosphere
in their homes and communities, this emotional environment is not sufficient
to sustain theyouth. Even the the combination of atmosphere and some
of the Islamic rituals is insufficibnt to protect the youth in the face
of the erroneous thoughts and corrupt practices.Many of the youth are more
interested in securing educational achievement and, by doing so, paving
the way for a prosperous future, than caring for their Islamic awareness
and commitment. One has to saythat technical and scientific achievement
by way of education is very important for the Muslim youth. There
is no doubt in this. Firstly, for improving their individual and communal
standard of living and secondly, for the benefit of the Islamic Ummah (nation)
and the strength of their religion.Accordingly the youth should embark
on this task earnestly and enthusiastically. But, Islam does not
allow them to sacrifice their unique Islamic personality on account of
the benefit of wordly matters. On the contrary, if a Muslim is obliged
to choose between the work for Islam and the beauty of this.life, he has
to select - without hesitation - the word of Allah and struggle for it.
"SAY: IF YOUR FATHERS, ANDYOUR SONS, AND YOUR BRETHREN,
AND YOUR WIVES, AND YOUR TRIBE, AND THEWEALTH YE HAVE ACQUIRED,
AND MERCHANDISE FOR WHICH YE FEAR THAT THEREWILL BE NO SALE, AND
DWELLINGS YE DESIRE ARE DEARER TO YOU THAN ALLAHAND HIS MESSENGER
AND STRIVING IN HIS WAY: THEN WAIT TILL ALLAH BRINGETHHIS COMMAND
TO PASS. ALLAH GUIDETH NOT WRONG-DOING FOLK". (Quran 9:24)So
the Muslim youth, particularly those in this country have not to accept
to remain in this defensive situation. Feeling that they are under
the pressure of the misguidance and by doing so responding only toprotect
themselves against it. Instead they have to realise that they are
Muslims who have a duty towards their religion and towards their nation
(Ummah). It is a twin duty. It is impossible to conceive offulfilling
ones duty to Islam without the Ummah, or serving the Ummah without Islam.When
we say Ummah, we do not mean limiting our minds to the term community or
even our homeland. To do so would be shameful. Ummah means,
and should always mean, Muslims everywhere in the land of Islam.Hence your
nationality is Islam and your allegiance should always remain with Islam.
You have to terminate any patriotic, nationalistic, racial, geographical,
schollary or group allegiance. You have to be all brothers whom Allah
has granted under the banner of "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed
is His Messenger".Islam does not allow anyone to raise any communal or
nationalistic calls, or to boast with any values except the Takwa (fear
of Allah (SWT) and observing his duty) "The best of you to Allah is the
most Takwa".This necessitates that you keep your heart, mind, sight and
emotions open to your Ummah. It is extremely shallow thinking that
leads a Muslim to limit his thinking, attention and activity within his
community or country of origin. Such people follow the news of their
own community or country and neglect and ignore what is going on in other
parts of the lands of Islam. Although such inclinations appear to
be natural and spontaneous this parochial attitude serves to draw, the
lines that keeps the Ummah divided. Even the co-ordination of the different
activities practiced by the various movements established originally on
a regional or local basis, means to continue these local, racial or nationalistic
tendencies.The focus of your public awareness should be the current situation
of your Ummah and the prospect without its future without Islam.
This distinctive Ummah, without Islam as a unique way of life cannot exist.When
you realise how the first Muslims that emigrated to Abyssinia - because
of the oppression of the mushshrikeen of Quraysh - kept themselves tied
through their hearts and minds with their brothers inMecca, following their
struggle there in Mecca, then you cannot but appreciate the error of detaching
yourselves from the sons of your Ummah in their homeland.As the Muslim
youth you should be aware that you are the promising hope of this religion
and Ummah. This firmly puts on your shoulders the burden of responsibility,
not only towards yourselves and your Ummah, but also towards humanity.
For it is only Islam that revives the world correctly.The societies of
both West and East have lost all the noble values and high morals.
Through rejecting the guidance of Allah and following their whims and fancies
which are present in the slogans of Democracyand Liberty. Freedom
to do whatever they like has brought them everything but peace, tranquility
and satisfaction. Democracy, which gives them the right to cancel the laws
of Allah and to legitimise theirdesires in law, has facilitated the destruction
of the whole moral and spiritual basis of this society.Thus, your responsibility
is so great and so noble. To save yourself and your Ummah with Islam,
and then to save all mankind by inviting them to Islam. You need
first to establish the right example of Islam notwords or slogans - but
a real Islamic society that serves to demonstrate to humanity. To
present to them - so that they may observe and judge - the true individual,
communal and governmental relationships andpolicies that reflect the heavenly
modes of justice and truth. To manifest the fairness of Islam in
dealing with Muslims and non-Muslims alike. And to show what it means
for the rulers to care for the poorand weak as a duty rather than a favour.
This is a vivid example for which our Prophet (peace be upon him) and his
young companions worked so hard in Mecca and for which they finally achieved
in Medina.To appreciate the role of these young companions of our Prophet
(peace be upon him) in this process just consider the magnificent duty
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib performed for Islam when he faced the Abyssinian ruler,the
Negus.The Muslims had migrated to Abyssinia to flee from the oppression
of Quraysh. When Quraysh saw that they could not stop the Muslims
exodus to Abyssinia, they sent a delegation to the Negus to request theirextradition
back to Mecca. Before agreeing to their extradition the Negus asked
what the Muslims had to say for themselves. It was Ja'far ibn abi
Talib, then aged about 20 years old, who spoke on behalf of theMuslims
Just reflect upon a portion of what Ja'far said to the Negus, consider
the maturity in his words and the profound understanding he displayed which
far exceeded his young age:"O King! We have been a people of ignorance
worshipping idols, eating the flesh of dead animals, committing abonominations,
neglecting our relatives and doing evil to our neighbours. The strong,
among us would oppress the weak. We were in this state when Allah
sent us a Messenger from among us whose descent and sincerity, trustworthiness
and honesty were known to us. He summoned us to worship the One True
God and to reject the stones and idols we and our fathers had been worshipping
in addition to Allah. He ordered us to be truthful of speech, to
fulfill all the duties that were entrusted to us, to care for our relatives,
to be kind to our neighbours, to refrain from unlawful food and consumption
of blood. He forbade us to engage in lewdness and lying, the devouring
of the money of the orphan and the defamation of married women. He
commanded us to worship the One God and to assign no partners unto Him,
to pray, to pay the purifying tax and to fast. We deem him truthful and
we believed him, and we accepted the message he brought from Allah".Also
consider the example of Mus'ab ibn Umayer who at the age of only 24 was
sent by the prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) to teach the Muslims of
Al-Madina Islam. In just one year Mus'ab was so successful in the
call to Islam that he prepared Madina to be the land, of the first Islamic
State.To confirm that age has no bearing on the suitability and responsibility
to carry this call, remember that Ali bin Talib was only 8 years old when
he entered Islam. Az-Zubayr bin-Awwam converted when he was only
12 years old. Sa'd bin Abi-Waqqas was 17 when he converted. When
Talhah bin Ubaydallah obeyed Allah he was only 11 and Abdullah bin Massoud
was merely 14.These young companions who entered into Islam so very young
stopped - the moment they embraced Islam - to dream as their friend dreamed
of entertainment and pleasure. They, although still very young, dreamedthe
glory of Islam and the dwelling of paradise. Such that the brother
of Sa'd Abi-Waqqas, Umayr, died a Martyr at the age of only sixteen.By
Islam, the most noble of youth, were brought from the trifling life of
ignorance (Jahiliya) to the prosperous life of Islam. From the corrupt
pride of tribalism to the dignity of the Universal Islam. Theybecame
with Islam, the Messengers of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Kings
and Caesars of Persia and Rome. They commanded the armies, ruled
the provinces and states, and became judges and scholars. But even
more important than all of that, they became the obedient slaves of Allah,
who-satisfied Him and so they deserved His satisfaction.
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