Youth and the Future of Ummah

In his Friday Sermon of 11 December 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius spoke on the role of the youth in shaping the nation. As the future of a community critically depends upon the emotional, intellectual and spiritual culture of  its youth; Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores in this discourse the importance of education and proper training of the youth in the true values of life. Against the backdrop of the materialist cultures of our societies failing its youths, Hazrat Saheb (aba) exhorts the young Muslims to turn to the values of Deen-i-Islam, and correct their elders in clearing theological misconceptions and deviant social practices that compromise an ethical Islamic social life. 

Drawing inspiration from the Abdals [great men of faith in the past], the young Muslims could inculcate within themselves the spirit of good conduct and righteousness in their every day life. Building a spirit of selflessness and service to others even at the cost of one's own self; gaining self control by practicing Divine commands such as offering Tahajjud, and offering regular Salaat at the prescribed timings; being grateful to God by sharing the benefits of one's resources and skills with others in need; abstaining from sins and avoiding evil pathways- Hazrat Saheb (aba) maps deep insights on spiritual values that can empower the youth against all destructive temptations in our times.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

               وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا   

‘And when the children among you have attained to puberty...’ 

[The Holy Qur’an, (24: 60)].  

 

Youth is a very important step in the life of man. It is a stage where his intelligence is strengthened and where he is in a better position to understand practical life through reflection and analysis. If in his youth a person does not acquire a good formation, then he will waste his youth in vain and bad things, and this will put him in a dangerous situation, for his life will take a wrong turn (direction). But if in his prime youth the person prepares himself to follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and does the required preparation to take up his own responsibilities as they should be taken, it is then that he will be able to convert a dead nation into an alive one, through his good conduct and his enthusiasm to work — and this dedication of his become a model for others to follow.

'Grow Up with Family Bond'

  

The Family & The Youth 

What is the family? This is the set of people with blood ties or ties of kinship [through marriage as well] living almost under the same roof. The extended family generally includes grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, cousins ​​and others, including, of course, children of different parents. 

A question that is generally asked at the level of all generations and even among the young people of today: What good can a family bring? Of course, there will be different ways of thinking, of reasoning, of answering this question which torments the minds of many parents within the Ummah itself. And we can cite so many other cases where the parent-child relationship does not seem to be cordial. Why? 

Yet according to a Hadith from Bukhari, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) explains that the family brings stability and ensures security. The family is the first place where we socialize, where we learn the rules of life in society. It allows you not to live alone, to become a parent, and to live with those whom you love, to strengthen community bonds through alliances [marriages]. 

But the most important thing about the family - for believers of the Ummah - is that it is the first place to learn about the existence of Allah (twt) as the Unique Creator, and the value of Islam.

Gadgets and Life Balance

In a special Message on 22 April 2020, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (atba) of Mauritius exhorts everyone of us- youths and children of the Jamaat, as well as their parents- to be aware of the harmful effects of 'addiction' to electronic gadgets: smartphones, earphones, digital entertainment, etc. As technology 'machines' help in simplifying daily tasks in several, different ways; one can easily appreciate their instrumental value. Yet, it is also critical to strike a correct and fine balance in our approach to these machines. In our gadget-driven world of hyper-connectivity, the omnipresence of smartphones as 'entertainment' machines raises special challenges for impressionable children. Being glued to these gadgets can cause the deeply-vulnerable youths to lose focus on the issues that matter; setting them on a path of 'alternate reality' where they become oblivious of their true surroundings. The widely-observed contemporary phenomenon of lack of respect, and rift in relations between young-adults and their parents; tension and turmoil in family and social life, etc. can be explained in terms of such harmful addictions and negative influences. To secure our ethical values and to reclaim balance in individual and social life, it is essential to adopt a correct approach to technology devices and what they bring on the table, points out Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in this discourse. 

Read the Special Address Below: 

The Dangers in Digital Space

The Youth of the Ummah in Peril- II

More than ever before, our times are bearing witness to phenomenal changes in technological innovations and human lives are increasingly organized around smartphones and other technology-based instruments. Thanks to the convergence of communication technologies and the consequent emergence of social media platforms in cyber-space, virtual interactions with people anywhere is easily feasible in our globalized world. Certainly, advanced technologies are vital enablers and a force-multiplier for doing good, allowing individuals and nations to come together on common platforms to discuss specific concerns and to share best practices for addressing challenges. At the same time, we need to be critically-aware of the negative side effects- the many dangers and harmful impacts lurking behind the unprecedented ‘opening-up’ made possible by the new mediums of the digital space, especially for the young people.  

In his Friday Sermon of 22 February 2019~17 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius continues the theme of the perils affecting modern-day youth in our societies. Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) warns against the increasingly unabashed pursuit of synthetic happiness- be it in drugs and other deadly cocktails by the youth in our times, and points to the critical need for comprehensive intervention at various levels by the social stakeholders to ensure that our deeply-vulnerable young people are weaned-away from fatal attractions and dangerous choices in their lives, with profound consequences for families and societies as well.

Likewise, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) alludes to the many dangers of the new "addictions" of the youth, represented by their 'trendy gadgets', and the virtual access to social media platforms. The extraordinary reach of the new mediums to capture our emotions, thoughts as well as other inanities through photos, videos and other forms of self- expressions, coupled with the temptations of the young to share it all with both friends and complete strangers can have profoundly negative implications for our emotional happiness, psychological well-being and mental health, especially for the people who are  virtually "addicted" to these devices. As the communication devices are 'neutral' enablers, the danger of criminality and immorality are ever-present, and as such, the new challenges of ubiquitous access requires careful handling, and the prudent deployment of vital ethical teachings on decent engagements and appropriate behaviour. The task ahead for the social actors is to ensure that the youth are constantly-educated and enabled to deal with the challenges and pitfalls of the new platforms so that they may only exploit their true potential in the most appropriate and creative ways for their own progress and the social common good, points out Hadhrat Saheb (atba). 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

By the grace of Allah, I continue today the second part of my sermon on “The Youth of the Ummah in Peril”. Last Friday I told you how young people also have a mission to accomplish. The youth are our future, and they must be protected from the harmful effects of globalisation. The Islamic faith of the youth of our Ummah must be protected and safeguarded. 

The Youth and 'Synthetic' Pleasures

The Youth of the Ummah in Peril

Liberal, lawless practices of the modern era, under the influence of Westerners and Americans, mainly affect young people. If this fringe of society of non-believers does not care so much about misdeeds, damage and other major problems caused by globalization, the youth of the Ummah, on the other hand, cannot and must not remain indifferent to its influence on their way of life, their way of behaving. And especially the harmful effect it causes to their faith and piety. This is disturbing.

The Youth's Mission

Now, the youth is the future. For all, without exception. Nations, countries, organizations, communities, family. All depend on the youth of today to take over for continuity. The same goes for Muslim youth, the youth of the Ummah in the four corners of the earth. This youth has a mission. To take over from the elders. To continue to propagate the Sahih al Islam (true Islam/ true teachings of Islam) in righteousness. To build educational centres for children and adults. But above all, to fraternize with members of other communities. For it is quite clear, according to Qur’anic verses and Hadiths, that to have respect for one’s neighbour is piety.

It is through this respect for everyone that this youth, the pillar of tomorrow, can build solid foundations for the Ummah to live in peace, serenity, tranquillity, and harmony. However, the youth of this century is going through difficult times with the rise of globalization that touches all corners of the world.

The Youth's Embarrassment

This situation really embarrasses the youth of the Ummah because they seem to be caught between two fires: (1) the principle of Islam which makes the clear-cut clear difference between the lawful (Halal) and the unlawful (Haram); (2) The boundless freedom in all matters of the unbelievers in this temporal world.

Youth 'Fashion' & Muslim Parents

THE MUSLIM YOUTHS ARE GOING ASTRAY

Many of our elders these days have approached me to share their testimonials about our male and female Muslim youths. Despite the hard trials, boycott and persecution upon me and the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, but as the Caliph of Allah, I do not have the right to remain passive and fear them, and thereby letting our youths (boys and girls) go astray. 

By the grace of Allah, come what may, I do not have fear of creatures in me, and Allah (swt) has sent me to accomplish a mission and I shall do it despite the palavers and persecutions of the so-called great defenders of Islam. When they have relinquished, abandoned the works which they were supposed to do, Allah has raised His Caliph (Khalifatullah) with a Jamaat to do the noble work which our beloved prophet (pbuh) did. Try as you may, but you shall not be able to extinguish the light of Allah, and let me tell you that Allah (swt) shall continue to perfect His light. Allah (swt) does not need the permission of anybody. When He has to raise His Chosen Servant, He raises him without being accountable to anyone. As for you (our opponents) wait for the consequences (of your acts) before Allah (swt).

Coming back to the subject on the Muslim Youths: Thus, what we see these days, it is sad to say that our youths are going completely astray. And it is sad to see also see Muslim girls in all corners of the streets with non-Muslim boys, and flirting as if they are Bollywood and Hollywood actresses and actors. What is worst is that the image (and honour) of Islam is being trampled by them, for in addition to all these, they also display themselves with beer cans. Where are those so-called Mullahs, those great defenders? Are they blind? Do they not see which route these youths have taken?

As for you, parents – I am not judging you (but) – are you talking with your kids these days? Instead of losing time in vain things and talks, for example, watching vain TV serials or talking about vain things (palavers) with the neighbours, instead of all these, talk with your children like parents should so as to know what is going on in their everyday lives. 

Youth Activism for a Better Society

Youth is an invaluable asset for a nation since it guarantees their safety and hope. Unfortunately, today, we find that the Muslim youths, especially in Mauritius are too focused on themselves. If you ask them what they do during the holidays, they will answer unanimously: Tuitions, TV, Facebook, going out with friends in shopping malls etc.

Does youth comes down to this? Rare are the people who practice other activities. Similarly, in colleges, there are a significant number of absentees on the day when the school decides for example, to do a charitable activity as students prefer to stay home to work out test papers, to do their tuition homework, or worse, to go out and have fun with friends. They do not realize what they are losing because precisely our Islamic training recommends us to be generous and to help one another, to defend just causes and to work for the good of humanity. The Muslim youth must share and affirm the values ​​he believes in by taking part voluntarily and actively in community life.

Social engagement has countless benefits on the psychological level. There is first a better understanding among people from different backgrounds. Today, the youth with material wealth remains in a (too protected/spoiled) cocoon with his studies, his latest mobile, gadgets and connection on social networks (Facebook, Twitter etc.) without having an idea of ​​the difficulties faced by others who are worse off, like the poor, the sick, the disabled, the illiterate, the orphan, and the list is long. It is by putting himself at their service that he can mature both physically and emotionally.