Guiding the Young Generation is Necessary
Allah Almighty has divided human life into three stages. The first stage is childhood, in which playing, traveling, and amusement are their favorite pastimes. The last stage is old age, in which intellect and understanding are complete, and experiences come to an end, but the strengths weaken and the limbs become feeble. In between these, the most important and necessary stage is youth.
Therefore, to highlight the importance of this stage, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that one of the five questions on the Day of Judgment will be about youth: "Tell me where you spent your youth?" Similarly, in another hadith, he said that the one whose youth is spent in the worship of Allah will be under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Judgment (Sahih Bukhari).
This era is full of strength and energy, new ideas, the flourishing of intellect and wisdom, strong limbs, high morale, full of emotions, abundance of aspirations, and the dominance of carnal desires.
These young people are the future and builders of the nation. The stability of society depends on them. They are the precious asset of society.
But in the present circumstances, when we review the days and nights of the youth, and analyze their words and deeds, a question mark appears on the youth of the Muslim nation. The decline of the future is visible. The first problem of today's youth is that they are far away from Islamic teachings. The second problem is that the generation gap is becoming a barrier. As a result, their role is not visible in the educational, cultural, and economic fields of society. Their opinions are rejected. The condition of the youth is such that Western civilization is making them mentally ill. The educational system of the country has made them feel inferior. Economic decline has made them hopeless about a bright future.
With little encouragement, they become inactive, fall into satanic temptations, and negative thoughts have distanced them from responsibilities and Islam. Most of the youth are those who do not know their destination, are victims of waywardness, and carnal diseases are developing in them. Immorality, obscene acts, and adultery are increasing among them. Social media has become the center of their lives. Most of the youth are suffering from depression, to the extent that some, out of greed, become victims of apostasy.
In such deplorable circumstances, we cannot expect improvement from the young generation. Evil will be promoted instead of good in society, and it is possible that we will suffer an irreparable loss.
We cannot turn away from these situations by calling them your or our personal problem; rather, it is the duty of all of us to bring these young people into action, keeping in mind the Prophetic biography and Islamic teachings. When they are in the educational field, they should be guided towards useful education. When they are in search of lawful sustenance, they should be given economic guidance. When they reach the age of marriage, they should be married. Their enthusiasm and fervor should not be allowed to weaken. Before laziness is found in them, they should be kept busy in social affairs. They should be allowed to interfere in political affairs. Their mental and intellectual training should be done daily in mosques. When their holidays are over, they should be sent out in groups. If possible, the history of Islam should be included in the curriculum. Disconnection should be announced from those who cross the limits. There are countless examples of this in the Prophetic era; for example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) appointed Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the army fighting the Romans at the young age of 19, while experienced people like Hazrat Umar were present.
Hazrat Mus'ab bin Umair (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed as the first ambassador and sent to Medina for religious education.
In the early days of Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) paid more attention to the youth; as a result, except for a few people, most of the youth accepted Islam. Even today, they can be brought to the right path by telling them the stories of the Companions. Their aspirations can be made useful. By guiding them correctly, the society can be made strong, stable, pleasant, and prosperous again.
Our elders need to understand that we cannot turn away from the feelings, emotions, and needs of the youth, but rather keep a compassionate and educational eye on them, and not distance ourselves from them. At the same time, the youth should respect the presence of their ancestors, consult them, and their guidance is like a lamp in the paths of life.
In this way, when the energy of the youth and the wisdom of the elders come together, an educated, well-mannered, peaceful, pleasant, and exemplary society will be formed.