References :The Falcon then came forward, and said, "Verily , all praise is due to Allah . We praise Him, seek refuge with Him, and seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our souls, and the mistakes in our actions. Whoever Allah Guides, there is none who can misguide him, and whoever Allah misguides, there is none who can guide him. And I testify that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah , and I testify that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant and Messenger.
O my brothers and sisters, listen to this story, Abd ar-Rahman bin ' Awf narrated, 'I was standing in the ranks on the day of Badr. So, a young boy approached me - he was at the age of puberty, or recently past the age of puberty - and said, " O uncle ! Where is Abu Jahl? " So, I said to him, " What do you want with him?" He is confused, this young boy is asking about Abu Jahl, the knight, the commander of jahiliyyah. The boy replied, " I heard that he insults the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So, by Allah, if I see him, my shadow will not leave his until I kill him, or he kills me."
Then , another young boy approached me , who was of the same age as the previous boy. He said to me, 'O uncle! Where is Abu Jahl? " I asked him, 'What do you want with him?' He replied, " We heard that he would insult the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). By Allah, if I see him, my shadow will not leave his until I kill him, or he kills me.'
After a while, I spotted Abu Jahl from afar. So, I said, 'This is the man you seek,' and I wished that I could be between the ribs of this youth, and that my heart could be like the heart of this youth, zealous and energetic , and looking forward to death. So, they dashed towards him.
Shortly after, they returned, saying, 'O Messenger of Allah ! We killed him ! " The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, " Which one of you killed him? " Mu'adh bin 'Amr bin al - Jamu' said , 'I did,' and Mu'adh bin 'Afra said, 'I did.' He(ﷺ) then asked them, 'Have you wiped your swords clean yet?" They said, "No." He (ﷺ) said, 'Show them to me." So, he (ﷺ) found blood on both swords, and said to them, " You both killed him.'
Mu'adh bin 'Amr bin al-Jamu' al-Ansari al-Khazraji as-Salami narrated, " I made Abu Jahl my target on the day of Badr. So, when he was finally in my sights, I went for him and struck him, cutting through the middle of his thigh. Suddenly, his son Ikrimah sliced through my shoulder with his sword, leaving my arm hanging from my body by a piece of skin. This left me hindered from fighting for the rest of the day, as I had to drag my arm behind me ! Finally, when I could take it no more, I put my foot down on my arm and jerked my body back until my arm came off.' Mu'adh bin 'Amr bin al-Jamu', radhiyallahu 'anhu, witnessed Bay 'at al-'Aqabah, as well as Badr. He died during the reign of Amirul Mu'mineen, 'Uthman Ibn Affan, radhiyallahu 'anhu.
'Abdullah bin Mas' ud then searched through the corpses, found Abu Jahl breathing his last breath, and sat on his chest. Abu Jahl opened his eyes to see Ibn Mas' ud on his chest, and said, in a degrading fashion, 'Were you not one of our shepherds in Makkah?' Ibn Mas'ud said, 'I certainly was, O enemy of Allah." Abu Jahl then said, 'You have put yourself in a difficult position, you camel shepherd. You sit on my chest?Nobody has ever sat themselves down on such an honorable thing.' Ibn Mas'ud then said, 'Whose day is it today? Who is the victorious one? Allah and His Messenger(ﷺ). Abu Jahl said, 'Inform Muhammad that I will remain his enemy until my last breath."
When 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud was in Makkah, Abu Jahl hit him, injuring his ear. So, when Ibn Mas'ud was sitting on the chest of Abu Jahl, he cut off his head. He then pierced a hole in Abu Jahl's ear, tied a rope through it, and dragged his head by this rope. It seems that Abu Jahl's head was quite large, and Ibn Mas'ud was a frail, weak person. So, when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw Abu Jahl's severed head, he fell into prostration out of gratitude to Allah, and said, "By the One besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, there is a Fir'awn for every ummah, and this is the Fir'awn of this Ummah. "The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) saw the rope tied through the hole in Abu Jahl's ear, remembered the day that he had injured Ibn Mas'ud' s ear in Makkah, and then said to Ibn Mas'ud, 'An ear for an ear, and the head is extra.'
This is Abu Jahl, whose existence the people were relieved of by two young boys in the early part of their lives. They were around seventeen years of age, which would put them in high school! Each one of them faced and killed the elite knight of Quraysh, Abu Jahl, giving the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the glad tidings of having finally gotten rid of him. And if you look to the battles of Badr, the Trench, Mu'tah, etc., you would not find except youths.
Therefore, O youth, hear ye! Countries do prosper except with the help of its citizens, and religion does not gain strength except with its followers. When the followers of Islam will stand up for it, Allah will help them no matter how many enemies they have. If Deen religion cannot be strong except with it' s followers, then it is necessary for us, the followers of Islam and it's flag-bearers, that we firstly strengthen ourselves so that we may become worthy of leadership and guidance. It is imperative that we learn from the book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Rasool (ﷺ) which will equip us for speech, action, guiding and inviting. This will enable us to carry the weapons of the guidance of Islam to all those who seek the truth and also to wield it against all those who seek falsehood.
Then it is necessary for us to put into practice what we have learnt from the Qur ' aan and Sunnah, on the basis of Eemaan, conviction and sincerity. Our characteristic should not be one of speech only because if speech is not backed up by action, it's effect will not extend beyond the speaker and this speech will have an opposite elect.
Islam offers a perfect code of life which addresses human concerns at all stages of life. The dilemmas faced by contemporary young people are no exception. Worries and misconceptions creep into their minds, make them feel confused and distressed, and may cause them to tum in the wrong direction; this may result in their being led astray. Allah the Creator, however; has bestowed upon humanity complete guidance which, if understood and followed, offers direction to even the most troubled minds and hearts. Young people who follow Allah's guidance will become a source of pride, inspiration, and strength for global muslim community. They offer hope for the future and a cure fot the ills that plague the world. Their reward lies not only this world but in the eternal life to come.
The youth are the spirit of a nation, the resource of the future, and the hope for tomorrow. They are the nerve of life and the blood that runs in the artery of the society. The society will never progress except by their efforts.
Dove asked, "O my brother, who are the youth?" Falcon said, "Many think that the youth are a segment of a society who are between the ages of 18 and 40. But the fact of the matter is that every individual able to play a role in the society, be it a child, a grown-up, young or old is a member of the youth. Hence, their participation is not confined to a specified age or a certain period of time. A human being stays young so long as he is able to serve his society, his country, and his nation. Thus he stays young as long as he offers some of his expertise and his knowledge whether is a worker, peasant, employee, or and employer."
Dove asked, "What is the duty of the Youth?" Falcon said, "A great duty is laid upon the shoulders of the Youth to serve their country and their society. They are supposed to fulfill their great duty without any laziness or tardiness. The Youth will not fulfill this duty fully unless they believe in it, are aware of it, and are directed to it with conviction and satisfaction. There must be no coercion or force.
If he is pushed by his strong faith, awaking belief, his national and social sense, then he will work day and night. He will endeavour in every sphere to serve his nation and to serve his country. The youth will always strive to work industriously in the cause of developing his nation and move it up the ladder of civilization.
A human being does not only perform his duty when he is enticed or frightened. But he does it in the best manner when he has undoubting faith. Thus, we can be sure that the fruit of his duty will be reaped. The Youth in every society are the cause of progress, development, and prestige. They are also the cause of society falling into the abyss. This is because they form the essential working group of every intellectual, social, political, or moral sphere."
Dove asked, "What are the rights of the Youth?" Falcon said, "Due to the significant role, the Youth play in elevating the society, we might wondered what has been offered to this segment of society? What must they be offered to guarantee their continuous productivity and steadfastness in doing their duty fully without deviation?
Since they have been asked to fulfill their duty, in return they have some rights. They should not be blamed if they request such rights. The fully grown Youth is like the flower which is full of life, ambition, and determination that does not settle or relax. He is always in need of care and catering to his needs and personal concerns. He is in need of someone to hold him by his hand and offer him what is needed in this life to enable him to lead his society and country to progress and the achievement of the desired goals. These rights vary with time and with the environment, and must be addressed with care and guidance in order to fulfill the needs of the time.
If we closely exam the youth, it will be possible for us to conclude that the youth are generally of three types, he first type is Rightly guided youth. They are Youth who firmly believe in all the implications of the shahadatain. They truly believe in their Deen. Eemaan is beloved to them and they are content and satisfied with their Eemaan. They consider acquiring Eemaan as a profit and deprivation from it as a big loss. They worship Allah sincerely. They worship Allah alone who has no partner.They follow the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (ﷺ) practically in his speech and action because they believe that he is the Messenger of Allah and the leader of all messengers.
They establish salah perfectly to the best of their ability, because they believe in the benefit and the religious, worldly and social merit found in prayer, and the dangerous consequences of neglecting salah for both the individual and the nation. They who give Zakah in full to those who are deserving of it, because they believe that Zakah fulfils the needs of Islam and it is one of the five Pillars of Islam. They fast during the month of Ramadaan. They stop themselves from their desires and cravings, whether it is summer or winter because they believe that actions are for the pleasure of Allah. Thus they give preference to that which pleases Allah over that which they desire.
They perform the compulsory duty of Hajj to the sacred house of Allah because they love Allah. Thus they love the house of Allah and they love going to the places of his mercy and forgiveness and collaborating with his Muslim brothers who come to these places.
They believe in Allah who is their creator and the creator of the skies and the earth, because they see from amongst the signs of Allah that which leaves no doubt even for a moment whatsoever in the existence and being of Allah. They see in this vast unique universe, in the form and system of the universe, that which clearly indicates towards the existence of its creator and His total power and complete wisdom, because it is not possible for this universe to come into existence on its own, nor is it possible for it to come into existence coincidentally. The reason for this is that the universe was non-existent before it was brought into existence, and that which is non-existent cannot bring anything into existence, because it itself is non-existent.
It is not possible that the universe came into existence coincidentally because it has a unique well-arranged system, which does not change from the procedure predestined for it. The fact that this universe has a unique , well - arranged system , prevents its existence being coincidental. That which is in existence coincidentally will also have a system which is coincidental , which is likely to change or be disturbed in a short period of time.
They believe in the angels of Allah because Allah has given information regarding the angels in his book, the Quran and His Messenger(ﷺ) has given information regarding to in the Sunnah. The Quran and Sunnah explain their qualities , their worship and their actions to which they rigidly stick to for the goodness of the creation . This clearly points to the existence of the angels.
They believe in the prophets and Messengers of Allah whom Allah sent to his creation to call them towards good and enjoin them with good and prevent them from evil so that people do not have any proof against Allah after the sending of prophets. The very first Messenger was Nooh, alayhissalam, and the last messenger was Muhammad (ﷺ).
They believe in the last day in which people will be resurrected after dying , so they may compensate for their actions. Whoever does good equal to an atom, will reap it, and whoever does evil equal to an atom, will reap it. This is the consequence of this world , otherwise what is the benefit of life and what is the wisdom of life if there is no day for the creation in which the doer of good will be compensated for his good , and the perpetrator of evil, punished for his evil ?
They believe in the predestination of good and evil . Thus they believe that everything is with the decree of Allah and his divine foreordainment . This is despite their belief in causes and their related effects and that for both good and evil there are means.
They adhere to the advice of Allah, His messengers, His book, the leaders of the Muslims and the general masses. They interact with Muslims with frankness and openness - the way it is incumbent upon them. They neither mislead, deceive nor conceal anything.
They call towards Allah with deep insight, in accordance to the manner Allah has laid down in His book. They enjoin good and forbid from evil because they believe that in this is the success of the nation. They speak the truth and accept the truth, because truth leads to good and good leads to paradise. A person will continue being truthful and pursue the truth until Allah records him as being a truthful person.
These types of youth are the pride of a nation and a symbol of its prosperity and Deen.These are the youth who will obtain the good of this world and the hereafter. They are the youth who we hope that Allah, with His grace, will use to rectify the corruption amongst the Muslims and illuminate the spiritual path of the seekers of truth.
The second type of youth is the one who is corrupt in his beliefs, irresponsible in his conduct, himself misled, engulfed in vice; he does not accept the truth from anyone nor does he refrain from falsehood and he is selfish in his conduct. He is a teenager who is stubborn. He does not yield to the truth nor does he renounce falsehood. He does not care about his neglect of the rights of man nor the rights of Allah. He is a confused teenager bereft of impartiality in his thinking and in his behaviour. Likewise he lacks balance in all his affairs.
He is conceited with his own opinion as if truth flows from his tongue. He, in his opinion, is free from mishaps, while others are a source of mistakes and slip - ups as long as they contradict his option.
He has turned away from the straight path in his deen and the accepted norms of conduct . The evil of his conduct has been made alluring to him. Therefore he regards it as virtuous. Thus he is the greatest of losers in respect of his deeds. These are the ones whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they presumed that they were doing well.
He is an evil omen upon himself and a misfortune for his society, one who is driving his nation towards the lowest stage. He is a barrier between his nation and their respect and munificence, a lethal influence, difficult to treat - except if Allah wishes. Allah has power over everything.
The third type of youth is he who is confused and doubtful. He recognises the truth and is content with it. He lives in a guarded society except that the doors of evil have opened up for him from every direction. This has created doubt in his beliefs, deviation in his conduct, weakness in his action, a foray from known practices and an influx of diverse falsehood. Thus he is in eternal thought and inner search. Opposing this influx or movement of falsehood is uncertainty. He does not know whether the truth lies in the prevailing ideologies or in the way of his pious predecessors and his safeguarded society. He is thus in doubt - sometimes he accords preference to one side and sometimes the next according to the strength of the influx of these thoughts.
This type of youth is passive in his life. He is in need of captivating strength which will guide him towards the enclosure of truth and the path of goodness.
These types of youth are found in abundance. They obtain a smattering of Islamic education but they acquire much more secular knowledge which conflicts with the basics of Deen either in reality or in their presumptions. Thus they are helpless between the 2 cultures. It is possible for them to gain liberation from this helplessness by establishing themselves upon Islamic education and acquiring this education from it ' s original sources - the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) at the hands of devoted Ulema ( learned men ) - and this is not difficult for them.
The Youth have the problems they face, including, fristly, idleness, is a malady which kills thought processes, the mind and the strength of the body, because the body is always in need of movement and work.
Secondly, alienation and aloofness between the youth and the elderly members of their families or between the youth and others. We see some elders witnessing deviation in their youth but they hesitate, are disconcerted, helpless to strengthen them and dependent from reforming them. The result of this, is hatred is for these youth, estrangement from them and a don't care attitude towards their condition, whether their condition is one of piety or corruption.
Thirdly, liaison with deviated and corrupt people and befriending them. This has a great effect on the mind, the thinking and ways of the youth.
Fourthly, reading of destructive periodicals, booklets and magazines which create doubt in the Deen of a person and in his beliefs. This draws a person towards the abrogation of virtuous character and lands him in disbelief and vice.
Fifthly, the impression of some youth that Islaam is a curtailment of freedom and a repression of strength. Thus, they turn away from Islam regarding it as retrogression and a barrier between them and progress. The cure for this problem is that the veil of the reality of Islam be lifted from these youth who are ignorant of its reality because of their wrong nations, inadequate knowledge or both. Islam does not restrict freedom but it is a control and a correct channelling for it, so much so that the freedom of one person does not clash with the freedom of the next person"
Falcon paused, then said, "O youth, I don't want to talk much, I just want to tell you that you are now in the prime of your lives, and that you must turn towards Islam with knowledge, action, and propagation! It is easy for you to learn, to act, and to teach. If you do not do this within this period, you have let an opportunity pass you by that will never show itself again. Free time is not replaceable! You might never again experience a period in which you have this amount of free time, so, take advantage of it! Beware of having incessant hopes and following your desires! Incessant hopes waste your time, and following your desires corrupts your heart. And Allah know best."
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." - [QS.4:1]
- Syaikh Muhammad Salih al-'Uthaymeen,Youth's Problem, IIPH
- Abdullah Azzam, A Message to Every Youth, At-Tibyaan
