As human being, we pass through different stages as we grow up. Allah (SW) reminds man in the Holy Quran that; “And he whom We grant long life — We reverse him in
Creation Will they not then understand!” (Quran 36:68)
And “Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave weakness and gray hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful” (Quran 30:54).
One of these stages is youth stage. This stage is very delicate such that there are a number of hadeeth that talk about it. The catastrophic consequences resulting from the deleterious behavior that the youths are involved in are not only a problematic cause of headache among Muslim parents but also has a calamitous impact upon Islamic lifestyle.
Some of the common maladies that the Muslim youth are involved in are;
Social Networking Sites. Social networking sites more especially facebook are really affecting Muslim community more especially Malawians. I don’t know whether Zikubwera mochedwa as one circular musician sung. You will find other people at the madrassah, instead of listening what sheikh/shehat is saying, they are busy making unnecessary comments on Facebook or Twitter and some even misses prayers.
Right now, we are blessed to have Islamic websites like this one which keeps us up to date about our beautiful Religion in Malawi’s Muslim Community and abroad but only few will come to comment and rather they will like to put “kikikikik” on their facebook profile wall. Sadly, When you ask them, they say ‘I am busy” but yet they spend 24 hours on Facebook. However, using social networking sites is not prohibited in Islam provided we use them wisely. For example, if someone is using it for Dawah, then it is OK but not use it for sharing pornographic materials.
Television and movies. You will find that Muslim youth in Malawi spend much of their time watching Nigerian movies and most of time this leads to either delay or missing of prayers. Through television and movies youth learn bad morals as there are some tempting scenes, immoral pictures, semi-nakedness, destructive speech etc. Some of Muslim youth not only do they waste their precious time watching the television and movies but also imitate the conduct and ways of the kuffar. In Islam, there are some movies which are prohibited; hence we have to refrain from being one of the victims.
Music; it’s one of the controversial topic in Islam but (if you are serious) It’s easy to understand. Music in Islam is haraam (according to my understanding and the understanding of great scholars and even according to all well known Imams). But there is an exception only if the daff-without any rings is used. We also have to know that using the daff was allowed to only women on Eids and special occasions.
Unfortunately, we find that nowadays Muslim youth memorise verses of different un-Islamic songs and most of them having large contents of Music filled in their brains but if you ask them of how much Quran and ahadeeth they know, they mostly say that they only know some few surahs and ahadeeth. They claim that the Quran is difficult to memorise but yet they manage to memorise many songs from different local and international musicians. As Muslims we have to understand that listening to or memorizing these songs is like installing a virus in the our ‘Hard Disc’.
Friday nights; this practice is common in the western world but it is now creeping quickly into the Muslim youth’s behavior especially in universities. It has now become a habit for some Muslim youths to go to night clubs and other enjoyment centres on Friday nights. Mostly, it is accompanied by mixing of boys and girls which undoubtedly classifies it haraam for any Muslim youth. Islam has got it’s own halaal enjoyment and relaxation so you may enjoy and relax Islamically. Here, I am referring to any relaxation activities that are in accordance to Islamic ruling like of course chatting with friends, taking part in different games in which Islamic ruling is applied hence it may even be l, chess etc.
Football fanaticism; if the Islamic rules are observed then football is allowed to either watch or play. Unfortunately, nowadays Muslim youth have reached to the extent of extremism such us venerating a kaafir player (its not permissible for us to venerate the kaafir at all no matter how far they have advanced). And I think if football were a religion, then it would have got more followers.
All these points that have been discussed lead to one main and important point; Waste of time. Allah swears by the time hence the verse starts as; “By the time (By Al ‘asr)” Quran 103:1
Ash-Shafi`i said,
“If the people were to ponder on this Surah, it would be sufficient for them.” And ibn Katheer adds that “Al-`Asr is the time in which the movements of the Children of Adam occur, whether good or evil.” The murdering and wasting of time is also evidenced among the youths who spend much of their time talking nonsense on chat rooms and even other social network sites like facebook (of course It’s also possible to use these sites for some good reasons ). It’s also common in Malawi that even some Muslim youths sit in the market place for most of the day watching people and sometimes if the market is near the main road they even astoundingly sit along side it on pillars counting cars and determining their marker.
We, as Muslim youth, should realize that time is more nobler than place and that the wise person is the one who protects his capital from loss and the loser is that one who squanders his precious thing that he possesses.
“…The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception” Quran 3:185
“What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home in the Hereafter, for those who are righteous. Will ye not then understand?” Quran 6:32
Allah know best.
