CHALLENGES BEFORE YOUTH IN CONTEMPORARY WORLD
By V.M. Khaleelur Rahman
The subject “Challenges Before Youth in Contemporary World” given by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) for the two day international Seminar on 10th and 11th December 2011 in Chennai is an important one.
As the IOS’s Concept Note says, about 1/5th of the total world population are youth and our country India has about 243 million youth in the age group of 15-19 and it will cross over 300 million if the upper age limit is extended to 24 years. We can imagine the strength of the Muslim youth in the country although their exact figure is not available to us. Muslims are the second largest community in India estimated to be about 15% and so the Muslim youth will be around 45 million here. Our role in every field of national activity is vital for unity, development and prosperity of the country and we have been doing that in our own way despite many hurdles and discriminations.
The 2002 Gujarat riots and some other inhuman atrocities perpetrated on the minorities are of course a big blot on our country’s beautiful secular image. The judicial verdicts, which have been pronounced recently in the Gujarat cases, though delayed, have exposed the culprits to the nation and the world. The governments at the Centre and in the States should pay heed to them and take strong remedial measures to keep communal forces at check, severely punish the guilty and compensate or rehabilitate the victims of the riots and cleanse the politics of the country from anti national and criminal elements.
The world particularly our country has been discussing issues like drug abuse, violence, linguistic chauvinism, religious extremism etc. which are faced by the youth. Besides these, there is also degradation in moral values of the people in general and the youth in particular. It has become difficult for the youth to be safe from harmful entertainments before them – ugly and obscene dance, uncultured and brute music, free flow of alcohol etc. Almost every house has a TV either bought or given by the government as a free gift for voting it to power in states like Tamil Nadu. One feels that it is mostly misused and good educational and national programmes are seen only by a few interested people. The paper reports say that students are the worst sufferers in the TV mania to which people are addicted.
In this scenario the community has the responsibility to save the youth from going astray. Parents, teachers, social activists and the society as a whole has to be alert and train the children properly in accordance with Islamic thoughts and values.
The old adage that a man is known by the company he keeps is right. The youth will suffer if they are not in good company. There is a saying of Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) that “Arrajulu ala deeni khaleelihee falyenzur ahadukum man yukhalilu” – It means that a man follows his friend and so each of you should be careful who you befriend.
The youth are the backbone of a nation and it is they who have to shape its destiny. Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) has said that he was supported by the young and poor and rejected by the old and rich. It is also a fact that most of the revolutionaries were youngsters and forces of change for better.
An ideal person gives importance to spirituality, moral values such as righteousness, honesty, humility and endeavours to practise them in life. The holy Quran says:
53:39 That man can have nothing but what he strives for:
Wa an laysa lil insane illa ma saAAa
The Muslim youth are not in any jungle. They are in the glare of the fast changing world. A majority of Muslims are poor. They have to depend on others for survival. The main reason for erosion of traditional systems and institutions is due to lack of joint efforts by ulema and intellectuals to find solutions by ijtihad to the problems faced by them. The community and the nation can be safe only if they are on the right track discharging their responsibilities well.
The Muslim youth as others are confronted with the deafening noise of individualism, materialism, atheism, selfishness, disregard for family bonds etc. They are in a fix. They need best possible counseling. Muslim organizations have to give right guidance to them in the light of the holy Quran and Hadees for their and the country’s bright future.
We are in a secular, plural and democratic country. The globalization has many plus points. Muslims have also started learning the importance of better modern education and are sending their boys and girls to science and arts, engineering and medical colleges for studies and quite a large number of Muslim youth are working in BPOs, Call Centres and IT companies where merit counts and there is no room for corruption, nepotism or communalism and it should be appreciated by us. Mostly young boys and girls belonging to different faiths work together in these companies and so problems crop up sometimes. We see some people going astray. It has therefore become a must for the Muslim community to create an Islamic atmosphere more than ever before in their families, mohallas and institutions so that their identity as a disciplined Islamic community remains intact.
The Muslim community is passing through a difficult period facing many problems such as dowry demands, lavish marriage expenses, increase in divorce incidents etc. If ulema and umara in the jamaats enact necessary norms for marriage and other functions and try to follow and implement them, things can change for better. They are the powerful people in the society and hence they are expected to practise Islamic austerity, simplicity and dignity before giving sermons.
As far as Muslim youth are concerned, they are mostly confused and in a dilemma in the present world over some other issues also like taking bank loans, doing bank service, getting higher education, birth control, participation in functions like Deepavalli and birth day celebrations, maslaki controversies, controversial fatwas etc. Apart from these, ugly display of wealth by the rich without any concern for the poor living in pathetic conditions in slums also shock them. Undoubtedly the rich and the poor do not see eye to eye with each other as the bond of Islamic fraternity which kept them together without any big differences seems to be on the wane now. They seem to have become two different castes. I remember having read a report somewhere that one of the causes for the severe infightings witnessed in Pakistan is due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
The tragedy of the community is that while Islamic scholars are hesitant in taking suitable actions on some issues like triple talaq which according to all schools of thought is an undesirable and condemnable act, some so called liberal Muslims, brought up in an un-Islamic atmosphere but interested in Islam, are almost waging a war for changes in the Shariat laws as per their understandings without any regard for the respected scholars who enjoy the confidence of the people and are considered the pillars of the society. It is not that the demand for changes on certain issues is altogether wrong in the present changed times. But the way they present their arguments is somewhat worrisome. It must be clear to us that nobody will be able to do anything without the support of Islamic scholars. Moreover the demands should also be in accordance with the holy Quran and Hadees. There is need for us to see what the Shariat says and why and not to change it as per our whims and fancies. The print and visual media are bent upon tarnishing the image of the Muslim community and Islam today. Hence both ulema and moderate Muslims should be cautious in echoing the affairs of the community to the press.
Even Dr. Allama Mohammed Iqbal had said that the claim of Muslim liberals to re-interpret the legal principles in the light of their own experience and the altered conditions of modern life is perfectly justified. He regretted for not recognizing the modernity of the Quran.
Hence the need of the hour is to bring these two sections of the Muslim community together for finding solutions to the problems in the light of the holy Quran and Hadees.
Islamic institutions like Darul Uloom, Deoband and Nadwathul Ulema, Lucknow can come forward to join hands with different Muslim organizations and institutions and find solutions to the social, cultural and religious problems confronting the community and work for its onward march in the national affairs.
Let us have some community consciousness. Allama Iqbal says: “Mubtalaye dard koi azu ho roti hai aakh, Kis qadar hamdard sare jism ki hoti hai aakh” – As our eye weeps and shows sympathy when any part of our body is in pain, we should feel the pain of the suffering people and go to their rescue. It is what Islam teaches and wants us to do. There is a hadees of Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) that “ Laa yoominu ahadukum haththa yuhibbu leeakheehi maa yuhibbu linaffsihi” – Nobody from you will be a complete Muslim until he is in a position to like for his brother what he likes for himself.
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By V.M. Khaleelur Rahman
The subject “Challenges Before Youth in Contemporary World” given by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) for the two day international Seminar on 10th and 11th December 2011 in Chennai is an important one.
As the IOS’s Concept Note says, about 1/5th of the total world population are youth and our country India has about 243 million youth in the age group of 15-19 and it will cross over 300 million if the upper age limit is extended to 24 years. We can imagine the strength of the Muslim youth in the country although their exact figure is not available to us. Muslims are the second largest community in India estimated to be about 15% and so the Muslim youth will be around 45 million here. Our role in every field of national activity is vital for unity, development and prosperity of the country and we have been doing that in our own way despite many hurdles and discriminations.
The 2002 Gujarat riots and some other inhuman atrocities perpetrated on the minorities are of course a big blot on our country’s beautiful secular image. The judicial verdicts, which have been pronounced recently in the Gujarat cases, though delayed, have exposed the culprits to the nation and the world. The governments at the Centre and in the States should pay heed to them and take strong remedial measures to keep communal forces at check, severely punish the guilty and compensate or rehabilitate the victims of the riots and cleanse the politics of the country from anti national and criminal elements.
The world particularly our country has been discussing issues like drug abuse, violence, linguistic chauvinism, religious extremism etc. which are faced by the youth. Besides these, there is also degradation in moral values of the people in general and the youth in particular. It has become difficult for the youth to be safe from harmful entertainments before them – ugly and obscene dance, uncultured and brute music, free flow of alcohol etc. Almost every house has a TV either bought or given by the government as a free gift for voting it to power in states like Tamil Nadu. One feels that it is mostly misused and good educational and national programmes are seen only by a few interested people. The paper reports say that students are the worst sufferers in the TV mania to which people are addicted.
In this scenario the community has the responsibility to save the youth from going astray. Parents, teachers, social activists and the society as a whole has to be alert and train the children properly in accordance with Islamic thoughts and values.
The old adage that a man is known by the company he keeps is right. The youth will suffer if they are not in good company. There is a saying of Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) that “Arrajulu ala deeni khaleelihee falyenzur ahadukum man yukhalilu” – It means that a man follows his friend and so each of you should be careful who you befriend.
The youth are the backbone of a nation and it is they who have to shape its destiny. Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) has said that he was supported by the young and poor and rejected by the old and rich. It is also a fact that most of the revolutionaries were youngsters and forces of change for better.
An ideal person gives importance to spirituality, moral values such as righteousness, honesty, humility and endeavours to practise them in life. The holy Quran says:
53:39 That man can have nothing but what he strives for:
Wa an laysa lil insane illa ma saAAa
The Muslim youth are not in any jungle. They are in the glare of the fast changing world. A majority of Muslims are poor. They have to depend on others for survival. The main reason for erosion of traditional systems and institutions is due to lack of joint efforts by ulema and intellectuals to find solutions by ijtihad to the problems faced by them. The community and the nation can be safe only if they are on the right track discharging their responsibilities well.
The Muslim youth as others are confronted with the deafening noise of individualism, materialism, atheism, selfishness, disregard for family bonds etc. They are in a fix. They need best possible counseling. Muslim organizations have to give right guidance to them in the light of the holy Quran and Hadees for their and the country’s bright future.
We are in a secular, plural and democratic country. The globalization has many plus points. Muslims have also started learning the importance of better modern education and are sending their boys and girls to science and arts, engineering and medical colleges for studies and quite a large number of Muslim youth are working in BPOs, Call Centres and IT companies where merit counts and there is no room for corruption, nepotism or communalism and it should be appreciated by us. Mostly young boys and girls belonging to different faiths work together in these companies and so problems crop up sometimes. We see some people going astray. It has therefore become a must for the Muslim community to create an Islamic atmosphere more than ever before in their families, mohallas and institutions so that their identity as a disciplined Islamic community remains intact.
The Muslim community is passing through a difficult period facing many problems such as dowry demands, lavish marriage expenses, increase in divorce incidents etc. If ulema and umara in the jamaats enact necessary norms for marriage and other functions and try to follow and implement them, things can change for better. They are the powerful people in the society and hence they are expected to practise Islamic austerity, simplicity and dignity before giving sermons.
As far as Muslim youth are concerned, they are mostly confused and in a dilemma in the present world over some other issues also like taking bank loans, doing bank service, getting higher education, birth control, participation in functions like Deepavalli and birth day celebrations, maslaki controversies, controversial fatwas etc. Apart from these, ugly display of wealth by the rich without any concern for the poor living in pathetic conditions in slums also shock them. Undoubtedly the rich and the poor do not see eye to eye with each other as the bond of Islamic fraternity which kept them together without any big differences seems to be on the wane now. They seem to have become two different castes. I remember having read a report somewhere that one of the causes for the severe infightings witnessed in Pakistan is due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
The tragedy of the community is that while Islamic scholars are hesitant in taking suitable actions on some issues like triple talaq which according to all schools of thought is an undesirable and condemnable act, some so called liberal Muslims, brought up in an un-Islamic atmosphere but interested in Islam, are almost waging a war for changes in the Shariat laws as per their understandings without any regard for the respected scholars who enjoy the confidence of the people and are considered the pillars of the society. It is not that the demand for changes on certain issues is altogether wrong in the present changed times. But the way they present their arguments is somewhat worrisome. It must be clear to us that nobody will be able to do anything without the support of Islamic scholars. Moreover the demands should also be in accordance with the holy Quran and Hadees. There is need for us to see what the Shariat says and why and not to change it as per our whims and fancies. The print and visual media are bent upon tarnishing the image of the Muslim community and Islam today. Hence both ulema and moderate Muslims should be cautious in echoing the affairs of the community to the press.
Even Dr. Allama Mohammed Iqbal had said that the claim of Muslim liberals to re-interpret the legal principles in the light of their own experience and the altered conditions of modern life is perfectly justified. He regretted for not recognizing the modernity of the Quran.
Hence the need of the hour is to bring these two sections of the Muslim community together for finding solutions to the problems in the light of the holy Quran and Hadees.
Islamic institutions like Darul Uloom, Deoband and Nadwathul Ulema, Lucknow can come forward to join hands with different Muslim organizations and institutions and find solutions to the social, cultural and religious problems confronting the community and work for its onward march in the national affairs.
Let us have some community consciousness. Allama Iqbal says: “Mubtalaye dard koi azu ho roti hai aakh, Kis qadar hamdard sare jism ki hoti hai aakh” – As our eye weeps and shows sympathy when any part of our body is in pain, we should feel the pain of the suffering people and go to their rescue. It is what Islam teaches and wants us to do. There is a hadees of Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) that “ Laa yoominu ahadukum haththa yuhibbu leeakheehi maa yuhibbu linaffsihi” – Nobody from you will be a complete Muslim until he is in a position to like for his brother what he likes for himself.
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