Sheikh al-Uthaymeen begins his book “Among the Problems of Youth” by stating that the problems of youth in this era are the most important and dangerous. The intellectual and psychological issues they face fill their lives with anxiety, which can only be alleviated by religion and ethics—both being the path to the well-being of this world and the Hereafter. When young people adhere to the religion of Allah, He grants them victory over their enemies. Therefore, we must learn from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him), and then apply what we have learned with certainty and sincerity. We should not be like those about whom Allah said: “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (As-Saff: 2-3) Hence, we should start with the youth, who are the men of tomorrow and the backbone of the Ummah. Islam urges us to focus on their righteousness and guidance because their righteousness is the righteousness of the Ummah.
A Look at the Youth
Sheikh al-Uthaymeen categorizes the youth into three groups: the upright, the deviant, and those confused between the two.
The Upright Youth: Sheikh al-Uthaymeen describes the upright youth as those who have firm faith, love their religion, worship Allah sincerely, and follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) in word and deed. They perform their prayers properly, believing in their benefits and the consequences of neglecting them. They give zakat to meet the needs of Muslims, fast during Ramadan to refrain from desires and pleasures, and perform Hajj to the House of Allah. They believe in Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, due to the signs that leave no doubt about His existence, creativity, and greatness. They believe in the angels as described in the religious texts, the books of Allah that guide His creation, the prophets and messengers sent by Allah to guide their people from darkness to light, the Day of Judgment when Allah will resurrect people to reward them for their deeds, and in divine predestination with its good and bad outcomes while believing in the cause and effect. They treat people as they like to be treated, call to the path of Allah, enjoin good, and forbid evil, striving to change evil as commanded by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” The upright youth speak the truth and accept it as their path to paradise, wish well for all Muslims, feel responsible before Allah and their Ummah, strive sincerely for the sake of Allah without seeking fame, balance emotion with reason and reform, and act with wisdom and silence. This is the youth our Ummah prides itself on and pins its hopes for reform and elevation.
The Deviant Youth: Their deviation lies in their beliefs, indulging in vices, refusing advice, and not abstaining from evil. They are selfish, indifferent to the rights of Allah and others, self-centered, disregarding others' opinions, resentful of their religion and social traditions, becoming a curse to themselves and their society.
The Confused Youth: They have recognized the truth and felt peace with it, but have been besieged by temptations from all sides, leading to intellectual and psychological turmoil. They are unsure whether the truth lies in the new ideas they encounter or in the traditional ways of their predecessors. This group includes those who have some Islamic education but have studied various worldly sciences, resulting in confusion. This confusion can only be resolved by focusing on Islamic education and receiving it from its original sources. They are characterized by passiveness and need to be drawn towards the right path.
Youth Deviation and Problems
Sheikh al-Uthaymeen highlights several reasons for the deviation of youth and provides solutions for each:
- Free Time: Free time kills the mind, weakens the spirit, and leaves the heart vulnerable to whispers and desires. The soul needs movement and work. The solution is for young people to seek appropriate work to avoid emptiness and become active members of society.
- Gap Between Youth and Elders: Some elders witness the deviation of their youth but are unable to correct them, leading to mutual disdain and indifference, which cause societal fragmentation. The solution is for both parties to see themselves as one body. Elders should feel responsible for their youth and not despair of their reform, believing in Allah's power. Youth should respect their elders and accept their advice due to their wisdom and experience.
- Bad Companionship: This greatly influences a youth's thoughts and behavior. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A man follows the religion of his friend; so each one should consider whom he makes his friend.” The solution is for young people to choose righteous companions who support them in their religious and worldly affairs. They should investigate people's conditions and reputations before befriending them and not be deceived by sweet words and good appearances.
- Reading Destructive Books: Some letters, newspapers, and magazines cast doubt on a person's beliefs and lead them into degradation and error. If a youth lacks a foundation of religious knowledge and sound intellect, they cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood. The solution is to avoid such books and replace them with those that instill love for Allah and His Messenger, even if it requires effort and endurance. The most important books are the Quran, the Sunnah, and the writings of scholars derived from them.
- Misconception That Islam Restricts Freedom and Stifles Energies: Youth need to learn that Islam does not restrict freedom but regulates it so that one person's freedom does not infringe on others'. Without such regulation, chaos would ensue. Religious laws are called limits, and life itself is full of limits. Just as social boundaries are necessary for societal welfare and preventing chaos, so too is adherence to religious laws necessary for the Ummah's well-being.
Islam is not a stifling of energies but a broad field for intellectual, mental, and physical energies. It calls for thinking and developing the mind. Allah says, “Say, 'Observe what is in the heavens and earth.'” (Yunus: 101) And criticizes those who do not use their intellect: “And he to whom We grant long life, We reverse in creation; so will they not understand?” (Yasin: 68)
Islam allows enjoyment of all things that are not harmful to one's body, religion, or mind. It permits eating and drinking of all lawful and pure foods: “O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you.” (Al-Baqarah: 172) It permits all clothing that fulfills the natural need for covering and adornment: “O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness – that is best.” (Al-A’raf: 26) It permits enjoyment of women through lawful marriage, and allows all just and consensual transactions: “But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest.” (Al-Baqarah: 275)
Doubts that Arise among Youth
Whispers only attacks a heart that is alive with faith because Shaitan leaves a dead heart as it is. It is narrated by Ibn Mas'ud or Ibn Abbas that the Jews claimed they do not get whispers in their prayers -implying they do not face distractions. He replied, “They have spoken the truth, for what would Satan do with a ruined heart?”
However, Shaitan does not leave a heart with faith but attacks it and tries to instill doubt. These whispers do not harm the believer as long as they employ the remedy prescribed by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Many companions came to the Prophet complaining about this. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that some people from amongst the Companions of the Apostle (ﷺ) came to him and said: “Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express.” He (the Holy Prophet) said: “Do you really perceive it?” They said: “Yes.” Upon this he remarked: “That is the faith manifest.” This indicates that these temporary whispers and denying them do not harm faith; rather, they are a sign of true faith. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) provided a remedy in four things:
- Ignoring the whispers completely and occupying oneself with positive thoughts.
- Seeking refuge with Allah from them and from the accursed Shaitan.
- Declaring faith loudly in Allah and His messengers.
- Reciting “Allah is One, Allah is the Eternal Refuge, He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent,” and spitting lightly to the left three times while seeking refuge with Allah from Shaitan.
Confusion Regarding Qadar (Predestination)
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen addresses the issue of youth disputing predestination. Belief in predestination is one of the pillars of faith, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade disputing and arguing about it because it leads to confusion that one might not be able to escape. Abu Huraira reported: God’s messenger came out to us when we were arguing about God’s decree. He was angry and his face became so red that it looked as if pomegranate seeds had been burst open on his cheeks. He then said, “Is this what you were commanded to do, or was it for this purpose that I was sent to you? Your predecessors perished only when they argued about this matter. I adjure you, I adjure you, not to argue about it.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed his companions to work and not rely solely on predestination because what is decreed will not be achieved unless they act accordingly. Allah has given them the choice and ability to act; if they wish, they can do it, and if they wish, they can leave it.
Two issues usually arise regarding predestination:
The First Issue: A person feels they act by their own choice and leave by their own choice. How does this align with the belief that everything is decreed by Allah?
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen answered that a person's actions result from two things: their will and their ability. Both the will and the ability are created by Allah. The will comes from the intellectual strength and the ability from the physical strength that Allah has granted to humans. If Allah wished, He could take them away.
The Second Issue: A person is punished for committing sins, so how can they be punished if these sins were decreed for them?
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen provided four answers for this issue:
1- Saying this is similar to asking how a person is rewarded for doing good deeds that were decreed for them.
2- Allah invalidated this argument in the Quran: “Those who associated others with Allah will say, 'If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything.' Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, 'Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying.'” (Al-An’am: 148) This argument is based on ignorance because Allah informed them of the destruction of their predecessors who denied just as they deny. If their argument were valid, they would not have tasted Allah's punishment.
3- Predestination is a secret known only to Allah. How does the sinner know that Allah decreed the sin for them before committing it and then accuse Allah of decreeing it? Why don't they instead choose obedience?
4- Allah has blessed humans with intellect, revealed books to them, sent messengers, and explained the paths of good and evil. Why do they choose the path of evil over good? Why do they use predestination as an excuse to abandon obedience but not as an excuse to avoid work and earning a livelihood?
Some Hadiths Mentioning Youth
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen concluded his book with numerous hadiths that mention youth, including:
The Messenger of Allah said: “Hasan and Husain will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah said: “No young person honors an elder due to his age, except that Allah appoints for him one who will honor him at that age.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, with a weak chain of transmission)
In the hadith of the dajjal, God's messenger said: “He will then summon a man in the prime of youth, strike him with a sword and cut him in two like a shot at a target, after which he will call him and he will come forward laughing with his face shining.” (Narrated by Muslim)
