A Glance At the World of Youth

Introduction

Disscusing about youths and community problems is like discussing a wide disparity from the human disparities and comprises approximately six billion people all over the world. Such a discussion deals with the present and future and the tremendous changes and transformations in the human race.

Surely religious scholars and those specialized in the affairs of education, sociology, psychology, and health have dealt with this subject, i.e., the factor of youths, as the politicians did through studying, analyzing, planning and solving, so as to build a generation which could perform its responsibilities seriously and efficiently, and also could withstand the latest devolopments in its era.

Islam has its own ideology and philosophy in life and its cultural value gives great concern to the development of the human being, from birth and childhood, through youth to maturity and, then, to the end of his life, and has its own scientific approaches which are based on the foundations of morals and pure ideology in order to deal with the generation of youth; morally and spiritually.

Indeed, Muslim youths are afflicted with dreadful plans which are supported from every angle, psychologically, politically and financially in order to isolate them from Islam. Such destructive plans are based on the following two, main, dangerous puposes:

  1. Spreading immorality and vice among the youths by means of exploiting the sexual urge, using allurements, infiltrating drugs and broadcasting the call for moral disentanglement through mass media, amusement parks, illicit clubs, etc. And, also, by calling for sexual freedom, and dissoluteness under the slogan of freedom and sexual rights... etc.

  2. Waging a campaign of creating doubts about Islam as an ideology, shari'ah and moral and cultural value under the guise of modernization. And, also, accusing this innocent religion, i.e., Islam, as being the cause of Muslims' backwardness. They work, continuously, day and night to substitute the identity of the Muslim youths with the West's materialistic way of life and also by portraying Islam as a religion unable to answer the problems of the age or to lead man towards the age of complexity and scientific development.

In view of this, the responsibility of Muslim writers and intellectuals concerning the youths increases day by day, and for this purpose, Al-Balagh Foundation presents this booklet to its dear readers, hoping that they will benefit from it, and seeking Allah's aid to give us the power to present more in the way of guiding the youths as being the leaders of tomorrow, and also building an enlightened Islamic civilization.

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

Al-Balagh Foundation

  1. Stages of Human Growth

"It is He Who has created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then from a leech like clot: Then does He get you out (into the Light) as a child; then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old, though of you there are some who die before; and lets you reach a term appointed; in order that you may learn wisdom". Holy Qur'an (The Believer 40:67) "What is the matter with you; that you place not your hope for kindness and long suffering in Allah. Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?"

Holy Qur'an (Noah 71:13-14) That is how the Creator of this complicated world started the Creation of human beings, and by the power of its Creator, the first step of life started from earth where it goes through some stages, from formation to the growing of the body, soul and mind. Surely Allah's greatness is manifested in the above mentioned verse, through the creation of human beings from the soil of the earth. The emergence of the body through its complicated and active parts, is manifested by its psychological formation, and its creative and emotional fields in the form of love and hatred, content and discontent, desire and anger, fear, sorrow and happiness.

Likewise, it is manifested through its mental or intellectual formation, by means of sensation and abstract perceptions with imagination and the power of comtemplation and the reflecting on the unseen and unknown things, and also its power of discovery, preparation and plans. Surely, it is Allah's greatness that is manifested in the creation of man, as mentioned in the above Qur'anic verse, so as to show the three stages of his life which are:

  1. Childhood Stage
  2. Puberty Stage
  3. Maturity Stage

The medical scientists and psychologists have conducted scientific researches on the human formation related to the stage of childhood and its peculiarities, as they studied the second stage in its three stages: youth, adulthood, elderliness. In Islamic messages to human beings one can see some distinction in its mode of education, guidance and dealings between the human beings in those stages. This way exposes the scientific view and substantial personification of the human's soul, intellect and body formation and establishing good treatment on this foundation.

In this discussion we address the youth stage for its importance in human life, because of it being the stage of power, activity and ability to perform things, and also because of being the stage surrounded with dangers and psychological, emotional and instinctual dilemmas. Thus, the bodily, intellectual and psychological abilities of youths looks like any free ability in this universe, such as nuclear energy and water energy, which can be directed towards serving man and the welfare of mankind, likewise, it can also be changed to the power of destruction, problems, the sufferings against individuals and society.

  1. Infulencing Factors in an Individual's Conduct

The human conduct, itself, forms a relatively objective unit, which is the outcome of different factors and activities, hence, the human behaviour, like mercy, honesty, justice, uttering good words, or telling lies, hypocracy, crime, murder, using drugs and practicing monopoly, are clear signs of how different factors are united in itself, thus, by it a symphathetic human being or a criminal one is made or a complicated one who suffers from a nervous and pychological disease. Indeed, the psychological studies and the researches of criminologists and pychologists have been able to present to us analyses and interpretations to the human behaviour and refers them to their original factors. These studies and researches discovered that the human conduct, being good or bad - is biult from diverse factors and causes social, hereditary and natural instincts...etc

It is beneficial to summarize these factors, so as to shed light on some circumstances epecially the pychological crises and complicated ones, and also the conditions of deviation and unnatural behaviours and manners which are clearly visible among the youths. The state of rebellion against the law, sexual deviation, crime, theft and aggressions, degradation of personality and wandering, taking alcohol and drugs, suicide and social vices; which usually turns to bodily diseases, can be attributed to the essential causes and stages that form the human personality.

But whatever the circumstances may be, we ought to understand that man is an existence which has desire and power of change and transformation, and the freedom to choose what is right, instead of deviation; that is why seeking forgiveness is decreed, as well as, enjoining good and prohibiting evil.

However, the main factors which contribute in the formation of individual conducts are:

a. The Family and the Circumstances of the First Upbringing b. Genetic Composition c. School Education d. The Media and Its Affect on the Conduct of the Youths e. Political Power and Authority f. The Culture and Beliefs of the Youths

Later on, we will see the role of each of these factors, and their effect on the conduct of the youth in particular. This kind of enlightenment will give the youth vis-a-vis the condition of comtemplation and controversy, a forum of dispute and the stimulus of emotion and instinct, as well as, the impulses of conduct, before he attends to them, and takes any stance. How marvellous and superb is this guidance of the Holy Prophet, which says: "Should you set your mind on doing something think of its outcome. If it is good, go ahead, but if it is bad, refrain from doing it"(1)

We must understand that among the most important factors behind the corruption in the conduct of the young generation is their unconscious drift toward the stimulus and personal interests, and their submission to the pressures of the sexual instinct and other behaviours which affect the personality of the youth; aware or unaware.

However, we can understand this brief explanation, scientifically, by considering the relationship between the intellect, consciousness and behaviours, as we can see it clearly in some reports and researches in this field, as well as, the record and statistics which show the spreading of crime, deviation and other irregular practices in a community covered by ignorance, intellectual and cultural retardation, disbelief in Allah, which is another result of human ignorance, and the misinterpretation of this world, thus, analyzing it negatively.