A Glance At the World of Youth

  1. Supremacy of Imagination and Reverie =======================================

Imagination is another intellectual power which has positive, as well as, negative results, and its results return to man according to its usage. In its real sense, it is not an illusion, which controls man and distances him from reality and objectivity, but it is capable of changing into illusion and reverie, which controls man against reality. In the youth stage, the power of imagination activates and stimulates and with its positive outlook, it is the fundamental factor for invention and development. Because through imagination, the youths are able to carry out their technical and graphic works, thus, with imagination the door of invention and progress is opened.

Furthermore, through imagination one can create a new atmosphere different from his own, with the sense of change. Thus, imagination is the ladder and bridge which transforms man from a stagnant atmosphere to a living one that accepts changes and inventions. But, lack of objective experience, in the youths, and the absence of guidance and encouragement from parents or friends and relatives, or the mass media, causes a negative effect and this causes imagination to start working in the generation of youths through their thinking about their future aims like studies, how to live, marriage... etc.

Consequently, the youth starts to decieve himself, by creating things for his future which are not possible and far from reality, as well as, his becoming frustrated whenever his dreams and imagnations fail and do not produce his expected results. Hence, it is necessary to provide the youths with real experiences and knowledge, as well as, warning them against this realty, and guiding them toward the real imagination.

How beneficial is this advice of Imam Ali (a.s.) in which he (a.s.) encourages the use of experiences to his son Imam Hasan (a.s.) when he says, "...so I hastened to mold you properly before your heart hardened up and your mind became occupied, so that you might be ready to accept, through your intelligence, the results of the experience of others and be saved from going through these experiences yourself. In this way, you would avoid the hardship of seeking them and the difficulties of experimenting. Thus, you are getting to know what we had experienced and even those things are becoming clear to you which we might have missed."(18)

  1. Pride and Carelessness About the Future

Pride and arrogance is a disease which afflicts man as a result of feeling superior over others, priding himself on what he has from strength, wealth, beauty, power, position and knowledge. Surely, this disease is the most dangerous one that affects man and destroys him and puts him in peril. The Holy Qur'an describes it by saying: "Nay!, man is most surely inordinate. Because he sees himself free from want." Holy Qur'an (The Clot 96:6-7) It warns against such acts in the advices of Luqman to his son: "And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster." Holy Qur'an (Luqman 31:18)

"(...and do not go about in the land exulting, for you cannot cut through the earth nor reach the mountains in height." Holy Qur'an (The Children of Israel 17:37)

The youth stage, especially the teenage stage, is among the most pride oriented stage in man's life, and that of disrespecting others and falling into hazards and risks. And how often this feeling has a bad effect on the conduct and behaviour of the youths. How often pride, for instance, has a negative effect on the young boys and grils even in choosing a wife or husband or the relationship between themselves, or with their family. Thus, an arrogant youth often cannot marry because he does not see a siutable wife for himself. How many young girls stay unmarried due to pride and arrogance to the extent that they lose their virginity, and their family life becomes a hell and often results in disassociation, when the imagination and expected plans, full of pride and arrogance, fail.

Consequenly, an arrogant youth, due to his bodily strength, deals with people with arrogance and challenge, and often his pride ends him in jail or he becomes a community's hatered; the victim of pride and arrogance. Many incidents, in which tens of thousand of youths become victims, happens every year due to recklessness and hazardous ventures.

It is worth mentioning that statistics show that the number of those afflicted by behavioural episodes is higher than the number of those afflicted by communicable diseases, tuberculosis and other diseases, and that the third world countries are spending 53 billion U.S dollars because of these occurences, which is equal to the total number of financial aid they receive from the rich countries. Rather, pride and arrogance may make some youths feel shame if they are related to a certain family, race, town or village when they feel that that thing does not suit their position, or they may feel superior over their parents, especially, if their position is superior to that of their parents.

Sometimes, his higher educational background will make him downgrade the opinion of others and their ideas. This kind of pride and arrogance has contributed, immensely, to underestimating the belief in Allah and the messages of the prophets (a.s.). Certainly, pride and arrogance in the youths, due to their power, beauty, wealth, or feeling of superiority of social position or knowledge over others, are among the social problems in the community which need a solution, and educating the young generation, morally and socially, in the schools, media, and family, on the dangers of pride and arrogance, can be done by showing them the end results of proud and arrogant people.

  1. Anxiety:

Anxiety is regarded as the most dangerous human disease which destroys man, and his spiritual and bodily health, as well as, pushes him towards bad conduct. Anxiety is defined as: An action composed of fear and expectation of evil, danger and punishment and self-doubt about one's ability to cope with them. Furthermore, anxiety is among the most dangerous problems of the youth, especially in the teenager, and especially in a youth who grows in an atmosphere which lacks good conduct, as well as, belief is Allah.

Thus, anxiety more often turns into dangerous actions, and crimes, like suicide, taking drugs, recklessness in life, aggression, racism and tribalism, smoking ...etc. The most dangerous stage of anxiety is the stage of intellectual and ideological anxiety or having the lack of a firm stance, ideologically, socially and politically. Therefore, it is easy to attract the youths toward the ideas which come as a change to the community. The most important cause of anxiety in the youths is intellectual emptiness which pushes the youths into embracing ideas which have only imagined authenticity, lack of belief in Allah or its weakness, uncertainty about the future, politicial persecution, idleness and easy living, pessimism in achieving the easy living, fear of failure in academic undertakings, fear of contacting diseases, especially the epidemic ones like Aids, family problems, as well as, the future of married life.

The researches and scientific statistics show that anxiety is increasing among the human circles, especially in the youths' circles, and especially in Western countries. People, in such countries like America, and some European and Asian countries, pay little attention to the belief in Allah, the Most High, and religion does not play an important role in their affairs.

Indeed, the ideology of belief in Allah and entrusting all affairs to him, accepting its fate and destiny, wisdom and justice, His love to His creatures and His mercy to them, as well as, undertaking the necessary moral processes for solving man's economic, family and social problems, are the fundamentals, as well as, laws for solving the problem of anxiety and providing a guarantee and security for the life and personality of a human being. Here, we will introduce the Qur'anic solutions to these problems, which result from the belief in Divine fate and destiny, as in His saying: "Say nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us..." Holy Qur'an (Repentance 9:51)

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." Holy Qur'an (Thunder 13:28)

And a clear guarantee for the life of the human race which Adam (a.s.) was addressed: "Surely it is (ordained) for you that you shall not be hungry therein nor bare of clothing, and that you shall not be thirsty therein nor shall you feel the heat of the sun." Holy Qur'an (TaHa 20:118-119) "So let them serve the Lord of this house who feeds them against hunger and gives them security against fear." Holy Qur'an (The Quraish 106:3-4)

Surely, this insurance is the most important guarantee to man's spiritual security and eliminates the spirit of anxiety and fear from the impasses of this material life, as well as, calling him to provide social security and political justice, as is in the saying of Allah, the Most High,: "Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and he forbids indecency and evil and rebellion..." Holy Qur'an (The Bee 16:90)

  1. Youths and the Sexual Urge:

Islam regards the issue of sex, and sexual rights, among the fundamental issues in human life, as well as, enacting the necessary laws and system for satisfying the sexual instinct and controlling its zest. In order to shed more light on the subject, let us examine some Islamic laws and their sources which discuss the issue of sex, sexual rights, enjoyment and beauty, and which show the pure sexual civilization free from sexual complications and which are present in some communities and ideologies, as well as, free from sexual declination and pollution.

The Qur'anic texts, Prophetic traditions, as well as, the legal laws extracted from the Qur'an and hadith, shed light on this issue. Indeed, this attention to sex laws confirms the importance of the sexual instinct in human life and the way Islam deals with the sexual issue and solving its problems, although giving detailed analyses to this issue needs a separate book. But, here, we will present an outline of statements and laws, as well as, sexual culture in Islam. Allah, the Most High, says: "And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion..." Holy Qur'an (Rome 30:21)

"...Then as to those whom you profit by, give them their dowries as appointed..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:24) "And leave what your Lord has created for you to be your mates?..." Holy Qur'an (The Poets 26:166) "And they ask you about menstruation. Say: It is a pollution, therefore keep aloof from the women during the menstrual discharge, and do not go near them until they have become clean, then when they have cleansed themselves, go into them as Allah has commanded you..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:222) "And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves..." Holy Qur'an (Light 24:32) "....so marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their dowries justly, they being chaste, not fornicating..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:25)

"Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223) "Or He makes them of both sorts, male and female..." Holy Qur'an (Consultation 42:50) "And let those who do not find the means to marry keep chaste until Allah makes them free from want out of His grace..." Holy Qur'an (Light 24:33) There are tens of verses in the Holy Qur'an which discuss the issue of sex under the title of marriage, and, also, on the subject of woman and her relationship with a man. Also, the prophetic traditions discuss this issue technically, as well as, legally. But, when elaborating on these principles, it is necessary to understand that all these are not only advices and sermons, rather, they are laws and systems which the society, as well as, the individual must build their lives upon, and everyone will be taken to account, like they will be taken to account in the Hereafter.

To elaborate more we quote, here, some prophetic traditions, that the holy prophet (s.a.w.) said: "I like three things in this your world: perfume, women and prayer."(19)

"Whoever marries has completed half of his religion."(20) "Whoever wants to meet Allah in purity, he should meet him with a wife."(21) Ummu Salma related to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) that a group of his companions prohibited women from eating in the day time and sleeping at night with themselves. The holy prophet (s.a.w.) addressed them, saying: "Are you running from women when I am coming to the women, eating in the day time and sleeping together in the night. Whoever turns away from my tradition (sunna) is not of me," and, so Allah revealed this verse: "... Do not forbid (yourselves) the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits..."(22)

Holy Qur'an (The Table Spread 5:87) Surely, from the above texts, we can detect the following expressions and terms which show the importance of sex in human life, they are: "...that you may find rest in them..." Holy Qur'an (Rome 30:21) "...then as to those whom you profit by,..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:24) "And leave what your Lord has created for you to be your mates..." Holy Qur'an (The Poets 26:166) "...Your wives are a tilth for you..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223) "So go into your tilth when you like..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223)

All these principles call for legally respecting sex and satisfying the sexual urges and, at the same, warn against fornication, deviation and other sexual vices, as well as, pointing out the severity of punishments for illegal sexual relations like fornication, homosexuality... etc. And, also, through the statistics recorded by the institutions of health and crime, we can deduce why Islam prohibited these illegal conducts, and why it prescibed hard and severe punishment for them. Surely, if we understood the tragic and harmful effects of those illegal actions, we would be able to detect the justice and wisdom of those laws and that they are enacted for man's security and benefit not for rejecting and proscribing his sexual rights.

  1. Taking Drugs and Smoking:

Among the great problems, as well as, social, health and security tragedies which are afflicting the present, materialistic civilization and the uncultured individual, is the drug problem and its addiction. Statistics conducted by some institutions concerned, confirmed that among the most complicated problems of youths and teenagers is the taking of drugs. Indeed, these substances have destructive effects and negative results on the body and spiritual health, the economy and in the field of crime and general deviated conduct and, likewise, on the family and social relationships. Thus, drugs are substances which destroy the capability of man and spiritual, as well as, power of conscience and, likewise, social position and, at long last, became a tragedy to the society.

Also, taking drugs and their subsequent addiction has its own spiritual and intellectual factors which government and other institutions are trying hard to prevent through educating their citizens, especially the youths and teenagers, on their evil effects. In view of this, many laws were enacted, international resolutions made, and many conferences held for the prevention of drug use and production. In addition to the efforts of some governments to bring an end to this dangerous calamity, though this is not the end, physicians, as well as, criminologists and sociologists...etc., have rendered great efforts in studying the issue of drugs and their addiction, as well as, their negative effects on the body and society's health and man's activities generally, but, at long last, all these studies confirm one point and that is that man and the society must be prevented from the dangers of drugs.

In conclusion, all these scientific researches and the studies of the experts, in different fields, end in agreement with the Islamic shari'a's stance of prohibiting the use of alcohol and drugs and the severe punishment for the offender. Thus, in their reformatory efforts, the nations and reformatory organizations are trying hard, by adopting the addicts and the drug traffickers socially, i.e., by providing work and occupations for them, as well as, social respect in the community's eye and, likewise, rehabilitating them, morally, after their deviation from the true way of life and morals. Efforts are made by the experts, media, family, school, laws, government and reformatory organizations in rescuing people from this dangerous epidemic triumph, but a youth is more worthier in salvaging himself, salvaging his personality from collapsing, his conduct from deviation and social disrespect, preventing his life and health from danger and turning himself around to be a benefit to the community and its source of respect, thereby, rescuing the downfall of his personality and exposing it to danger. The most dangerous drugs, taken by addicted people, which are harmful to the health, as well as, the society and the system, as the statistics of the experts show, are:

  1. Alcohol
  2. Opium and its by-products
  3. Cannabis (marijuana)
  4. Cocaine
  5. Kat (khat-Catha edulis)
  6. LSD and other hallucinogens
  7. Heroine ...etc.

Already the Islamic Shari'a has prohibited the drinking of alcohol, as well as, the use of drugs, due to their harmful effects to the mind, spirit, body and wealth, and, likewise, the prescribed punishment for those who indulge in their use, for preserving the indvidual, as well as, the community's health from the evil of this epidemic, and it discourages from rape, theft, aggression, family problems and other negative effects on the children of the addicted persons. Allah, the Most High, says:

"O you who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrficing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it..." Holy Qur'an (The Table Spread 5:90)

It is in view of this, that the Qur'an terms alcohol as filth and an atrocity which must be shunned, as the Qur'an also regards alcohol among the causes of misunderstanding and security problems where it calls it enmity and hatred. Allah, the Most High, says:

"The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance..." Holy Qur'an (The Table Spread 5:91) And, it is reported that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said:"Any intoxicant is forbidden."(23) Due to the danger that afflicts whoever takes this deadly substance, Islam prohibits the manufacturing of beer, transactions of it, drinking, as well as, the selling of the substances used in its production, if it is known that they will be used for illegal purposes. And, surely, much concern is being given, educationally, and through the mass media on its prohibition, as well as, its danger to life, and was founded on the aim of safeguarding human life and protection from its evil effects.

Consequently, among the most dangerous effects of taking this substance, is its effect on the intellect and lack of consciousness which results in sexual violation (rape) and acts which destroy man's personality and dignity, as it causes the waste of billions of dollars annually in the taking of this substance and its cure, whereas (if not because of this) this huge amount of wealth could be used to fight poverty and on other welfare programs like sufficent health and educational services to the community. But these extravagant acts cause the suffering of millions of people all over the globe. In addition, the negative effect on man's health is caused by this deadly and destructive substance.

  1. Idleness:

Surely, idleness is not only an economic problem, but it is also a spiritual, social, security, as well as, political problem. And the youths' generation is a generation of work and production, because it is the generation of power, capability, skillfulness and experience. Consequently, the youth is thinking about the growth of his condition, economically, as well as, socially, by depending on himself through work and production, espcially the able-bodied ones and graduates who spend the most important part of their life in school, as, also, millions of youths are suffering from idleness, because of insufficient capability and lack of sufficient knowledge and experience due to their government or families slackness and carelessness. The statistics show that there are millions of youths, all over the world, who are jobless, and in the end they are suffering from poverty, needs and deprivation, as well as, bad conditions of health or lateness in marriage, and the growth of their family or their inability to sustain their families.

Another scientific statistic shows that idleness has its own bad effect on the surety of spirit due to the effect it has on the body's health. Indeed, large number of unemployed persons showed signs of lost spiritual esteem, feelings of frustration, feeling inferior to others, and it confirms that some of them were overpowered by weariness and that they were deprived, bodily, as well as, intellectually,(24) and, likewise, the statistic showed that idleness obstructed the spiritual growth of youths. It not only found that anxiety and dejection, as well as, gloominess increased among the jobless people, rather these circumstances extended negatively to the relationship with the wife and children, thereby, increasing the family's problems. Another factor which pushes people to the act of taking their own life is trying to escape debt, and it has been found that 69% of those committing suicide are jobless people, where the percentage of crimes, like manslaughter, and aggression increases between the ranks of jobless persons as a result of spiritual tension and strain.

Among the problems of idleness, which has its own negative, as well as, positive effect, is the problem of emigration and leaving the family and the community. The fundamental cause of this problem, between the jobless people, is poverty and lack of life sustenance. Indeed, the crippling of bodily capability due to idleness, especially between the capable and experienced youths who do not have the means to practice it, will force this capability to turn into a disaster for them and, at long last, cause problems for them (and their community). And furthermore, idleness has become a major complication in some countries, and even brings down some governments, due to demonstrations and rebellion toward the rulers and financial administrators whom the jobless term as the causers of idleness and unemployment.

But, surely, Islam has solved the problem of povety and idleness spiritually, as well as, materialistically! It is reported that the holy prophet (s.a.w.) said: "A soul (spirit) becomes steady when it attains its power."(25) And Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: "A soul defiles its owner, if it does not have what it needs to stand on, but if it gains its power becomes steady."(26)

These traditions disclose the scientific analysis on the relation between the spiritual side of man and material sufficiency, and its effect, vis-a-vis, steady and spiritual calmness, and that lacking and poverty causes grief, anxiety and unsteadiness, and, health problems like hypertension, digestive tract disease, bodily pain...etc. Therefore, idleness is the major cause of poverty, insufficency and deprivation. It is in view of this that Islam calls people to work and discourages them from idleness and laziness. Rather, it, also, necessitates work in order to sustain life with necessary needs for himself and those under his care.

For controlling idleness, Islam calls for the learning of some professions like business transactions, mechancial works, tailoring services, farming... etc. It is related in a prophetic tradition that: "Allah loves an honest professional."(27) The Holy Qur'an calls on people to work and seek wealth, where it says: "therefore go about in the spacious tracts thereof, and eat of His sustenance, and to Him is the return..." Holy Qur'an (Dominion 67:15)

"But when the prayer is over, then disperse abroad in the land and seek of Allah's grace..." Holy Qur'an (Friday 62:10)

And the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) regards work as Jihad in Allah's cause. It is reported that he (s.a.w.) said :"A hardworker for sustaining his family's needs is like a mujahid (Islamic warrior) in Allah's cause."(28) It is also reported from Imam Ali (a.s) that he said: "Laziness and impotence merge as things merge, resulting in poverty."(29) For discouraging and warning against idleness and laziness, we quote what is reported from Imam Ridha (a.s.) quoting his father, Imam Musa bin Ja'far al-Kazim (a.s.), who said: "My father cautioned some of his children to be wary of laziness and boredom, because it prevents one from fortune and luck both in this world and the hereafter."(30)

And indeed the prophet, the holy Imams and the pious servants have manifested these principles practically, because they used to raise animals, practice farming, transactions, tailoring and carpentary. And Imam Ali bin Musa al-Ridha (a.s.) has disclosed this which has been related from one of his companions that: "I saw Abul-Hasan working on his land, his back wet with sweat, then I said to him: `May I be your ransom, where are the men?' He said: `The holy prophet (s.a.w.), Imam Ali and the rest of my fathers (peace be upon them all) have worked with their hands, and it is the work of prophets, messengers, ministers of state and pious servants.' "(31)

Surely, all these give the generation of youths an awareness of the importance of work and the danger of idleness and gives them the material capability, as well as, personal honour and respect and discourages them from idleness and laziness. Consequently, among the major prerequisites of work, in the present world, is knowledge and professional capabilities. Thus, work fills the vaccum and rescues the youths from spiritual impasses, as well as, prepares a way for their success and future growth. And how many times the governmental paratacticals, especially in the capitalist countries and other monopoly corporations, unjustly accuse the youths in the third world of seizing their goods and wealth, as well as, causing problems and crises which causes the death of millions of people. When the wealth of these people is destroyed and they are forced to stay in poverty, idleness and deprivation, it is necessary for us to be politically, as well as, socially conscious and work toward the growth of our wealth and render our services to the present and future generations.