Youth and the Future

The World Looks Forward To the Future

Everyone around us seeks his future. He does not want to simply watch with regard to his present and only to be tied to his past. For example, a barren land keeps its patience until rain falls on it and if its valleys are flowing with rain, it will shake, grow and make everything beautiful. Surely, this is its happy, fresh (well-watered) and green future.

And the night, though it, seems to be long, heavy and covered with a black and thick gown, the universe indulges in the hope of a sweet, bright and beautiful day in which the secrets of life and all beings are opened. Therefore, the bright tomorrow means the future.

The autumn, in which trees are undressed of their greenness, pleasant fruits and beautiful flowers, seem, to the beholder, dissonant and great skeletons which indicate death and termination, whereas the gardens, parks, and farms indulge themselves in the hope of a fruitful, bright and spring future in which the smiles of life will return to all this death and termination.

And what has motivated the farmer to spend most of his time under the flaming sun and in the severe coldness, but, the future hope his season filled with harvests in order to bear this suffering pain.

Indeed, the seasons represent a rich and perfumed future full of optimism.

And the mother who waits nine months, with their nights and days, and her heavy pregnancy, which weakens her body, and sufferings, is motivated by her future hope of seeing her a waited, newborn child.

Surely, she dwells in the birth of her new child. Without her belief of a future full of optimism, she could not bear the difficulties of pregnancy nor could she endure the sufferings of childbirth.

This is the world which looks forward to the future filled with optimism. It is expected - though it is unseen, and, one day, it will come carrying with it happiness, mercy and blessings, i.e., it is said: "While there is life, there is hope."

How many a sick man sleeps his night away while he hopes to be cured and how many persons who are concerned with afflictions and distress reach a stage in which they look forward to the next morning with the hope of dispelling their grief and worry. How many times does it happen that a complicated problem in which a concerned man has been subjugated, but, that he never becomes disappointed in finding a suitable solution for it. "…and whoever fears (the wrath of) Allah, He will make for him a way (out of the troubles), …and provides him with sustenance from whence he reckons not…" Holy Qur'an ( 65: 2-3)

"…and whoever fears (the wrath of Allah), He will make for him his affair an ease." Holy Qur'an (65: 4)

With confidence, we say: Had thinking not been for the future, nor looking forward to it, surely the wheel of life would have stopped moving, the springs of movement among the creatures would have been dried up, and the whole universe would have been changed into a wide graveyard. Indeed, our life consists of three pages: Past, present and future.

The past is a passed page with its goodness and evil, and nothing remaining from it except its consequences and its sweet and bitter memories. Regarding the present, it is a page of days in which we live with what surrounds it of easiness, difficulty, sufferings, delight, deeds, responsibilities, success and failure.

And as to the future, it is the page of our coming days which convey expectations and hopes. Mostly, each of us looks at such days with hope, optimism and cheerfulness and, surely, without it, life looks like a narrow and unbearable prison. Without the wideness of hope, life becomes narrow and limited.

Thus, the past, once, was present; the present will become past after a period (of time) and, one day, the future will become present. Indeed, the distance between us, and our future, is not so far. And as much as the past and present are bright, the picture of our future becomes like that, nevertheless, as we see later on, it is not a necessary condition. It may happen, in our life, that certain essential moves, in which we break the obstacles of motion and remove the hindrances of the road, allow us to fly towards the future with the wings of hope!

Caring for the Future

If you look around yourself, you will see that people are one of three kinds:

There is the one who does not care for his future. What is important to him is the moment in which he lives and is not concerned over what time brings of good and evil. Such man looks like a prisoner who is submitted to the accomplished fact, and who does not want to overcome or exceed it. Another one lives only in his present to the extent that he is extremely and wholly engaged in his past, in a way that his unsuccessful experiments of the past prevent him from facing new experiments and challenges. It may happen that he made some achievement and is satisfied with what he has achieved in the past or at present. He never looks for further invention, production, and development thinking that what he achieved is the end of the journey and the highest degree of his striving, and efforts.

The third one feels that what he has of powers and energies are few and, also, thinks that his self, his hidden forces and his great ambition contain stored efforts and energies which wait for the following opportunities to blow them up. Such man continuously strives towards achieving what is best and most useful by considering each day that passes, a new opportunity and a new page on which a new achievement can be written.

Hence, taking care of the future is before the eyes of every man who is asked by the Almighty, Allah, to strive in the present world. Striving, as we all know, is considered a movement which is more energetic than regular walking. As it is a swift movement, it is, also, a purposeful movement aimed at achieving a certain purpose, and he searches for a result to his striving and activity:

"And that there is not for man (aught) save what he strives for, and that his striving shall soon be seen. Then shall he be recompensed to the fullest measure." Holy Qur'an (53:39-41)

"And whoever intends for the hereafter and strives for it a (sincere) striving and he is a believer, these, their striving shall be (recompensed fully) accepted." Holy Qur'an (17: 19)

Indeed, striving in a believing man's life, despite its being two strivings: one for the present world and the other for the hereafter, is considered as one (striving), particularly, for the one who contemplates well. Because any striving in the present world, if it is done for man's welfare, his family, his society and his nation is, indeed, a striving in the way of the hereafter. "And seek, with the means which Allah has given you, the Abode of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion in this world,…" Holy Qur'an (28:77)

People, who have made wide and confident steps in the fields of science, art, economics, and culture, are those who have devoted their great attention (importance) for their future and who have never been satisfied with what their offspring have of bright and material or spiritual reality. For example, look at Japan, and how it advanced and progressed out of the huge ruins and destruction which afflicted it during the Second World War, searching for its brilliant future, in spite of the simplicity of its material capabilities.

The world today, no matter where it goes, looks after its future in research, studies, and specialized associations in this active field. Indeed, Islam preceded in its emphasis on having a better future, for the whole Muslim nations, than their today and yesterday. In this respect, a du'a (supplication) says: "O My Lord, make my tomorrow (future) and what follows it, better than my present time and my present day."

Another supplication says: "O My Lord! Make life abundant for me in every good."

It is an open call that requests more good, deeds, inventions, and blessings. It includes all introductions which benefit humankind, decrease their sufferings, and make them reach the highest degrees of dignity, prosperity, renaissance, development, and competition with other nations in the fields of science, knowledge, and righteous deeds, and this cannot be achieved except through our efforts altogether.

Indeed, our right religion, Islam, invites Muslims to meet their needs and the necessities of other Muslim nation in the fields of knowledge, and in all life activities.

Islam considers the acquisition of science and knowledge a duty, which is incumbent on every person in the Muslim nation, to strive towards fulfilling and achieving it for the sake of development which fills space and supplies essential needs so that the Muslim nation be not obliged to lose its honor and dignity by depending on others.

If some people among the Muslim nation do their duty and meet those requests, others are not obliged to, otherwise, all people will be responsible for this. Such matters require a continuous striving from the Muslim generations particularly its enthusiastic youth, not only in building the flourishing present, but also, in establishing the principles, the foundations and pillars for a future having more prosperity. In this regard the Almighty, Allah, says:

"Who created death and life that he may try you (to prove) which of you is best in deeds; He is the Ever-Prevalent, the Oft-Forgiving." Holy Qur'an (67: 2)

Surely, active nations do not rely on their old past glories, nor are they content with the achievements of their present days, but, they plan to make their future more glorious and progressive. Nations are known through their children, especially the youth.

Therefore, caring for the future is a common responsibility. On one side, it is the responsibility of an individual, himself, and on the other side, it is the responsibility of the family that holds its individuals. It is, also, the responsibility of a school as a place which brings up new generations. Also, it is the responsibility of a society as a complete entity, like the responsibility of a state, which is the great shepherd and the first chief regarding the affairs of their subjects and guiding them towards great signposts.

The Future - Hope

Indeed, one cannot think of the future without looking at it through the eye of optimism and hope. The connection between the two is close and intimate because man, in his nature, always tries to go out of the narrow surrounding of his life in order to move towards wide horizons even if it is achieved by flying on the carpet of wishes and the wings of imagination.

The inmate who does not possess his freedom; who looks and finds all the doors and windows are closed around him, and who gazes out at his destiny, sees it unknown but, nevertheless, he does not lose the breath of hope.

Another example is that of an inmate who relates that he was living in a difficult situation full of despair, pessimism, and full isolation, to an extent that even his prison friends wished that the judgement passed against them was life imprisonment because, mostly, the common judgement was the death penalty.

Then, the (the prisoner) addressed them with a spirit full of optimism and trust in the Mercy of the Almighty, Allah, and said: "Why do you ask that from Allah? Why do not you ask for relief? Concerning me, even if they put the rope on my neck, I believe in Allah's power to change the situation at any moment!!"

As a result, optimism and the future are as inseparable as two horses and one cab. There is no future without hope which leads towards it and decreases the burden of suffering at its highest point.

Usually, we are concerned about the future; did you not experience that in your academic life, in your work, in your thinking of the projects of building, production, marriage and others? Indeed, a secondary student is worried about his studies in a university which will achieve his expectations and wishes; a university student is worried about his functional and practical future. A young man and a young woman are worried about their partners and their marital house; the parents are worried about their children; a sincere and keen leader is worried about the future of his country and his people and so on. Is this kind of worry horrible?

Will such a worry be an obstacle in our way?

Nay, surely it is a beloved and recommended worry, or let us say, that it is a worry of which there is no fear. It is a positive worry which pushes towards activity, vitality and striving in order to achieve the desired objectives. It is a kind of worry that seeks for what increases the standing of one's essence and the development of the personality. In this connection, a saying says: "The value of every person is of what he achieves." Even the striving of a believing man and his sacrifice is for the sake of others or for the sake of building a better future for his nation, which pours forth, in the end, in the stream of his psychological tranquillity.

Do you not see your parents who dedicate, sacrifice their lives, and spare no efforts for the sake of your future and the future of your brothers and sisters? And the highest happiness for them is that you will all be happy in spite of your being unsuccessful in achieving some of their expectations in the future. Indeed, you are their future in which they see their happiness.

Consequently, it is the worry of a hope, and the seeking for a better future, because the loss of hope means the loss of life. In this regard, a woman affected by bone cancer, says: "I will live every day Allah grants me; as if it is my last day in this life and to the day of my death; I will live my life to the fullest."

Indeed, she does not look at cancer - this malignant illness - as something which destroys her life, rather, she resists by her faith which Allah gave her, by considering each day has a new occurrence. And who knows better than that Allah, Who owns all things, may change many things which we never expect.

"…every day He is in a (new) splendid manifestation." Holy Qur'an (55: 29)

Once, a man came to Allah's Apostle, Muhammad (s.a.w.), and said: "O! Allah's Apostle, I have passed a long dark, night (i.e., very severe, and painful). He (s.a.w.) replied to him: "Praise be to Allah" Thus, the man was surprised saying: "I say a long, dark night, while you say: 'Praise be to Allah.'" He (s.a.w.) said: "Praise be to Allah because it has passed."