The Muslim Youth in America: Problems and Solutions
by Maha Ezzeddine  (one of our Muslim Youth)

Entrusted to generation after generation, the banner now lies in
dusty battlefields, neglected and enshrounded with dust, guarded by
only a few enduring soldiers. The once numerous trustees of the
banner have struggled in countless battles against ignorance,
corruption, and greed. The banner of which they are guardians
flutters slightly, a witness to the masses who fled from its side to
cower in but a temporary refuge in the life of this world. Now, it
is supported by a few exhausted hands and is protected by a mere
handful.

Brothers and sisters, this banner is Islam, and we, the youth, are
the next soldiers. In but a short time, Islam will be passed into
our hands to protect, to preserve, and to fight for with the help of
Allah. The banner of Islam glows with its light and sheds hope to
the oppressed of this world. It is time for Islam to be carried
throughout the world, into the remote corners of South America,
through the narrow streets of Pakistan, through the war stricken
villages of Bosnia, and into the frenzied bustle of New York,
Chicago, and Washington. Yet, will we be worthy of such an honored
trust? Are our ranks so firm with faith that the lofty banner will
strike fear into the hearts of the army of Shaytaan? Or will we
shrink from it and throw Islam aside at the first hint of
difficulty? We must awaken to our impending responsibility and
repair our gaping weaknesses so that our triumphant banner can be
raised to new heights.

I can take up my pen to extol the accomplishments of the Muslim
youth in America in the past two decades, comparing an almost
undisturbed silence for many generations to a sudden burst of
Islamic awareness. With as much ease, I can mourn our profound flows
and gaze into the contorted future of Islam. The wisest road to
take, however, is to adopt a middle route, neither contentment with
our present situation nor hopelessness at our future. Through
determination and much effort, we can conquer our weaknesses, with
the help of Allah, and succeed.

Living in North America, we are assaulted from all sides by pitfalls
and snares of this life. Numerous diseases seek to infect the beauty
of walking on the straight path. We have been warned strongly
against the vices of drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and television.
These problems are acknowledged by us all and every Muslim youth is
aware of the countless temptations and difficulties he or she is
forced to face every day. Yet, despite our awareness and preventive
steps, there are no prominent attainments. Even though we are fully
informed by the Qur'an and Sunnah of the thorns of this life, we
still become entangled. In order to be the fortified wall that will
protect ourselves from the furious waves of a disbelieving society,
we must have a strong Islamic foundation and faith as enduring as
stone. Perhaps, then, we should try a new approach and begin with
the weaknesses that are birthed inside us.

The most conspicuous shortcoming I find in myself and others is a
drastic scarcity of knowledge. We hope to be the guardians of a most
noble religion, yet we know so little of it. We appeal to others to
embrace it through our Dawah, yet little do we realize that we have
not truly embraced it ourselves. At our finger tips lies a wealth of
invaluable books and resources, such that is withheld from Muslims
of some countries, yet we hesitate. Through knowledge of our
religion, we can become spokesmen, rather than mere shadows of
Islam. Knowledge should be the requirements from which we select the
leaders of our youth. Instead, we have mistakenly adopted the
western standards with which to select our leaders, such as
persuasiveness, charisma, and leadership. Though these are of
benefit to any leader, the leaders of our youth require more than
what worldly affairs require, and knowledge is surely a foremost
determinant. Some of us have the zeal, the ability, and the will
power to become new leaders in the light of Islam. However, our lack
of Islamic knowledge sometimes impairs us and is as debilitating to
our abilities as is the loss of sight.

I appeal, then, to myself and the thousands of American youth who
truly posses a desire to serve Islam, to establish in ourselves a
harmonious combination of wisdom, knowledge, and ambition. How many
of us read not only the Qur'an everyday, but also strive to
understand it? Have any of us taken time out to memorize a few
hadith and surahs? We must turn to the pages of our books and the
halaqas of our scholars and learned ones so that we appreciate and
realize the blessing of the gift of knowledge.

A second problem that threatens our Ummah so dangerously is our lack
of piety. When we read the accounts of the Sahabah we should be
moved to tears as we see the gaping fissure that lies between
ourselves and them! How often do we find someone willing to give
even a quarter of his or her savings for the sake of Allah as the
companions so often did? Muslim dwellings often lay dark and silent
throughout the night, rarely stirred by a fervent prayer. We tend to
forget Allah as we step out of the gate of our Masjid and do not
remember Him until our next prayer. How many of us, when we are
sitting at a bus stop or taking notes in a classroom, actually
whisper a few words of Dhikr? Surely the effort is trivial when we
remember the reward!

Our purity of intention and piety also lay vulnerable to the
insidious workings of pride. A watchful eye must be ever on the
lookout inside ourselves for prayers best composed when in a
congregation, money that is only given to charity in front of
others, and a code of dress that is only observed in front of
Muslims, for these are bold signs of an insincere heart.

Another predator that lies await for us in western society is that
of affluence and self-indulgence. In the schools we are taught that
we are "special" individuals. We become tricked into thinking that
we are deserving of privileged rights and kingly treatment. We
convince our parents to spend excessive amounts of money so that we
can remain in fashion. We take money as something that originates
from our own selves, and not as blessing endowed by Allah. Our free
time becomes devoted to the pursuit of our own delight and pleasure,
not realizing that this time is a gift. When we attend lectures and
halaqas, we worry whether it will be interesting to our innovative
minds or whether there will be any sports or refreshments. This
egotism must stop. We must realize what lowly and humble creatures
we are in the sight of Allah without our faith and love of Him. We
could be cast out of our homes and be inflected by destitution were
it not for His mercy.

The final problem I will relate is the matter of priority. Our
neglect, lack of knowledge, and occupation with this world can be
accredited to giving Islam a second place in our lives. It is easy
to be caught up in this world; distracted by college decisions,
school activities, sports, and scores. For those of us who attend
Sunday school or other classes, why do we not pay as much attention
to these matters as we do to those of public school or college? The
youth should grant Islam the right of priority in all matters of
their life. Our close friends should be chosen for their character,
the Qur'an should be given its rightful part in our day, the masjid
should be attended more often than the basketball court, and our
thrill and pleasure should be found in working for Allah rather than
in the odious company of a television. Only when we give our
undivided attention to become the servants of Allah and His
religion, will the brilliance of Islam be recognized.

By repairing these internal cracks that weaken our Islamic
resistance, we can resist the challenges American society hurls at
us. By mending these weaknesses, we can become the capable
reinforcements sent by Allah to lift the banner of Islam from under
trampling feet and raise it in victory.

When we compare the youth of Islam to the youth of other peoples, we
are pleased with what Islam has done to us. It has purified us from
the majority of the both physical and mental poisons of this life.
Alhamdullah, we are not faced with the problems of murder or crimes
among ourselves. Among us we have those who have surpassed American
society's role models in sincerity of character and have become role
models ourselves. We are at the top of a tower of society in terms
of commitment to morals, devotion to family, and close knit
communities.

It is very easy, brothers and sisters, to breathe a sigh of relief
when we are appreciated by the non-Muslims of American society for
our values. Yet, do we dare slight our modern role models for the
dazzling challenge of taking the Shahaba as our examples? For if we
do, we slip down from our lofty level in modern society to an
infinitely more humble level in the sight of Allah. In the stillness
and darkness of our depth, we have only the tattered, yet exalted,
banner of Islam, and the pressure of Allah. And as we gaze at the
expansive height that lies between ourselves and the scintillating
stars of the companions, we wonder, who will be the first to take
the banner and climb?