Muslim youth from all over the world encounter same daily struggles that evolve around society’s false definition of success and happiness, racism, innovations in faith, alcohol/drugs influence, type of entertainment that ruins youth’s mind such as pornography, and many more.
We are also exposed to cultural and traditional practices and beliefs that contradict the teachings of our faith such as forced marriage, uplifting one’s family clan while degrading the other, misusing of power and many more.
Many of us struggle to live our Muslim identities specially when living in a non Islamic country or city. It seems that everywhere we look, we are called to fall to sin. And, due to our weakness, we respond to that call.
All of us fall many times, get up and fall again. Sometimes even our own family and friends are making things more difficult to us. Then, we feel helpless, and we find ourselves living in our own hell.
I know it’s difficult to live right, pleasing our Almighty, when everywhere we turn, we see sins that are respected, accepted, and promoted by the society. We get confused because what we know are bad, are considered noble by majority.
I know it’s difficult, but it is nothing compared to the trials that our Prophets, and the companions of the Prophet, faced during their times.
The teachings of Islam are already accessible, the book of Allah is in our own home – we even have more than one copy, the scholars are near our homes – we can even access their lectures through internet. Seeking knowledge is very easy nowadays compared before, but we neglect it the most.
The problem that we have now is that we are surrounded by people who innovate our faith, who promote entertainment, who try to pull as away from Islam. But, if we have that eagerness to learn Islamic knowledge and to get closer to Allah (SWT), we will be able to see what is right from what is wrong. If we continuously exert effort in getting closer to Allah (SWT), we may fall, but surely we know His mercy and guidance will always help us to stand.
Don’t let this society define what success is, read the Qur’an and you will know the real definition of success. Don’t worry about how others see you by how you wear and due to your beliefs, because for Allah (SWT) you are the best.
Be reminded that only few will be rewarded of entry to Jannah, so be among the few.
“And few of My servants are grateful.” (34:13)
“But none had believed with him, except a few.” (11:40)
“In the Gardens of Pleasure, A [large] company of the former peoples, And a few of the later peoples.” (56:12-14)
