To the Muslim youth

[Jabhad]

To the Muslim Youth*

 

By Amr Khaled** Sept. 28, 2005

 

 

(Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition.) (Ar-Ra`d 13:11)

 

Baghdad—this beautiful city on Tigris River—the historical capital for the Islamic state and for the world, where Muslims ruled the world for hundreds of years, is now occupied. Baghdad, the center of culture and sciences, where Christians and Jews lived safely and peacefully, enjoying freedom to practice their religion for hundreds of years. Baghdad, this cherished Muslim city, was invaded in the past by the Mongols, who degraded all ethics and all values of humanity, slaying women and children, and violating sacred places. Nowadays, time repeats itself and the same bloody scene is being played on the same stage.

 

Do you know, Muslim youth, that the sanctity of the Muslim blood outweighs the sanctity of the Ka`bah? What will be our argument before Allah Almighty when He asks us about our slackness in helping these oppressed people? Do you know that we will be questioned about the effort we did for our religion and our Ummah?

 

Indeed, what we are suffering from today is not just the crisis in Iraq, but also the crisis of the past 100 years, through which the Muslim Ummah fell prey to many ailments, especially the following:

 

1. Distance from Allah and abandonment of the divine laws

 

2. Scientific and technological backwardness

 

3. Moral and behavioral decline

 

4. Blind imitation of bad examples

 

5. Division and disunity, and preferring personal interests to the interests of the Ummah

 

6. Misunderstanding of Islam and wrong application of its teachings

 

As a result, our Ummah lost its consciousness, lost its awareness of its goals, interests, and identity. This, of course, encouraged enemies to think low of us and made Muslims feel disappointment and despair as well as confusion and impotence.

 

This bitter reality will not change unless we realize and make use of the law of change:

 

(Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition.) (Ar-Ra`d 13:11)

 

No change or recovery can be expected unless we ourselves embark upon the process of changing our affairs. This law of change is not an empty slogan. Actually, it is the only way to get out of the dilemma we are undergoing.

 

Now, the question is, what are the aspects that should be changed? The following ten points answer this question:

 

1. Repentance must replace sin.

 

2. Obedience must replace negligence.

 

3. Seriousness, manliness, and high resolve must replace

slackness, laziness, and carelessness.

 

4. Desire for scientific achievement and creativity must

replace narrow thinking and limited vision.

 

5. Positivism must replace negativity.

 

6. Patriotism to the Ummah must replace blind following

of the West.

 

7. Useful and productive work must replace emptiness and wasted

time in trivial matters.

 

8. A complete comprehensive understanding of Islam must

replace mistaken or partial knowledge.

 

9. Preference of the Ummah must replace individuality and

selfishness.

 

10. Hope must replace despair.

 

Whenever the question “what to do?†occurs to you, remember these ten points. Change them, and then you can expect Allah’s victory. Islam has started with youth in your age, and you, the Muslim youth, are the most capable of bringing about this change. Just exert your effort to make these changes within yourselves and within your societies, then rest assured that Allah will never let you down, and that success will be yours because the law of change will then, and only then, be in your favor.

[Muhammad]

JZK akhi!!

 

Insha'allah I pray that Allah(swt) guide the Muslim Youth and show them all the straight path. This Ummah is very young, the majority of the Muslims today are under 25, this is our hope, Insha'Allah!

 

Amr Khaled Website

http://www.amrkhaled.net/

[Jabhad]

Yes brother Nur, our Muslim youth will inshallah bring the Muslims out of the dark into the light with the help of allah ta'alaa.