Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

A Glance at the World of Youth

Author: Al-Balagh Foundation

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

1. Stages of Human Growth 4

2. Infulencing Factors in an Individual's Conduct 5

a. Family and the Circumstances of the First Upbringing 6

b. Genetic Composition 7

c. School Education 9

d. The Media and Its Affect on the Conduct of the Youths 12

e. Political Power and Authority 13

f. The Culture and Beliefs of the Youths 14

3. Problems of the Youths 18

1. The Youth and Abandoning School 18

2. Rebellion 19

3. Supremacy of Imagination and Reverie 22

4. Pride and Carelessness About the Future 23

5. Anxiety: 24

6. Youths and the Sexual Urge: 25

7. Taking Drugs and Smoking 26

8. Idleness 28

4. Youths and Wars 31

5. The Culture, and Intellectual Inclination of the Youths 33

6. Guiding the Youth 39

7. Youths and Politics 41

8. Youths and Heritage 44

9. Youths and Friendship 47

References 51

Introduction

Disscusing about youths and community problems is like discussing a wide disparity from the human disparities and comprises approximately six billion people all over the world. Such a discussion deals with the present and future and the tremendous changes and transformations in the human race.

Surely religious scholars and those specialized in the affairs of education, sociology, psychology, and health have dealt with this subject, i.e., the factor of youths, as the politicians did through studying, analyzing, planning and solving, so as to build a generation which could perform its responsibilities seriously and efficiently, and also could withstand the latestdevolopments in its era.

Islam has its own ideology and philosophy in life and its cultural value gives great concern to the development of the human being, from birth and childhood, through youth to maturity and, then, to the end of his life, and has its own scientific approaches which are based on the foundations of morals and pure ideology in order to deal with the generation of youth; morally and spiritually.

Indeed, Muslim youths are afflicted with dreadful plans which are supported from every angle, psychologically, politically and financially in order to isolate them from Islam. Such destructive plans are based on the following two, main, dangerouspuposes :

1. Spreading immorality and vice among the youths by means of exploiting the sexual urge, using allurements, infiltrating drugs and broadcasting the call for moral disentanglement through mass media, amusement parks, illicit clubs, etc. And, also, by calling for sexual freedom, and dissoluteness under the slogan of freedom and sexual rights... etc.

2. Waging a campaign of creating doubts about Islam as an ideology,shari'ah and moral and cultural value under the guise of modernization.And, also, accusing this innocent religion, i.e., Islam, as being the cause of Muslims' backwardness. They work, continuously, day and night to substitute the identity of the Muslim youths with the West's materialistic way of life and also by portraying Islam as a religion unable to answer the problems of the age or to lead man towards the age of complexity and scientific development.

In view of this, the responsibility of Muslim writers and intellectuals concerning the youths increases day by day, and for this purpose, Al-Balagh Foundation presents this booklet to its dear readers, hoping that they will benefit from it, and seeking Allah's aid to give us the power to present more in the way of guiding the youths as being the leaders of tomorrow, and also building an enlightened Islamic civilization.

Praisebe to Allah the Lord of the worlds.

Al-Balagh Foundation

1. Stages of Human Growth

"It is He Who has created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then from a leech like clot: Then does He get you out (into the Light) as a child; then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old, though of you there are some who die before; and lets you reach a term appointed; in order that you may learn wisdom". Holy Qur'an (The Believer 40:67) "What is the matter with you; that you place not your hope for kindness and long suffering inAllah. Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?"

Holy Qur'an (Noah 71:13-14) That is how the Creator of this complicated world started the Creation of human beings, and by the power of its Creator, the first step of life started from earth where it goes through some stages, from formation to the growing of the body, soul and mind. Surely Allah's greatness is manifested in the above mentioned verse, through the creation of human beings from the soil of the earth. The emergence of the body through its complicated and activeparts, is manifested by its psychological formation, and its creative and emotional fields in the form of love and hatred, content and discontent, desire and anger, fear, sorrow and happiness.

Likewise, it is manifested through its mental or intellectual formation, by means of sensation and abstract perceptions with imagination and the power ofcomtemplation and the reflecting on the unseen and unknown things, and also its power of discovery, preparation and plans. Surely, it is Allah's greatness that is manifested in the creation of man, as mentioned in the aboveQur'anic verse, so as to show the three stages of his life which are:

1. Childhood Stage

2. Puberty Stage

3. Maturity Stage

The medical scientists and psychologists have conducted scientific researches on the human formation related to the stage of childhood and its peculiarities, as they studied the second stage in its three stages: youth, adulthood, elderliness. In Islamic messages to human beings one can see some distinction in its mode of education, guidance and dealings between the human beings in those stages. This way exposes the scientific view and substantial personification of the human's soul, intellect and body formation and establishing good treatment on this foundation.

In this discussion we address the youth stage for its importance in human life, because of it being the stage of power, activity and ability to perform things, and also because of being the stage surrounded with dangers and psychological, emotional and instinctual dilemmas. Thus, the bodily, intellectual and psychological abilities of youths looks like any free ability in this universe, such as nuclear energy and water energy, which can be directed towards serving man and the welfare of mankind, likewise, it can also be changed to the power of destruction, problems, the sufferings against individuals and society.