Women In Islam
The Role of Parents in Promoting Islamic Values Among Muslim Youth
By Abdul Waheed Ademolar
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in a ways that are best and most gracious; for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance." (An-Nahl 16:125)
Today's youths are the parents and leaders of tomorrow. For the better future of Islam and Muslims parents' role cannot be overemphasized. The duty establishing peace and justice on land lies on the youth's shoulder, who need to be equipped for the future challenges, in terms of carrying Islamic message to the coming generation. How can a child grow healthy and spiritually without guide and guard of parents? The role of parents in islam is lofty, sound and comprehensive as revealed in the Qur'an. (31:13).
The likeness of parent and the youth can be compared to a farmer and germinating plant. The young plant faces many challenges as it emerges, such as struggling for food, mineral, water and competing with other weeds. Likewise, the youth are facing challenges from their immediate environment from all corners. It is the duty of parents to impart the piety of God into their heart as Luqman did to his son.
Behold, Luqman said to his son admonishing him "O my son! Join not in worship (others) with Allah: for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing." (Luqman 31:13)
Parents should make it a point of duty that the purpose of creation is not only my car is bigger than yours syndrome but to worship Allah alone. "I have only created jinns and men, that they may serve Me." (51:56)
Parents should take their young ones to mosque or perform prayers in congregation within the family circuit and admonish the youth on the important of salat.
"O my son! Aqim-as-salat (offer prayers perfectly) enjoin (people) for Al-Maruf - Islamic monotheism (Tawheed) and all that is good, and forbid people from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, polytheism of all kinds and that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments enjoined by Allah to people without exception."
However, the society is a combination of people from different races, languages, cultures and beliefs. It has the capability to absorb any individual, even Muslims, unless parents exercise their role.
Prophet (Pbuh) said: "Every child is born in a state of Fitrah (i.e., the pure and natural state of Islam - submission to the Will of Allah), but his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Magian." It is regrettable that many youth have played into the net of the West, they are carried away by the glitter and glamour of the West in matters of habit, food and dress. They have become highly materialistic in their outlook. They lack sense of direction, full or pride, impatience, false illusion to becoming rich at all cost, looking for chip popularity and luxurious lifestyle drive them into the peak of crime, due to parents neglecting their role.
Moreover, it is part of the role of parents to organize different activities, such as lectures, picnic, prayer, film shows Islamic library and festivities that every youth will participate in. It is my belief that it will thread fast in promoting Islamic value among the youth.
Penultimately, if youths of today are not to fail in their endeavour to determine the value of Islam. They must first free their mind from Western culture and ideology which believes and recognize only material needs, which realizes that man must have food for the body and always think of cheating the society (injustices through democracy). It is oblivious of the necessity of providing food for the mind and thereafter. If men were all off, if poverty and diseases have been reduced to their lowest possible point, there would still remain much to be done to produce a valuable society through the youths. It is exclusively among the goods of the society and the Hereafter that value of Islam is to be found. And only those who are indifferent to these value can persuade that the role of parents in promoting Islamic value among Muslim youth is not a waste.
Finally, it is the duty of parents to educate the youth Islamically and not as we see life on cables and satellite dishes in our different homes.
"The blind and the seeing are not alike; Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light; Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun: Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou can't make those to hear who are in graves. (35:19-22).
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