Youth In Al-Quran and Sunnah
By Imam Yakhsyallah Mansur
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Al-Qur’an
Youth is someone who will be a milestone in the progress of the nation and religion. Youth are people who become hope for themselves, their families, and even society. Because of the importance of youth, the Qur’an gives many hints about the attitude of a young man.
The following are verses of the Qur’an that hint at the attitude of young people:
Q.S. Yusuf [12] verse 30
وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱمْرَأَتُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ تُرَٰوِدُ فَتَىٰهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۖ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا ۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰهَا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ(يوسف [١٢]: ٣٠)
And the women of the city said, “Al-Aziz’s wife seduces and seduces his servant to subdue him, his servant really makes him drunk with love. We must have looked upon him in clear misguidance.”
This verse and so on until the 33rd verse indicates that the youth that the Qur’an expects is a young man who dares to reject falsehood and disobedience, as when the young Prophet Yusuf refused to be invited to do indecent acts by his daughters and Egyptian women.
Q.S. Al-Kahf [18] verse 60
وَاِذْ قَالَ مُوْسٰى لِفَتٰىهُ لَآ اَبْرَحُ حَتّٰٓى اَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ اَوْ اَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا (الكهف [١٨]: ٦٠)
“And (remember) when Moses said to his assistant, “I will not stop (walk) until I come to the meeting of the two seas; or I will walk (continue to) many years.”
This verse is still related to the verse above, that youth are those who have high spirits. He will never give up in navigating the future path. Until his wish is fulfilled he will never stop.
Q.S. Al-Anbiya’ [21] verse 60
قَالُوْا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَّذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهٗٓ اِبْرٰهِيْمُ… (الأنبياء [٢١]: ٦٠)
“They (the others) said, “We heard there was a young man who reproached (these idols), his name was Ibrahim.”
This verse of the Qur’an gives a signal that youth should be someone who is brave in crushing falsehood and upholding the truth. As young Abraham dared to destroy idols and show people to God’s truth.
Q.S. Al-Kahf [18] verse 13
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَاَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ ۗ اِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ اٰمَنُوْا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنٰهُمْ هُدًىۖ (الكهف [١٨]: ١٣)
“We tell you (Muhammad) their true story. Verily, they are youths who believe in their Lord, and We added guidance to them.”
This verse of the Qur’an gives a hint of the character of youth in the Qur’an, namely those who have strong faith. Youth are not those whose faith is quickly shaken because of the lure of the world.
As-Sunnah
Here are some related hadiths about youth:
First Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah said:
Your Lord is amazed by youths who do not have shabwah (H.R. Ahmad)
Shabwah is the tendency to deviate from the truth.
Second Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah said:
Hasan and Husain are youth leaders of the inhabitants of heaven (H.R. At-Tirmidhi)
Al-Hasan and Al-Husain 2 grandchildren of the Prophet , son of Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatima.
Third Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah said:
There are seven groups of people who will be shaded by Allah under the shade of his Throne on the day there is no shade other than the shade of Allah Almighty (namely): A just Imam; Youth who grow up in worship of Allah Azza wa Jalla; A man who remembers Allah in solitude (alone) then he cries (for fear of Allah’s punishment); A man whose heart is always dependent on the mosques of Allah; Two people who love each other, they gather and separate because of Allah Azza wa Jalla; And a man who is invited to commit adultery by a woman who has a position and is beautiful but she refuses and says, “Indeed I fear Allah.” And a man who gives in charity with something that he hides, so that his left hand does not know what his right hand spends. (H.R. Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Fourth Hadith:
It is said to the inhabitants of heaven:
Verily, you will always be young and never age forever. (H.R. Muslim)
Fifth Hadith:
Abu Bakr said to Zaid bin Thabit at that time Umar bin al-Khatthab was among them, “Indeed you are a young, intelligent man and we do not accuse you (of lying), you used to write revelations for Raslullâh, so now look into it. the Qur’an and collect it. (H.R. Al-Bukhari)
Sixth Hadith:
A servant’s feet will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: about his age, in what he spends; his youth, for what he used; about his wealth, where did he get it and what did he spend it; and about his knowledge, for what he practiced (H.R. Ath-Thabrani)
Seventh Hadith:
From Ibn Mas’ûd said, “We went to war with Raslullâh even though at that time we were still young. (H.R. Ahmad)
Eighth Hadith:
From Anas bin Malik, he said that there were 70 youths from among the Ansar who were dubbed al-Qurra ‘(readers of the Qur’an). They used to live in the Prophet’s Mosque. When evening approached they went out to the outskirts of Medina, then they studied together and established prayers. Their families thought they were in the mosque, while the people in the mosque thought they were going home to their families. When it was close to Fajr time they looked for water and then looked for firewood which they brought and leaned against the wall of Rasûlullâh (H.R. Ahmad)
They are youths who live the life of a shuffah expert by selling wood. The proceeds from the sale of these logs, they buy food for the residents of shuffah. The inhabitants of Shuffah are poor people who migrated to Medina while they have no family or relatives in Medina, until they live in Shuffah near the Prophet’s Mosque.
Ninth Hadith:
‘Alqamah, one of Ibn Mas’ûd’s Companions narrated, “I was walking with Abdullah bin Mas’ûd, then he met Uthman bin Affân who invited him to talk. Uthman said to Ibn Mas’ûd, ‘O Abu Abdirrahman! Do you want us to marry a girl? Hopefully he can revive your old memories’ Abdullâh bin Mas’ud also responded, ‘If you say like that, then indeed Raslullâh once said to us:
O youths! Whoever is able to get married, let him marry! Because getting married is more guarding the view and fortifying the genitals. And whoever is not able, then let him fast, verily fasting is a shield for those who do it. (H.R. Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Tenth Hadith:
In the hadith of the Prophet about the Dajjal it is narrated:
Dajjal calls a young man, then Dajjal slashes his neck with a sword and splits it in two, then Dajjal calls him back, he comes and nods his face and laughs. (HR. Muslim)
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَّابِ
(T/RE1)
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