12 Tips for Muslim
Youth
Why should you, a young Muslim,
be helping to bring your friends closer to Allah?
After all, youve got
your own struggles to deal with: trying to explain why you pray to hostile
teachers, Hijab discrimination, standing up in class when the professor
attacks Islam, dealing with parents who think youve gone nuts because youre
growing a beard, or all the other difficulties faced by a number of practicing
Muslim youth?
Islam was never meant
to be an individualistic faith, reserved for the "chosen few". Muslims have a
duty to spread the Deen, and practicing Muslim youth, whether beginners,
activists or leaders have a crucial role to play.
"Allah has put them in
a position that perhaps no one else is in," notes Sheema Khan, former Muslim
Youth of North America (MYNA) advisor for eastern Canada. "They have the means
to communicate with their peers, they have an understanding of what theyre
going through plus they have the guidance of Islam."
Who is your childhood
friend, who would rather spend Fridays at MacDonalds than the Masjid, or your
classmate who is Muslim in name and only knows that "Muslims dont eat pork"
going to listen to: the nice Imam of the Masjid who would freak out if he saw
the way they were dressed and talked or you who may have grown up with them,
joked with them, or see them everyday in school?
The answer is obvious:
you.
Dont panic. Here are
some tips and advice which can help from other Muslims, many of whom have been
there and done that:
Tip # 1 : Make
Your Intention Sincere
All work we do should
ideally be for the sake of Allah. That includes the task of bringing someone
closer to Allah. That of course means this should not be connected to
arrogance, thinking youre the teacher and everyone else should be lucky
youve embarked on a crusade to save them. Guidance is from Allah. Make Dua
and make sincere efforts and remember Allah can also misguide you if He wills
(we seek refuge in Allah from that).
Tip # 2 :
Practice What YOu Preach
Not practicing what
you preach is wrong and you will lose the confidence of anyone, young or old,
once they figure you out. Dont do it.
Tip # 3 : Use
The Quran & Seerah (biography of the Prphet peace be upon him) As Dawa
Guides
Read and understand
those chapters of the Quran which talk about how the Prophets presented the
message of Islam to their people. Read the Seerah (for some good Seerah
books)to see especially how the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) brought Islam to so many different people, including young
people.
As well, talk to Dawa
workers, and check out manuals they may have written, like Yahiya Emericks
How to Tell Others About Islam.
Tip # 4 : Talk To
People As If You Really Dont Know Them
Dont assume you know someone
just by looking at them. You dont know that the Muslim girl in your homeroom
who walks through the schools hallways as if they were fashion show catwalks
(see Ambe Rehmans perspective on this) is not someone you can talk to about
Allah because she looks like a snob. Or that the Muslim guy who youve never
seen at Juma at your university is a "bad Muslim". Maybe he was never really
taught Islam and has no idea what importance Friday prayers have in Islam,
especially for Muslim men.
Tip # 5 :
Smile
Did you know the Prophet was big on smiling? But many "practicing"
Muslims seem to have "their faces on upside down" as one speaker once
said-frowning and serious.
Smiling, being polite
and kind are all part of the manners of the Prophet, which we must exercise in
our daily lives. If we want to approach others with Islam, we have to make
ourselves approachable. Smiling is key to this.
But note that being
approachable does not mean being flirtations with the other gender. There are
Islamic rules for how men and women should deal with each other which have to
be respected. Dawa is no excuse to have long and private conversations and
meetings with the other sex, for example. Set up a system where someone
expressing an interest in Islam is referred to someone of the same
sex.
Tip # 6 : Take
The Initiative & Hang Out With Them
Take the first step
and invite someone you may have spoken to a couple of times to sit at lunch
together, to check out a hockey game or invite them over for Iftar in Ramadan.
Also, share difficulties, sorrows and frustrations. Help with homework, be a
shoulder to cry on when depression hits, or just plain listen when your friend
is upset, discuss common problems and KEEP THEIR SECRETS. There are few things
as annoying as a snitch and backstabber. But an important note: if the problem
is of a serious nature,(i.e. your friend is thinking of committing suicide or
is taking drugs), notify and consult an adult immediately.
Tip # 7 : Show
Them Islam Is Relevent Today, Right Here, Right Now
Young people may think
Islam is too "old fashioned" and not in tune with the modern age. Prove this
wrong. Show how Islam is really about relating to Allah, which any human being
can do, anywhere, anytime. Allah is always closer to you than your jugular
vein and He hears and knows everything. Encourage friends to ask Allahs help
during tests, exams, and in dealing with problems at home with parents and
siblings. Also point out how Islam relates to teenagers: Islam gives you focus
and an understanding of who you are and where you are going, which most of
"teen culture" does not.
Tip # 8 : Get
Them Involved In Volunteer Work With You
If you are already involved in the community, get
your friend to help out. Ask them to make a flyer for one of your youth
groups events or brainstorm for ideas about activities to hold this school
year. This involvement makes them feel part of the Muslim community and
deepens your friendship, since you are now working together on something
beneficial for both of you. Make sure you thank them for their
contribution.
Tip # 9 : Ask
Them 4 Fundamental Questions
As your friendship
develops, you will notice the topics you discuss may become more serious. You
may be discussing, for instance, future goals and plans. Khan recommends four
questions to ask that can steer the topic to Allah and
Islam:
a. Where am I going in
life and what would make me really happy deep down inside?
b. What do I believe?
c. Who should I be grateful
to?
d. Did I get to where I am today without the help of
anyone?
Tip # 10 : Emphasize
Praying 5 Times A Day Before Any Other Aspect Of Islam
A
persons main connection with Allah, on a daily basis, is through the prayer
five times a day. Dont emphasize any other aspect of Islam until your friend
starts making a real effort to pray five times a day. Emphasize the direct
connection one has with Allah in prayer. If they are facing a problem, tell
them to pray, and to ask Allah for help in Salah and outside this time. When
possible, make it a point to pray together during your "hang out time". If
your friend begins to pray, that is the first step to other aspects of Islam
like giving up swearing, treating parents with respect or dressing
Islamically.
Tip # 11 : Help Instill Confidence In
Adults
Adults, like Bart Simpsons dad Homer, are
considered bumbling idiots in the eyes of "teen culture". Your job as a young
Muslim is to help turn the tables on this false and unIslamic belief. All you
have to do is this: when a Muslim adult does something good (i.e. saving
someones life, donating money to a worthy cause, the Imam gives a good
speech, taking good care of his/her family) bring it up in the course of your
conversations with your friend and praise the adult in question. Doing this
regularly may not only change your friends perspective, but could lead to
them seeing their own parents in a more respectful
way.
Tip # 12 : Support
Them Even When They Become More Practicing
Remember, just because a person
starts practicing Islam more regularly, this does not mean everything will be
okay from this point onwards. There will still be hard times, difficulties.
There may be times when your friend may have doubts about his or her newfound
practice of Islam. Be there to reassure them.
