Guiding the Youth to Seek Beneficial Knowledge and Defend the Religion

Question:
This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, the youth are in need of the scholars' guidance, direction, and advice. What is the word that Your Eminence, Shaykh Al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him), directs to them from this platform?

Answer:
Yes, we direct our youth, may Allah grant them all good, to turn to seeking beneficial knowledge from the scholars, and in schools, institutes, and colleges, so that they may be equipped with this knowledge. This is because they will take over after their fathers, assuming responsibility for their religion and their community. So they must arm themselves with knowledge. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has passed away and moved to the highest companion, and the responsibility remains with us. It is upon us, the Muslims, and the Muslim youth.
The responsibility has passed to us regarding this religion and this community, especially since we are in a time when enemies are piling up against the religion of Islam and the lands of Islam, even if the disbelievers hate it. The religion does not triumph by itself, but rather it triumphs through its bearers, the believers who uphold it, act upon it, convey it to people, and strive in its cause.
So the responsibility has now passed to the Muslim youth. They must prepare for it, get ready, and they cannot do so except by arming themselves with beneficial knowledge, with which they confront doubts and refute them, and defend the religion of Allah with argument, just as they defend it with weapons. The responsibility upon us is great. And the Muslim youth are the means, after Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), to prepare for this matter.
And to carry it out in the best manner. You have been prepared for a matter; if you understand it, then value yourself by tending to it along with the work. So they must prepare for it by seeking beneficial knowledge, by knowing the correct creed, and by being fully prepared, for Allah has placed this responsibility upon them. The duty upon us all is great, but if Allah makes things easy, He makes everything easy. However, Allah does not make things easy unless we work the causes for Allah’s (Glorified and Exalted is He) facilitation, by learning the matters of our religion and learning how to respond to the doubts of the malicious who stab at this religion day and night. No one defends this religion except its people, and specifically its youth.
And whoever supports this religion, Allah will support him. . . So we must care for this matter. And prepare ourselves.
And we must face the enemies; we face them with knowledge and refuting doubts, and we face them with weapons if the matter requires it. This religion does not triumph by itself, but rather it triumphs by Allah, then by its people. The Muslim youth are the means, after the success of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); they are the means to carry this task and fulfill this trust. For the religion is a trust in our necks, all of us, requiring us to support it, understand it, uphold it, and repel the schemes of the schemers. Especially in this time, when the schemes of the disbelievers against this religion and its people are not hidden from you. They need someone to face them, someone to defend them, and someone to turn their schemes back upon them.
And if , then this right must be upheld by its people, who must clarify it to the people and call to it, and refute the doubts cast in its path. This is the task of the scholars of the Muslims and the youth of the Muslims, and it is a great task, and its fruit is even greater, and success is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.