Is there a guiding word for the youth of the awakening, and what are the causes of the shallowness and lethargy in the awakening and its cure?
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The questioner : It is observed, and praise be to Allah, in recent times an increase in the number of the awakening and its spread in this land, and praise be to Allah. But we observe that many of the youth who commit themselves reach a certain level of commitment and then stop there, and it becomes a weak and fragile measure of commitment. The spread of this phenomenon means that there is shallowness in the commitment.
The Shaykh : It has become what?
The questioner : Shallowness in the commitment, meaning a large number without the required results. So what is your opinion on the causes that led to that, and the cure...?
The Shaykh : The reality is that the awakening, and praise be to Allah, has spread in these lands and others. But you know that the awakening is accompanied by a strong impulse that religious emotion demands. Then the person is driven to reach the peak and then returns. Matters require patience, because intense impulse is like pulling a rope with force; it is likely to snap. But with slowness and deliberation, the person becomes straight.
So this awakening, in fact, requires wise leadership; leadership that has knowledge of the Shari'ah of Allah, and leadership that has wisdom in dealing with situations and proper guidance.
And it is possible for the youth in every land to return to one who possesses these conditions: knowledge of the Shari'ah, wisdom in conduct, and wisdom. If this happens, it is good.
Then also, if the leaders of the youth in every land where there is an awakening have a meeting and a discussion of matters, either in Makkah, by way of performing 'Umrah, or in al-Madinah, or in any land they wish, but the easiest and best thing is in Makkah and al-Madinah, in order to discuss the conditions of the youth and guide them properly, so that they do not disperse here and there.
Then also, this lethargy that sometimes befalls a person is a known matter, even in the time of the Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would admonish them and speak with them until they were as if they saw the Hereath with the eye. But when they went to their families and mingled with women and children, negligence occurred from them. So they complained of that to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to them: .
So faith in the hearts is like the waves of the sea; sometimes it calms down and sometimes it surges. And Shaytan is also an enemy lying in wait, as Allah the Exalted said about him that he said:[Al-A'raf 7:16-17], and he was unable to say: "and from above them," because who is from above them? Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So he attacks whenever he finds an opportunity to attack, he attacks.
And the strange thing is that he attacks in a way that a person may not be aware of. If he sees in a person a holding fast to the religion, he attacks him from the side of extremism, or from the side of obsessive thoughts, until this illness befalls him and he does not perform the acts of worship. I mean, some people, because of the intensity of the obsessive thoughts they see, have become unable to pray, may Allah keep us safe, and they are unable; they are on the verge of fainting and dying when they want to pray. And if he sees in a person negligence, and the hadith about Shaytan, if he sees from a person negligence, he causes him to fail further until he peels off from the religion and he is not aware.
And in summary: I see that this awakening should be built on a foundation of knowledge of the Shari'ah, and knowledge of conduct, and how a person conducts himself, because for every station there is a saying.
Look at this example: If your son committed a sin, and your shaykh committed a sin, do you rebuke your shaykh as you rebuke your son? No, ... you shout at him, and you reprimand him, and you hit him, and you do not care. But do you, for example, shout at your shaykh or reprimand him? Never. Rather, you come to him with gentleness, and you say: You did such and such, and I thought that it was forbidden. This is how you say it. You do not say: You did such and such, and you disobeyed Allah, fear Allah. And if this is true, there is no objection to a person saying to the most pious of people: Fear Allah. Here is the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) saying to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):[Al-Ahzab 33:1] at the beginning of Surat al-Ahzab, and in its middle He says: [Al-Ahzab 33:37] But for every station there is a saying.
So if you see, for example, a sin from your shaykh that your son, whom you reprimanded and hit, committed, it is not possible that you treat your shaykh with this treatment. Treat him with gentleness and softness by which the objective is achieved, and this is necessary.
Likewise, from what I pointed out: it is recommended that the youth in every land take a person to follow, and to draw their methodologies from him. This person should be of a high degree of knowledge and wisdom in conduct.
Thirdly, these who are chosen to lead the youth should have meetings to research and look into the matter of the youth, so that they may correct what is crooked among them. Because some of the youth have a strong emotion, very strong, such that if there were a door in front of him, he would break it. And he may come to a person and ask him about a matter, and if he is given a ruling other than what he desires, he says: That is it, you are an innovator, you do not know. Then he boycotts him. This is not correct. It is obligatory that the youth have proper conduct, and if a ruling is given other than what he sees, he discusses it, and praise be to Allah.
And it is obligatory upon the scholars who issue fatwas to the youth, it is obligatory upon them to consider the condition of the youth, and to address them in a way that draws their love to them, and to explain to them with calmness. The youth who has a religious awakening is sufficient for you to say to him: Allah said, His Messenger said. The youth who is below that needs, with the saying of Allah and His Messenger, another proof from reason, a proof from reason. Until some of the people now, from the youth, do not argue with the Qur'an and the Sunnah, they argue with reason. And although this is an error without doubt, but I say: It is necessary that the Shari'ah proofs be mixed with the deficient faith with what? With a proof from reason so that he is convinced. For this reason, you find the Qur'an full of rational proofs, because it addresses a people who do not have from the religion what carries them to accept the truth from the Book and the Sunnah. But if a person has religion, what is in the Book and the Sunnah is sufficient for him. A woman said to 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):Mishkat al-Masabih 2032 The menstruating woman does not fast and does not pray, correct? But she is obligated to make up the fast and it is not obligatory for her to make up the prayer. So she said: What is the matter with it? Why? What is the difference? It is all obligatory, it is all from the pillars of Islam. What did 'A'ishah say? She said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2032 She argued for her with what? With the Shari'ah, that is it, we are commanded with this and we are not commanded with this, and as long as we are not commanded with it, the conscience is free, pay attention.
But is this sufficient for one who has deficient faith? No, you give him a rational proof.
The scholars said in the rational explanation of that: Fasting does not repeat, it is once in the year, and prayer repeats, from the time the woman becomes pure she is engaged in prayer. So this compensates for that, so the prayer is not made up, and the fast is made up, and this is a clear explanation. Yes.
The Shaykh : It has become what?
The questioner : Shallowness in the commitment, meaning a large number without the required results. So what is your opinion on the causes that led to that, and the cure...?
The Shaykh : The reality is that the awakening, and praise be to Allah, has spread in these lands and others. But you know that the awakening is accompanied by a strong impulse that religious emotion demands. Then the person is driven to reach the peak and then returns. Matters require patience, because intense impulse is like pulling a rope with force; it is likely to snap. But with slowness and deliberation, the person becomes straight.
So this awakening, in fact, requires wise leadership; leadership that has knowledge of the Shari'ah of Allah, and leadership that has wisdom in dealing with situations and proper guidance.
And it is possible for the youth in every land to return to one who possesses these conditions: knowledge of the Shari'ah, wisdom in conduct, and wisdom. If this happens, it is good.
Then also, if the leaders of the youth in every land where there is an awakening have a meeting and a discussion of matters, either in Makkah, by way of performing 'Umrah, or in al-Madinah, or in any land they wish, but the easiest and best thing is in Makkah and al-Madinah, in order to discuss the conditions of the youth and guide them properly, so that they do not disperse here and there.
Then also, this lethargy that sometimes befalls a person is a known matter, even in the time of the Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would admonish them and speak with them until they were as if they saw the Hereath with the eye. But when they went to their families and mingled with women and children, negligence occurred from them. So they complained of that to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to them:
Sometimes one way, sometimes another
ساعة وساعةSometimes one way, sometimes another
ساعة وساعةSo faith in the hearts is like the waves of the sea; sometimes it calms down and sometimes it surges. And Shaytan is also an enemy lying in wait, as Allah the Exalted said about him that he said:
Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. (17) Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left
فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ * ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْAnd the strange thing is that he attacks in a way that a person may not be aware of. If he sees in a person a holding fast to the religion, he attacks him from the side of extremism, or from the side of obsessive thoughts, until this illness befalls him and he does not perform the acts of worship. I mean, some people, because of the intensity of the obsessive thoughts they see, have become unable to pray, may Allah keep us safe, and they are unable; they are on the verge of fainting and dying when they want to pray. And if he sees in a person negligence, and the hadith about Shaytan, if he sees from a person negligence, he causes him to fail further until he peels off from the religion and he is not aware.
And in summary: I see that this awakening should be built on a foundation of knowledge of the Shari'ah, and knowledge of conduct, and how a person conducts himself, because for every station there is a saying.
Look at this example: If your son committed a sin, and your shaykh committed a sin, do you rebuke your shaykh as you rebuke your son? No, ... you shout at him, and you reprimand him, and you hit him, and you do not care. But do you, for example, shout at your shaykh or reprimand him? Never. Rather, you come to him with gentleness, and you say: You did such and such, and I thought that it was forbidden. This is how you say it. You do not say: You did such and such, and you disobeyed Allah, fear Allah. And if this is true, there is no objection to a person saying to the most pious of people: Fear Allah. Here is the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) saying to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
O Prophet, fear Allah
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَand fear Allah," while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose
وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِSo if you see, for example, a sin from your shaykh that your son, whom you reprimanded and hit, committed, it is not possible that you treat your shaykh with this treatment. Treat him with gentleness and softness by which the objective is achieved, and this is necessary.
Likewise, from what I pointed out: it is recommended that the youth in every land take a person to follow, and to draw their methodologies from him. This person should be of a high degree of knowledge and wisdom in conduct.
Thirdly, these who are chosen to lead the youth should have meetings to research and look into the matter of the youth, so that they may correct what is crooked among them. Because some of the youth have a strong emotion, very strong, such that if there were a door in front of him, he would break it. And he may come to a person and ask him about a matter, and if he is given a ruling other than what he desires, he says: That is it, you are an innovator, you do not know. Then he boycotts him. This is not correct. It is obligatory that the youth have proper conduct, and if a ruling is given other than what he sees, he discusses it, and praise be to Allah.
And it is obligatory upon the scholars who issue fatwas to the youth, it is obligatory upon them to consider the condition of the youth, and to address them in a way that draws their love to them, and to explain to them with calmness. The youth who has a religious awakening is sufficient for you to say to him: Allah said, His Messenger said. The youth who is below that needs, with the saying of Allah and His Messenger, another proof from reason, a proof from reason. Until some of the people now, from the youth, do not argue with the Qur'an and the Sunnah, they argue with reason. And although this is an error without doubt, but I say: It is necessary that the Shari'ah proofs be mixed with the deficient faith with what? With a proof from reason so that he is convinced. For this reason, you find the Qur'an full of rational proofs, because it addresses a people who do not have from the religion what carries them to accept the truth from the Book and the Sunnah. But if a person has religion, what is in the Book and the Sunnah is sufficient for him. A woman said to 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
why one who has been menstruating must make up for her fast but not for her prayer
ما بال الحائض تقضي الصوم ولا تقضي الصلاة؟That happened to us, and we were ordered to make up for the fast, but were not ordered to make up for the prayer.
كان يصيبنا ذلك فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاةBut is this sufficient for one who has deficient faith? No, you give him a rational proof.
The scholars said in the rational explanation of that: Fasting does not repeat, it is once in the year, and prayer repeats, from the time the woman becomes pure she is engaged in prayer. So this compensates for that, so the prayer is not made up, and the fast is made up, and this is a clear explanation. Yes.