Toward The Radicalization of the Muslim Youth: Our Anathema!!!

In the Name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 

Islam by all standards is a moderate religion. Dissect every act of worship and you will agree with me without an iota of doubt.

Allaah in His inimitable style says in Q22:78: "And strive hard in Allaah's Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islam), and has not LAID UPON YOU IN RELIGION ANY HARDSHIP....."

The hadith on the strength of Abdullah bin Mas'ud (RA) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "THOSE WHO GO EXTREMES ARE DOOMED." He said it three times. Narrated by Imam Muslim (2670).

Islam frowns on individuals overburdening themselves and being too strict unjustifiably.

When our cars break down we don't go to the hospital rather we go to the mechanics but when it comes to Islam we don't refer to the learned authorities.

The Ummah is bleeding simply because the passionate youth has failed to Islamize his passion for Islam. And this process of  Islamization is knowledge based.

The irony of our generation is such that a learned scholar will be giving a fatwa and the passionate youth who lack knowledge is googling to either confirm or belie and most at times they give preference to that which they find online.

The passionate youth most at times get radicalized because of dogmatism, blind followership and lack of knowledge. 

Information is a processed Data, while knowledge is a processed information. We need to go beyond information to know what Islam is. Unfortunately the passionate Muslim youth stick to information on certain issues in Islam and fails to grasp the meaning holistically. 

It's easy for everyone to say that this is the Islamic ruling (Hukm) on issues A and B but it takes a scholar to appreciate how these rulings are applied (Fatwa)

They go to YouTube  and Google and facebook to take Fatwas from scholars that are oblivious of the peculiarity of our locality.

Know the difference between a Hukm and a Fatwa.

When you impo‎rt a Fatwa from somewhere and you try to apply it to your local content which in reality is not applicable then the radicalization process begins.

Some import Fatwa that is applicable to Muslims living in war torn areas and try to apply it to Muslims living in peaceful areas. When you paint out the difference to them, they label you a hypocrite or an apostate.

Don't be deceived by those who will quote verses from the Qur'an and ahadith from Bukhari and Muslim while deliberately twisting their meanings to justify their unIslamic dodgy aqeedah and to brainwash you into killing others and pronouncing them Munaafiqs and Kaafirs.

‎Which is more rewarding? The number of people you win over to the fold of Islam or the number of those you make Takfeer on? Definitely there's a great reward attached to those who serve as a means of guidance to others.

‎We are where we are today, because many have pronounced many sincere Muslims Kaafir hence justifying the taking of their souls. Sunhanallah!

In Majmu' al-Fatawah, Ibn Taymiyah (RA) said: Verdicts should be based on knowledge of experts in a field.

Oh passionate Muslim youth, always refer to experts in the various fields of Islamic sciences lest you become radicalized and start seeing good people as evil and evil people as good.

Oh passionate Muslim youth, always go with the opinion that best supports the Maqasid of the Shariah (Jalb al-Masalih): Promotion of the common good. And know that killing of innocent souls and making takfeer on sincere Muslims is definitely not a Maqsad in the Shariah.

Oh passionate Muslim youth don't be a reason why ‎parents will become skeptical when their children embrace the path of true Islam for the fear of being radicalized.

To be of help to Islam we must learn Islam from the basics. The youth get radicalized because they want to run before they can crawl. 

When parents fail to introduce their kids to Allaah at a very young age, they grow up knowing only beauties of this world and often at times at later stage of their lives when they become passionate about Islam, they don't want to learn from ground zero they become instant Muftis and Scholars and easily gets radicalized.

We must present the right image of Islam not presenting our image as Islam's. 

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in I'lam al-Muwaqi'in vol.3, pg.14 said: "Everything which replaces justice with injustice, mercy with its opposite, the common good with mischief, and wisdom with folly, is a ruling that does not belong to the Shari'ah, even though it might have claimed to be according to some interpretation."

Islam is the culture of the Muslims, hence cannot and should not be reduced to a concept by belittling other aspects of the Deen.

Oh passionate Muslim youth, know that difference of opinions existed among the Sahaba (RA) during the golden era of Islam but they never make Takfeer on one another nor label each other Munafiqs.

Oh passionate Muslim youth, don't restrict yourself to a certain circle of scholars with whom you only take. They are fallible hence liable to make mistakes. Get yourself accustomed to healthy intellectual debate because you might just be wrong in your opinions which you have held sacrosanct.

Oh passionate Muslim youth, we must not allow Satan to pave the way for us to hide under the pretext of over-zealousness in religion by radicalizing us.

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allaah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just, that is nearest to righteousness..." Q5:8

Ibn al-Jawzi said: “ To imitate is to suspend the use of the intellect whereas the intellect was created for thinking and reasoning." 

Islam is a balanced religion that frowns at two extremes: Extremism and Laxity.‎

May Allaah save our youth from becoming extremists in Religion.‎