The greatest teacher to walk the face of the earth, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught us many lessons, amongst them is mercifulness to our youth. Sadly, many of our youth have taken to the streets seeking comfort and friendship, and have become rejected by the older generations. Why do we create this barrier? There should be harmony between our eldest and our youngest and all those in between. Anas bin Malik was a servant boy of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he grew up in the Prophet's household. Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah used to associate with us and joke. I had a younger brother. The Messenger of Allah said to him, "Aba Umayr, what happened to the Nughayr (a pet nightingale, with which he used to play)?" [Shama'il Muhammadiyya] The Prophet (peace be upon him) paid attention to the seemingly trivial pet of a child. This compassion of our Prophet (peace be upon him) worked wonders on the hearts, and it is with this kindness that he was able to secure the love and devotion of his followers. This was the character of our Prophet (peace be upon him). Although he was on an important mission, and nothing could distract him from attaining his goals of teaching people about Allah, amidst all the pressure and troubles he faced, he still found a moment to connect with the youth. He showed concern for what concerned them; he took the time to make them smile. He took the time out to let the younger generation know that he was there for them as well. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), narrated, "A Bedouin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "You (people) kiss the boys! We don't kiss them." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "I cannot put mercy in your heart after Allah has taken it away from it." [Sahih Bukhari] The censure of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to this man in this regard is seemingly harsh, but not without reason. Disdaining the youth has its consequences; many times such youth become involved with the wrong group, some take to drugs, others to sinful relationships, and others leave Islam thinking that it is Islam that has placed these severe restrictions on the relationship between the youth and elderly. In truth, it is our ignorance that has caused us to dismiss the youth as useless; incapable of understanding, and a bother. In the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the youth used to sit with him, and engage with him. They had the utmost respect for him, but that did not restrict them from enjoying his blessed company. His kindness knew no limits, for is there anything as ‘too kind'? Except that such a person is exceedingly well-mannered? Such was our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Amr bin Shu'aib on the authority of his father, who heard it from his father, reported, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "He is not one of us who shows no mercy to younger ones and does not acknowledge the honour due to our elders." [At- Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud] The Prophet (peace be upon him) went as far as taking the youth into his care. He allied with the orphans, accepted the responsibility of personally mentoring the young Anas bin Malik, he brought up Zaid ibn Harithah in his household, took care of Ali bin Abi Talib, and allowed his grandchildren to play on his back while he prayed. The youth would follow him, tend to him, and copy him in what he did, and in turn he would pray for them, pat them on the shoulders, smile at them and treat them with mercy. How many more examples of the Prophet's kindness to the youth do we need before we begin to emulate him in this respect? One last point to mention; the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not engage in frivolity with the youth. Rather he gave them a sense of direction, by taking the time to advise them and instruct them. One such example can be learnt from the hadith of Ibn Abbas who was only about 13 years old at the time. Ibn Abbas narrates, "One day I was riding behind the Prophet on the same mount when he said, "O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." [Tirmidhi] Imagine engraining such powerful poignant words in the mind of a young person, whose mind is fresh; it will only nurture it with purity and encouragement towards the good. Entrusting these heavy but carefully chosen words to the youth will open their minds to the possibilities that lie in wait for them in regards to their deen, and will make them feel valued, trusted and worthy. And it is true, for Ibn Abbas grew up to be a great, well-respected and remembered Mufassir, a teacher of the meanings of the Holy Qur'an. I ask you, what excuse do we have when we exclude the youth? To invite the youth into our circles is an opportunity to offer them solutions to their problems, to share with them the guidance of our Messenger and to bring them back to the glory of Islam. Our youth are the champions of Islam; they should be at the forefront, for they are full of energy, vigour, and inspiration.
