in fact, streets in several inner-city areas across the Kingdom – are plastered with graffiti. Some of it is inspired by religious symbolism, but most comprises squiggles and slogans reflecting a global theme: disaffected youth giving voice to their disconnection with society and its rules in brightly colored spray paint. In malls and supermarkets, you can see wannabe “gangstas” – youngsters who are completely immersed in the hip-hop lifestyle: its music, fashion, language and culture – patiently pacing the corridors and aisles for the obligatory prayer to get over and for the shops to open again, without bothering to pray themselves. I've often wondered what's the best way to address them, so that they turn to the Religion for answers instead of turning to the dissolute. Over and above the usual methods of exhortation (Targheeb) and dissuasion (Tarheeb), perhaps they need speakers with street credibility, someone who has gone through the entire gamut of their worldly aspirations and discovered the emptiness that lies beneath such a lifestyle. Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct an online interview with Imam Suhaib Webb, an Oklahoma-born activist, speaker and student of knowledge, who has known delinquency and disaffection closely, having been a member of a local gang and a successful local Hip-Hop DJ as a teen – before turning to Islam at age 20 in 1992. Currently, he is studying at the College of Shariah at Al-Azhar University, Cairo. Excerpts: u Do you feel that the Hip Hop culture and lifestyle keeps youth away from the Deen based on your experiences, and having worked with the youth as Imam? Suhaib Webb: No! I feel it can be used as an important tool, if guided by Islam, although not a place one needs to stay too long, of course. For many – and I can vouch for myself – Hip Hop was like our first sheikh! I knew nothing about Islam until I started listening to Hip Hop. So, there are positives and negatives. The negatives are the hard feeling Hip Hop puts in the soul, the hyper-masculinity, the rebellious feelings that come with it, and the misogyny. But, let me state that Hip Hop today, is very different from the Hip Hop I grew up with. u How do you suppose we can get youngsters to move on to an Islamic lifestyle, get hooked to something that actually benefits them, as opposed to something like this, which is addictive and harmful? Suhaib D Webb: This points to a greater problem. Youth feel disconnected from the Deen (Religion) and some religious leaders are simply not able to communicate with them. As a result, we have two parallel communities. The reality is that we have a crisis of parenthood. Kids are being raised by DVDs, PSPs, i-Pods and what they need is “DAD AND MOM”. We cannot neglect our kids and expect our dreams to raise them. The mother of Sheikh Mawlana Ilyas used to grab him when he was a small child and say, “I smell the fragrance of the Companions from you!” Look how she motivated and built his character and later on, in his life, one of his teachers called him and said, “Why do I smell the fragrance of the Companions with you?” If someone trusts you, you own them – they will be receptive to what you have to say, and sadly, the language of some scholars is not the language of the streets. We are impoverished to speak to the problems of today: our talk, our language and our methods are outdated and we are like a man speaking a different language to his people. This leads to a hyper frustration on both sides They (the youth) feel that the words of Tupac carry much more sincerity than someone who tells them that they are washed up losers (without providing an alternative). We are really facing a crisis in our message and inability to connect, so Tupac, being perceived as more sincere in what he says, even if it is Batil (deviancy/falsehood) upon Batil, relates to the pulse of the youth in a fashion that others don't. u What sort of resources do you feel the youth need today? Suhaib Webb: Allah has placed so much importance on the youth in the Qur'an that, in Surah Al-Kahf, instead of using a pronoun He maintained saying, “Has the story of Ashab Al-Kahf....”; in the next verse, “When the youth sought refuge...”; in the next verse, “They were youth who believed in their Lord…” Instead of saying, “them, they” they are referred to as “youth” repeatedly to underline their importance. Youngsters today need the right mentor, the right resources, the right community and the right friends. The word guidance has the same Arabic root as the word gift: Hadiyah and Hidayah. So we have to present things in a way that wins hearts and minds. There is another point, a trick from Satan (Shaytan) and that is he puts a harshness and a hatred in the hearts of the Muslims (towards each other). So there is spite in the heart, spite instead of love; anger instead of mercy and arrogance instead of humility. Allah says, “And had you been severe and harm-hearted, they would have broken away from about your...” This is the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions! Our new generation needs a break to feel motivated about their Deen. That is why the negative messages are working with them, the negative messages give them a feeling of identity – this applies to the messages of terrorists as well – they give them a sense of worth. We need scholarship that speaks to the non-scholar, knowledge that warns ignorance and morals (Akhlaq) that melt hearts. We need style, we need Da'wah that uses all the latest things to motivate and involve our youth – get them designing video games on Islamic themes if that is where their interest lies. We need to instill promise, hope and inspiration through practical education experience coupled with community-based activities that empower and build character.
