As a youth, taking this very serious will not only help you acquire the wealth of reward but also add a great deal towards creating your awareness of the significance of acts of worship in life. Youth is worth enjoying but only in a wise way.
To catch my vibe well, let’s learn something from this old man’s story.
Once an elderly man was passing by some area, extremely old and was very bent as if he was looking for something on the floor. A comical young guy saw him and asks in jest, ‘Oh old man! What are you searching for?
Even though what the boy said was so annoying, the old man still replied whilst showing great tolerance and maturity. In return for his abusive remark, he said, ‘son! I am in search of my Youth.’
The young man was really confused and astonished to the puzzling reply to his snide comment. He (the young man) then asked, ‘Dear Grandpa, I did not understand what you mean. Is youth some kind of thing that can be searched for? Has anyone ever been able to recover it once gone?’
The old man responded, ‘This is my regrets now. When I was young, I couldn’t avail myself of it. But today, I have realized its importance and no longer have it. If only I had recovered it so that I would make up for my past errors and foibles and devote to worshiping Allah wholeheartedly.’ ‘If only my youth had returned to me so I would inform it of how old age has treated me.’
Poor old man! Having a deep sigh of remorse and regrets, extremely regretful, he has lost his will of youth. Now it is useless to cry over spilled milk. He couldn’t benefit from his youth. He neither perform virtuous deeds nor makes any preparation for his afterlife, he rather misbehaved deeply over matters of heedlessness.
He is in his dotage with deteriorating health and a weakening body. He lost courage as a result of being old.
Fellow Muslim youth, we are now young Insha-Allah; from the wisdom of this old man, why not take full advantage of our youth today?
Let’s expert ourselves to worship Allah (our only Creator), let’s bow in His court before we get bent. Otherwise, just like the old Man, we will also be searching for our youth after we are old and bent.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Let’s expert ourselves to worship Allah (our only Creator), let’s bow in His court before we get bent. ” quote=”Let’s expert ourselves to worship Allah (our only Creator), let’s bow in His court before we get bent. Otherwise, just like the old Man, we will also be searching for our youth after we are old and bent.” theme=”style3″]
The sad part, as at that moment, you will have nothing but wistfulness and shamefulness. You will be disappointed in yourself to have wasted your childhood in playing and lost your youth in sleeping, and yes, you will cry in aging. sad!
Dear Islamic brothers and sisters! Youth is a heavy favor from Allah (SWT). We those who still have it should value it by spending most of it in the acts of worship and obedience in Allah (SWT).
Consider Time Very Important
You will definitely end up regretting it later when you choose to spend your youth in idleness, carelessness, and heedlessness.
If you choose to spend your youthful life in the dark cave of sins, you definitely will find it very hard to opt-out of it in the bright daylight of righteous deeds because your unappealing old age would never serve you right, I mean the too late syndrome.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Too busy is just a myth. People make time for the things that are really important to them. So Make time for Allah” quote=”Too busy is just a myth. People make time for the things that are really important to them. Is Allah not that important? Please Make time for ALLAH!” theme=”style3″]
At a young age, strive and struggle hard to perform more acts of worship and good deed, and stay steadfast in them, that’s Jihad after all.
Now, if you indulge in bad deeds and shrinks from the good ones, losing your courage, capability, and treasure of time, I’m sorry but you will have to regret later, I mean a regret which is in vain and without any gain.
Is there someone to stop this flying time? The sharp-edged ax of time is continuously clearing off the trees of our life. Who dares to slow down or stop what Allah has executed? So take time seriously; value it today by taking advantage of it. Otherwise, it will be regretted but cannot be regained if lost.
[clickToTweet tweet=”The blessing of time is one of the greatest blessings that Allaah can bestow upon His slaves.” quote=”The blessing of time is one of the greatest blessings that Allaah can bestow upon His slaves. Allaah even swears by time in some cases, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “By Al‑‘Asr (the time)”” theme=”style3″]
Pursue Knowledge, only that can save you
That’s right, stop wasting this precious but speedy time, stop being idle, also stop trading time for worldly pleasure – cut off the time you spend on TV, gaming or any activity that will only add-up nothing to your future.
What should you use the time for?
Dear young ones in Islam! Youth is a stage in life where intellectual and physical abilities can greatly be beneficial. It is the best age to gain religious knowledge, study the scriptures of Islam (holy books of Islam), and apply it to achieve the best results throughout life.
When in old age, a man usually goes crazy losing his wisdom and power. Treasures of memory get buried. Now having problems with mentalities, making the old ones behave like children sometimes.
But there is good news for the young ones who are habitual and consistent in studying and reciting the Quran because they will remain protected from such tribulations and troubles in the later life.
Come Close To Allah, Gain Love and Stay Safe
Your knowledge should lead you to the straight path, path of the righteous of course; after which, love will then be showered by Allah (SWT).
The very fortunate ones are the young Muslims who spend their youth following divine rules and neglecting their desires despite being able to fulfill them.
They are left overcome with deep Divine fear, achieving the rank of becoming beloved slaves of Allah. There is good news for these fortunate young people. Not only will they attain the love of Allah (SWT), they also gain a great status and respect in society.
Deal with Modesty
To achieve the best out of life, stay down low like humble. Allah will elevate all those who are humble. Your honor will only be increased if you are humble. But wait a moment! As for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), He said,
“No one with an atom’s weight of arrogance will enter Paradise!” (Sources: Tirmidhi (19999), Abu Dawood (4091) and Ibn Maajah (59)
Do you dream of paradise or not? I know you do and I know you will work hard to achieve this awesome dream.
What will you get?
I mean the benefit of making good use of your youth. From the parable at the beginning of this post, we could see clearly that one who spends his youth performing righteous deeds with divine fear will get a deserving reward in so many folds.
In this world, both young and old, you will remain in the bounty of Allah till the day you will be laid to rest. Sound promising right?
Well, that’s not all, because on that day when others are heading towards (hell) and regretfully seeking for second chances from Allah, your regrets will only be that you should have done better including sharing this piece to others, but in your case, you must have relaxed well in Paradise (Insha Allah).
One thing is for sure, on that day every soul shall regret. But strive hard so that when they are regretful for not obeying at all, your regrets shall be for not doing much better forwarding this message. But then Allah will say to everyone, it’s too late, you have many chances in this world but you live only once in this world.
What about the regretful old Man?
The Holiest and Greatest Prophet has said:
Do not pull out white hair as it is Nur of a Muslim. The person who gets old in [the state of] Islam – for this reason – Allah will record good deed for him, remove misdeed and raise the rank. (Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 4, hadith 4202)
My dear aged Islamic fathers, mothers, uncles and aunties, you already lose your youth, it’s a fact that can never be changed, but don’t lose heart. Every cloud has a silver lining.
If you have spent youth already, then consider your old age important because you will not even reach the old age when you meet death. It doesn’t matter when, if you ever realize the aim of your life at any stage, you should never be a pessimist.
Take Old age as a blessing, something very important and get busy pleasing Allah by shedding tears in His court and embracing piety before the sun of your life sinks.
With sincere faith, hope and fear, come close to Allah, asking Him for mercy. Hopefully focus on the Quran verse that says: Despair not of the mercy of Allah (Quran 39:53).
With this verse in mind, you will never return disappointed and empty-handed but rather, you will be blessed with a great wealth of forgiveness. Remember that repenting even in old age is a trait of the lucky ones.
Don’t be blind in your old age; it’s a second chance for you from Allah. A windstorm of death will soon make the candle of your life go off. The blade of the knife of death is at your throat. So, consider yourself among the dead because someday, you will have to respond to the call.
It’s now your turn…
What do you think? Our dotage parents and grandparents, uncles and aunties, brothers and sisters, about what exactly do you regret for and what advice do you have for the youth out there?
And the youth out there, what are your thoughts about this piece of advice? Do you have something that can add up to our productivity as a happy youth in Islam?
Let’s hear it and discuss in the comments bellow Insha-Allah…
