Part 10
By Bisham Shaheed
9. The Neglect of Reformers and Callers to Islam
Another reason why Muslims have become weak and fallen behind in the modern age is the neglect shown by Islamic reformers and religious scholars toward the Ummah, especially its younger generation. Their sense of responsibility has also weakened.
From the day many callers to Islam and religious scholars turned away from the duty of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and withdrew from society, they left the field open for the enemies of Islam. Using every means at their disposal, those enemies launched wide-ranging efforts and programs to deceive and mislead men, women, young people, and teenagers. To a great extent, they succeeded, and many young Muslims were made doubtful about their religion and their faith. The young people who, until recently, were ready to make every sacrifice for Islam and their faith, and who were a source of the Ummah’s strength and honor, are now, in many cases, concerned only with satisfying their own desires and worldly passions. Religion and Islam no longer hold the place in their lives that they should. The root of this problem lies in the negligence of religious leaders, callers to Islam, and reformers, and in the weakening of their sense of responsibility toward Muslims, particularly the youth.
We even see people who are known as scholars and callers to Islam distancing themselves from young people and looking at them differently. They avoid those whose appearance or way of life does not conform to Islamic standards. But is this really the answer? Should scholars and callers abandon such young people and leave them to themselves? If a caller to Islam distances himself from such a young man today, he should know that the enemy will move closer to mislead and destroy him.
The fact is that when a society lacks sincere advisers and people who genuinely wish it well, or when those people fail to carry out their responsibilities, the Ummah and its youth will drift away from the right path, and that will become another cause of weakness. But if there are advisers and reformers who fulfill their duties, guide the people, and warn them against wrongdoing, the deviation of Muslim youth will be reduced. They will once again be prepared to serve their religion, make sacrifices, and devote themselves to its cause, and the honor and strength that have been lost can be regained.
Alhamdulillah, today, under the rule of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has been established. It is hoped that, over time, it will help protect young people and teenagers from moral decline, and that every member of society will fulfill their responsibilities toward Islam and the Islamic system.
