Enjoining

You know, as humans grow from childhood to adulthood,

their relationship with the community changes.

Once they get past the state of thinking

they can get whatever they want by screaming,

it becomes largely a case of stay within certain limits,

and do as you're told.

But childhood turns to youth,

when they start to look at the world around them

and think how they want to change it.

And then they have to think about how they can possibly do something about it?

How can they get the power to change things for the better?

Those who hold power are not traditionally inclined towards handing it over.

How can they gain power without making war?

How can they avoid making things worse?

Look to whatever unites rather than divides.

Look to what is good for all.

In recent times there is one particular issue,

the environment,

where the need to speak out and act together

to implement change for the good of all,

is clearly showing in the most graphic manner,

the ultimate example of the need for unified action for good,

human survival,

with the alternative being the forewarned punishment for argument and division,

and the destruction of humanity.

It is hardly surprising that the environmental crisis

has brought about a trend towards youth activism around their concerns,

after all, it is their future old politicians are frittering away.

So how should young muslims approach such matters?

Well, as far as the environment goes,

the traditional muslim attitudes towards such issues are well documented,

and Shari'ah lawyers have made many rulings

defining environmental preservation as praiseworthy

as opposed to the moral wrong of environmental destruction.

But what are young people to do in other situations

in which they see a clear good that needs to be acted upon

or spoken for?

Well, in Sura 3.102-105 they are told

first to let God fill their minds

and be surrendered in what they do.

And Qur'an guides them not to divide up into warring groups,

and to let God bring hearts together so they may be siblings.

Division becomes war, becomes the brink of a pit of fire.

By uniting hearts God pulls us back

in the hope that

eventually

we will follow God's guidance.

And we are told that the ones who prosper

are those who call out for doing what is good,

and that right should be done and wrong forbidden.

And after that, again we are warned

not to fall into argument and division

despite opposing sides both recognising the Clear Signs of God,

as that will lead to suffering as punishment.

But there is a difference in measure between reward and punishment

which is made clear in Sura 4.85,

where we are told that those who speak in support of what is wrong

will receive a trial equivalent to the suffering caused by that support,

whereas the reward of the one who speaks up on behalf of a good cause

is not limited in its scale.

And God has power over everything.