Hisham Barbhuiya for Hyderabad Youth Mirror #
Youth is a period of life every human being looks forward to as a kid. When old, the same individual may lament over the lost period for not having utilized it enough. The stereotypical image of youths indulging in sports, adventure tourism and everything associated with fun and enjoyment is very prevalent these days. These enticements however have deviated many from the actual goal of life.
As per a Hadeeth, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied and your life before your death.”
What we often don’t realize is as to how important this period is as far as Ibadah is concerned. The tremendous power of our du’a(s) is also underestimated by most. That a du’a can actually fix our problems and even change the course of our destinies as per the Qur’an and many Ahadeeth is something to ponder about as to what a tremendous entity we as human beings have been bestowed with.
In order to make du’a, the ritual Salah or Namaz is a pre-requisite. As kids we aren’t able to fulfill this obligation many a times due to lack of senses, and as elders we may not be able to do so as health concerns may take toll. So, the best time to make use of this power is now – as youths!
There are a lot of evils in this world which needs to be corrected – pornography, rape, prostitution, racism, bigotry and the like. A lot of people in the world are suffering today in places like Burma and Syria. Here we are full of life and energy and yet doing nothing for them and to make this world a better place to live in.
Shouldn’t we feel guilty about this? We should! But there is a lot we can actually do. The first step is du’a. A du’a made for others brings about the same blessings for the ones who make it too. So, in short it helps others as well as ourselves.
Then comes, du’a combined with actions. This is where Da’wa comes into play as a part of those ‘actions’. Da’wa is not fanaticism or trying to impose our views on others. It’s simply enjoining good and forbidding evil as the Qur’an says. So, let’s wake up and utilize our time.
(The writer is a Content Writer who works in an Multi Natioanl Company in Bangalore.)