Title: What should be done about Youthful Weakness? Question: I visit your website frequently and I have to say that I am truly impressed by the vigor and eloquence of your intellectual approach to Islam. You are a very intelligent scholar and writer, and I suspect that even in your young days you excelled. But, at least according to my observations, most young human beings don't think as deeply as you do and, in my opinion, lack the discipline to establish for themselves a stable moral code for their conduct. Let me give you an example. I spoke with my mother (who is a Muslim) about my sister's plans for undergraduate college in the near future. She seemed quite concerned about sending her to a co-educational institution even though my sister doesn't date and keeps her interaction with boys within the limits of the Shari'ah . I certainly understand and appreciate my mother's concern, but she talked about how she was afraid that if my sister attended a co-ed school she would seriously run the risk of falling madly in love with a handsome young man, letting her grades sink tremendously, and eventually becoming emotionally scarred for life. I thought this scenario was extreme; I couldn't think of my sister, who is so mature for her age, as a helplessly coy, impressionable girl. I responded by saying that, even if she did attend a co-ed school, we should hope that she would dutifully follow in the steps of women like Mary, who guarded her chastity out of love for God. My mother said that most young teenagers don't have the interior strength to control their sexual energy and too often lose all sense of morality and cleansing. I said, "What about me? I've decided to remain chaste and I'm a teenager too. I wouldn't claim that chastity is an easy task, but I'm not pulling my hair out because I can't be an incontinent beast while in college." She said, "But most teenagers aren't like you." I couldn't object. Most of the people in college in the west have pre-marital sex and aren't willing to give it up while they experience their 'freedom.' By relating this example, I am not trying to question the evil in the act of fornication, but am actually trying to address a bigger problem with young human beings: they are weak machines. You yourself argue that it is much easier, much more pleasurable, and more attractive to tread the path of evil than to endure the costs, sacrifices, and suffering of the path of good. Tough, that's the way it is! But our brains - especially young, teenage brains - are designed to pursue pleasure, and it seems, according to my observations, that it takes an extraordinary effort to be able to curtail that pursuit for the sake of morality, for the sake of God, ESPECIALLY if you're a teenager. I don't know how many times I have argued with my friends and classmates about sexuality, for instance, only to be disappointed by the fact that most of them cannot even begin to think of pre-marital sex as wrong or immoral. And when I encounter so many people sharing the same view - that sex is fun, it's great, there's no reason anyone in college shouldn't do it - I begin to wonder whether I am the one who is crazy. I wonder if the act of repression has produced neuroses in me, but I also believe that even if it has, God will reward me for striving in His Way. So there's the young human being: a sinning creature who is weak. God makes us weak and expects us to be super-strong. No, I do not doubt that God does not place on any soul a burden beyond its capacity, but I also cannot help but think about all the people I have argued with, for whom it is so natural to do things that I know I must refrain from. And I cannot help but think about the number of times that I have been tempted, and how I've felt so horrible for even DESIRING to sin because the very existence of that desire reveals my fundamental weakness. Weakness upon weakness! My grandfather, addressing this same issue, once declared that Satan has won and Allah has lost. I expect the Muslim response to this concern to entail a reminder of man's internal and external guidance, but it is difficult for me nowadays to trust their reliability because I see too many people who commit sins that are societally accepted - sins encouraged by culture - and divine revelations remain archaic fantasies stacked away in a remote corner of the local library. Do those of us young humans who are placed in these conditions of mass delusion have hope for forgiveness? I honestly think that if I weren't raised as a Muslim, I would probably, like most young human beings, have gone with the flow of culture and committed sins (activities which I would never think of as sins). Yes, sadly, I am, without my Muslimhood, weak enough to succumb to crowd mentality. Should I just turn my back on the mass delusion, thank God that I am not as astray as my friends, and keep attempting the uphill climb to God's throne? I understand that my questions are all over the place and perhaps what I'm really looking for are your thoughts on the issue of youthful weakness. Jamal Ahmed United Kingdom Answer: Firstly, I would briefly like to comment on the statement: 'Satan has won and Allah has lost'. The 'match' during the life of this world is not between Allah and Satan. On the contrary, it is between Satan and man. If Satan 'wins', it would not be God, but man who would lose the 'war'. Furthermore, it will not be long before man shall not only realize the gravity of this 'defeat', but shall also have to face its dire consequences. God is not a player in this match. God, in fact, is the Judge. Secondly, I do agree with the point that man is indeed quite weak and easily seduced into losing sight of God's likes and dislikes. It is precisely the reason why it is not merely the 'slip' that condemns man to eternal damnation but is, in fact, the lack of repentance and correction even after one has fully realized that his/her actions are against the likes of our Creator and Lord and even after becoming mindful of the fact that one day we shall all be held accountable for our deeds. It is, thus, not the 'slip' of the weak that shall be severely punished in the hereafter, but the 'turning away' of the arrogant that shall meet the horrible end. You write: I expect the Muslim response to this concern to entail a reminder of man's internal and external guidance, but it is difficult for me nowadays to trust their reliability because I see too many people who commit sins that are societally accepted - sins encouraged by culture - and divine revelations remain archaic fantasies stacked away in a remote corner of the local library. Even though the situation is indeed, more or less, the same as you have stated and, therefore, calls for a review of our efforts of calling people to the way of our Creator, yet the 'social acceptance' of a sin is not always indicative of man's losing awareness of that sin: There are many countries where financial corruption is widespread. In most of such countries, it is accepted as a ground reality and people have adjusted their lives accordingly. Yet, this corruption is looked upon as a 'wrong' even in these societies and there is no lack of awareness regarding the 'sin' involved in such corruption. The real point that needs to be acknowledged, addressed and corrected under these circumstances of widespread 'evil' is that most of the people have effectively lost faith in the approaching Day of Judgment, when they shall be gathered in the court of their Lord and shall then have to face the consequences of their deeds. If this is true, then targeting the correction of deviant behavior or 'sins' is not likely to produce the desired results. On the contrary, a much more thorough approach of correction is required. Besides a number of other situational factors, two most important points in this comprehensive approach should be: Finding and then starting with the common 'good' that is already agreed upon between our addressee and ourselves. This would provide us the opportunity of starting on a positive rather than a negative note. Once a good rapport is developed on the first point, we should then start with the presentation of the more basic teachings entailed in the Divine revelation. These 'more basic' teachings generally constitute the corpus of beliefs and the values upon which the whole structure of the religion is constructed. Finally, even after due care is taken in developing a comprehensive strategy and action-plan in calling people to the right path one must remember that the prime target in this work is not to affect any conversions, but to do the job right. The treading of the right path, in this work is itself the destiny. You write: Do those of us young humans who are placed in these conditions of mass delusion have hope for forgiveness? I honestly think that if I weren't raised as a Muslim, I would probably, like most young human beings, have gone with the flow of culture and committed sins (activities which I would never think of as sins). We must never despair of God's mercy whether for ourselves or for our fellow human beings. We must do our part of the work and leave the judgment part to God. God has promised us that He would not punish a soul unjustly. A person shall only be punished for the 'wrong' that he/she had committed even after fully realizing it to be 'wrong'. You write: Should I just turn my back on the mass delusion, thank God that I am not as astray as my friends, and keep attempting the uphill climb to God's throne? While thanking God for the realization that He has granted you, try to help your friends in finding the path of God, in the best possible manner. This is the responsibility that the great privilege of being bestowed with the invaluable realization entails for you. May the Almighty guide us all to the path of His liking. Regards, Moiz Amjad June 17, 2002