A young man grew up in the worship of Allah

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner with Him. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah will give shade to seven on the Day when there will be no shade but His. (These seven persons are) a just ruler, a youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allah (i.e. worships Allah sincerely from childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. to pray the compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation), two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only, a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity), and a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears.”[1]

Allah shall gather all mankind, the former and the later, on the Day of the Recompense “that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise).” [Surat An-Najm: 31] in a very long day, of great horror, and of severe agony of which Allah warned His Servants and commanded them to prepare for it.

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of Judgement) is a terrible thing. * The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allâh.” [Surat Al Hajj: 1-2].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Then how can you avoid the punishment, if you disbelieve, on a Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) that will make the children grey-headed.” [Surat Al Muzzammil: 17].

Al Miqdad ibn Al Aswad said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: “On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so close to the people that there would be left only a distance of one mile. The people would be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their knees, Some up to the waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration and, while saying this, Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) pointed his hand towards his mouth.”[2]

 

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "The people will sweat so profusely on the Day of Resurrection that their sweat will sink seventy cubits deep into the earth, and it will rise up till it reaches the people's mouths and ears."[3]

 

There is not enough time to speak about the seven kinds of people, but here we shall speak about the Prophet’s saying: “And a young man grew up in the worship of Allah.”

 

That young man was guided from the very beginning of his life to do righteous deeds and disliked to commit evil deeds and Allah supported him in that; either because of a good upbringing, good companionship, or something else. Allah safeguarded him from the diversion and frivolity of youth, missing of Salah, and indulging in lusts and pleasures. Allah praised that kind of people when He said: “Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord (Allâh), and We increased them in guidance.” [Surat Al Kahf: 13].

 

When youths were the strong advocates for desires, the most amazing thing was those religious youth who adhere themselves to obedience and exerting much efforts to keep to it, therefore, they deserved to be one kind from those kinds that Allah will shade them under His Shade on the Day of the Recompense.

 

Those young men knew that they will be responsible for their youth and what they did during that period of life, so they abided themselves with the recommendation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said: “Take advantage of five things before five things take place: take advantage of your youth before you grow old. Take advantage of your free time before you become busy. Take advantage of your life before your death. Take advantage of your health before you become sick. And take advantage of your richness before you become poor.”[4]

 

Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Man's feet will not move on the Day of Resurrection before he is asked about five things: what did he do in his life, what did he do during his youth, his wealth; from where he earned it and for what he spent it, and what did he do in the knowledge he had.''[5]

 

Youth are the backbone of the nation and the future generation; of them the nation consists and of them scientists, reformers, the Mujahedeen, and other members of the society rise. If youth are good, their communities will benefit from in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah (Exalted be He) says: “And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith: to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.” [Surat At-Tur: 21].

 

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased).”[6]

 

Of the examples of religious young people who are committed to obey their Lord is the young Companions like Usamah ibn Zayd. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Usamah to lead the Army of Muslims that was heading to Damascus. His age at that time did not exceed seventeen while there were elite of senior Companions to the extent that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission from Usamah ibn Zayd to keep `Umar with him in Madinah and Usamah gave him the permission to that. Another example is `Aly ibn Abu Talib, who slept in the bed of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the Night of Migration to Madinah and who offered himself as a sacrifice.

 

Another example is Ja`far ibn Abu Talib, who was the commander of the Muslim army in the Battle of Mu’tah as a successor to the famous commander Zayd ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) who was killed in that battle, then he carried the banner, took his sword, and said: I would love to go to heaven because it is good and its drinkables are cool.

As for the Roman, their defeat is so close and it will be by my hand.

 

The Romans cut his right hand, so he grabbed the banner with his left hand. They cut his left hand, so he grabbed the banner to his chest, then they kept striking him with swords to death.

 

`Abdullah ibn `Umar said: "We searched for Ja'far ibn Abu Talib between the dead and we found his body had been hit by several and ninety strikes; ranging between strikes of swords and stabs of spears.[7]

 

Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allâh [i.e. they have gone out for Jihâd (holy fighting), and showed not their backs to the disbelievers]; of them some have fulfilled their obligations (i.e. have been martyred); and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allâh] in the least.” [Surat Al Ahzab: 23].

 

Another example is Muhammad ibn Qasim, who opened India and the surrounding islands and his age at that time did exceed seventeen as mentioned in the biography books.

 

The poet said:

When night comes, you find them devoted worshippers, how many drops of tears flowed down their checks.

When it is the time for Jihad, you find them like lions running to seek death.

O Lord, send us people like them to bring back or lost glory.

Of the contemporary examples: the young people who fill Masjids, schools, and universities, seeking the Shari`ah sciences, calling to the religion of Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and attend the sessions of memorizing the Qur’an.

 

This is something fills our heart with joy and assures to us that our nation is still full of good until the Day of the Recompense.

 

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah send His peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.