How to Use Your Youth Before You Lose It

Hawzah News Agency - Question: As we all know, youth is an incredibly powerful time of life, full of energy and drive. But if we don’t channel it constructively, it can easily turn destructive and ruin the good things others have built. Let’s be real—a lot of us spend our time just chilling, sleeping way more than we need to, and leaving the house just to waste time on trivial stuff or immature adventures. I’m hoping you can explain the right way to harness this incredible energy in a way that pleases Allah and actually benefits people, our community, and ourselves.

Answer:

Think about a driver who loses control of his car—he ends up crashing and causing a bloody disaster for himself and others. Do you know what prevents that kind of wreck? It comes down to two things: his knowledge of how to drive, and his willpower.

The exact same thing applies to a young person who dives into life without knowledge or willpower. They’re going to end up in a disaster that ultimately leads to failure and a wasted life.

Having physical strength and energy is a Divine blessing that Allah gives us in our youth so we can lay the foundation for a comfortable future. Because eventually, a day will come when that strength fades, the energy disappears, and illnesses strike. When that happens, the knowledge, wealth, career, family, friends, and supporters you built up during your youth are what will sustain you.

You asked how to make the most of the blessings of youth. It’s a great and important question. The keys are useful knowledge and willpower. Knowledge is the light that illuminates your path, and willpower is the force that controls your energy, keeping you from going off track and causing disasters.

Young people need peace, not violence. The ultimate fruit of peace is patience, and patience is the best fruit of knowledge. As Imam Ali (s) said: “Good patience is a proof of abundant knowledge.” [25]

Youth must actively seek out knowledge and sciences that will actually benefit them. Don’t fall into the trap of surrounding yourself with bad influences who are obsessed with the material world, because that just turns you into a slave to falsehood.

Imam as-Sadiq (s) made this very clear when he said: “I do not like (to see) a young man from you unless he is in one of two states: either a teacher or a learner. If he does not do so, he wastes; if he wastes, he loses; if he loses, he is sinful; and if he is sinful, he will be in Hell, I swear by Him Who has sent Muhammad with the truth.”

You need to seize opportunities to learn and develop your skills to build a strong foundation for future success. Honestly, the people who fail in life are usually the ones who refused to learn during their youth.

So, what exactly is the required knowledge?

It starts with learning Islamic beliefs, legal laws, and moral principles. Our scholars have written incredible books on these three areas that you can read. You can also discuss these topics with virtuous scholars (ulama), or attend lectures at mosques, Islamic centers, or study circles in people’s homes.

Please, really think about this quote where Imam Ali (s) describes pious people: “The Creator has become so great before their eyes, and therefore, everything else has become so trivial before them.”

If young people truly learn Islamic beliefs, laws, and morals, and reach a high level of piety in their faith, they will never desperately chase after the material world or fight over its temporary pleasures. They won’t get FOMO (fear of missing out) or feel sorry if they miss out on some worldly fun. They won’t cause drama. And they will never resort to destruction or violence as a “solution” if fate deprives them of a blessing or prevents them from getting what they want.

Dear brother, in order to walk this upright path, you need to do the following:

1. Know yourself well. Promise yourself to be sincere in achieving true happiness, and watch out for your own desires so they don’t mess with your sincerity. You might still fall into the trap of your desires, but if that happens, hurry to get out of it by repenting and asking Allah for forgiveness. Then, review what caused you to slip up and be careful not to repeat it.
2. Fill your mind with knowledge and true historical perspectives. Let your primary source be the Holy Qur’an, which explains everything, and stay far away from Satan and his followers.
3. Stay steadfast when facing difficulties, and practice patience no matter the situation.
4. Open your heart to your highest goal: remember that you were created for Paradise!
5. Build a respectable personality and try to have a positive impact on the people around you.
6. Put up a thick barrier between yourself and ideas that are materialistic, reactionary, shallow, chaotic, selfish, or submissive.
7. Shape your intellect and conduct using the Qur’anic mindset, exactly as it was interpreted by the Prophet (s), the Ahlul Bayt (s), and the virtuous scholars.
8. Read extensively about religious culture, and really concentrate on what you are reading.
9. Organize your time. Plan your daily tasks and write down your appointments in a notebook or planner.
10. Trust in your own abilities and talents, and level them up by teaming up with the talents of others who share your beliefs.
11. Learn how to communicate appropriately with people so you can be a positive influence on them.
12. Help out anyone who asks you for assistance, and never hold your favors over their heads later.
13. Live minimally (be ascetic). Don’t constantly wish you had the wealth or physical beauty that other people have.
14. Find a job that provides a halal (lawful) income.
15. Hate idleness and laziness. Allah hates them, especially when it comes to the youth.
16. Take care of your physical and mental health, and don’t neglect your need for clean, halal fun and amusement.
17. Get married early, and always encourage other young people to do the same.
18. Don’t put a ceiling on your good ambitions, because the road to Paradise is wide open for you.
19. Stay calm and plan for your future while keeping your mind focused on good deeds and their ultimate rewards.
20. Never forget the remembrance of Allah and making dua (supplication). Keep alive your love for those who showed us the path to salvation: first, the Prophet (s) and his family, and second, all those who have righteously followed them.

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Source: "For a better future" by Hussain Ansariyan , Q21