Question:  How can the teachings of the Prophet SAW guide us in addressing the social, spiritual, and emotional challenges faced by Muslim-American youth? Which examples from his Seerah, especially his interactions with young Sahaba, can inform more effective and compassionate communication? 

Answer by Kaiser Aslam, Muslim Chaplain at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University and former president of YM National. It has been edited for clarity.

This is a great question. Young people of every society feel like they  don’t fit in, and the reason is because they don’t. They are living in a society that was created by the previous generation and they are finding their way in it while still discovering and formulating what they bring into the world. This is even more significant for Muslim-American youth, as they are almost on a tightrope walk between two worlds. Socially they are being pressured to “fit in” to a world that often does not understand their values or priorities. Spiritually they are trying to stay grounded in a secular landscape that seems to be more worried about making them either constant consumers or products to be consumed. And emotionally they carry the burden of being misunderstood, by both the wider environment and often even by their own communities. 

Thankfully, the Seerah of the Prophet SAW offers us a masterclass in how to bridge these gaps with wisdom, mercy, and emotional intelligence. It teaches us how to communicate with young people in ways that heal, empower, and guide. A narration that comes to mind is a small incident in which the Prophet SAW hears a young sahabah named Al-Sharid ibn Suwayd RA reciting poetry. The Prophet SAW patiently listens to the young sahabah and eventually when Al-Sharid notices the Messenger, he stops reciting. The Prophet SAW then asks him if he knows the poetry of Umayyah Ibn Abi al-Salt? Sharid said yes and the Prophet SAW told him to recite. Sharid continued to recite in some narrations for over 100 lines. I want us to pause and think about that, the Prophet SAW listened to this young man recite over 100 lines of poetry and kept encouraging him to keep going. He stepped into Sharid’s world and he didn’t question him with things like, “why are you listening to this non-Muslim poet? Why did you memorize this? Shouldn’t you memorize or recite the Qur’an instead?” The messenger in one narration instead just said “Umayyah (the author of the poetry Sharid so passionately recited) was almost Muslim in his poetry.” The Prophet SAW pointed towards the good of the art that Sharid was passionate about, recognizing truth and beauty wherever it appeared. Compassionate communication from the Messenger SAW began with being fully present with the young sahabi, listening to him, understanding what he is passionate about, then directing him. Too often when adults talk to young people, it starts and ends with correction, dismissal, or disinterest of their passions and realities. Not realizing there is some beauty present and a possibility to establish, maintain, or grow a deep connection with them through what exists in their minds and hearts already. That young man, whose voice the Prophet SAW chose to hear, later became one of the narrators preserving the Prophet’s legacy. Sometimes listening to a young Muslim today helps preserve Islam tomorrow. Today, many Muslim youth express themselves through sports, gaming, poetry, fashion, design, social media, or entrepreneurship. Instead of immediately dismissing these interests, the Prophetic model teaches us that true listening can be guidance. 

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References:

• Sahih Muslim: Book 41, Hadith 6, or Hadith 2255 in standard numbering.
• Sunan Ibn Majah: Hadith 3758.
• Musnad Ahmad: Vol. 4, p. 388.