Part 5
Abdul Wahid
Youth and ignorance: the danger of emotional zeal without proper understanding
Another feature of the Kharijites that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned is their youth and ignorance. This description is not intended to condemn or belittle young people. We are talking about a state in which a person, guided by emotions and fervor, takes on the most important religious issues, without possessing the necessary scientific and intellectual maturity, and makes judgments about faith, unbelief, jihad, society and people’s lives, without sufficient knowledge. Such people declare Muslims as non-believers even because of minor issues and take them outside of Islam. One of the reasons for such hasty takfir towards Muslims is the youth and intellectual immaturity of those who make such judgments.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said
«يَخْرُجُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ قَوْمٌ، أَحْدَاثُ الْأَسْنَانِ، سُفَهَاءُ الْأَحْلَامِ، يَقُولُونَ مِنْ خَيْرِ قَوْلِ الْبَرِيَّةِ»
[«Sahih al-Bukhari», hadith № 3611]
«In recent times, young people will appear, devoid of sanity, who will utter words that seem to be the best of people’s speeches».
In this hadith, attention should be paid to the fact that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) does not simply indicate the external form of their speeches, but distinguishes between the beauty of slogans and correct understanding. Sometimes a person’s words can be completely religious, beautiful and inspiring, however, if knowledge and sound understanding are not behind them, their consequences may turn out to be completely opposite to the goals and requirements of Sharia.
Therefore, one of the most important lessons of this hadith is the recognition of the value of knowledge and intellectual maturity in religious matters. Issues of faith, unbelief, jihad, the sanctity of human life and the rights of Muslims are of great importance and require special caution. Decisions cannot be made on them guided solely by emotions, rumors or your own superficial ideas. However, Islam does not prohibit young people from participating in religious and public life. Many companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) already at a young age bore great responsibility on their shoulders. Consequently, the problem lies not in youth itself, but in the combination of young age with ignorance, unreasonable haste and lack of deep understanding, which can lead a person to serious misconceptions.
Pointing to this feature, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in fact, draws the attention of Muslims to the importance of scientific and intellectual education. Religious zeal and sincere feelings acquire true value when they are supported by knowledge, wisdom, patience and correct understanding of the Holy Quran and the blessed Sunnah. Therefore, one of the main messages of this hadith is a warning: in sensitive religious matters, one should not succumb to loud slogans and beautiful words. It is necessary to pay attention to what sources the speaker relies on, how deeply he understands the Holy Quran and the blessed Sunnah, and whether his words and actions comply with the established principles of Sharia.
All Muslims should pay due attention to such issues. They are also charged with the responsibility of educating others about the takfiri views and beliefs of this group. Nowadays, representatives of the same group include the Daesh Kharijites. All their attention is focused on Muslims, and it is from them that the heaviest blows to Islam and Muslims come in this era. In many countries of the Islamic world, they tried to destroy outstanding scientists and leaders of the Muslim Ummah. They fought all their wars against Muslims and continue to fight them to this day.
Like the Kharijites of the early period of Islamic history, this group appeared with the same habits and characteristics that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned in his hadiths. Every Muslim must study all their characteristics and habits, as well as coordinate and cooperate with the Islamic system in order to eradicate their ideas and beliefs.