The greatest asset a nation has is its youth. The youth represent the backbone of any nation's movement forward. There is no doubt that changes stem from the efforts of young people. Throughout history the youth have also played an instrumental role in the successes of all the Messengers of Allah (swt). While the elderly powerful leaders of Mecca sanctioned the Prophet Muhammad (s), the youth were receptive and instrumental in supporting his mission. Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a), Ammar Ibn Vassar (r), and Miqdad (r) were prime examples of youthful influences in early Islam.

Our young adult years are the most productive and significant time in life. In a hadeeth narrated by Rasoolullah (s), he says "On the day of judgement, a foot of a person cannot move until he is questioned about four things (one of them being) about his young adulthood....and how he spent it."

Thus, we live in a non-Islamic society where we face many great challenges, and we find that our ultimate investment is in working with the young Muslim Americans. This investment would enable us to cultivate the future leadership and prepare our young brothers and sisters for the challenges of tomorrow. In particular, the young Muslim generations are the most effective voices to communicate with non-Muslims in the United States given that they have a greater foundation through education and understanding of the culture. This is in itself a tremendous advantage for Muslims because these generations are able to disseminate the message of Islam in America. "We have not sent a messenger except but with the language of his own people" (Qur'an 14:4). Unlike early immigrants occupied with providing the bare necessities, the generations of our time enjoy greater social and economic status enabling them to better focus on their Islam. This proves that the younger generation in America possesses the key to Islam's future in this country. However, there are issues that merit consideration.

1) The families of the American youth are challenged to find and satisfy a balance of structure and spiritual commitment. For example, parents must encourage children to take an active role with their Islam by providing support in the form of time and attention. Also, parents must provide recognition of their children's involvement, which will provide for a positive impact and further encourage the young adult. It is imperative to know that as parents and families we should not impose culture but rather stress and instill religious values. Imam Ali (a) said, "Don't force your children into your cultural traditions because they are born of a time different then yours."
 

2) Our Islamic Centers and Mosques must do a better job of catering to the needs of our youth as well. The English speaking American raised Muslim demands an intellectual high quality of service similar to that which they receive in their academic settings. Centers must be sensitive to the idea that Islam is universal and not limited to a specific racial or ethnic group. Therefore, it is imperative that our Islamic centers and Mosques become innovative in meeting the challenges of attracting the youth. This includes making Islam fun. Rasoolullah (s) said "make attracting people to Islam easy as opposed to making it difficult on individuals. Make it enjoyable and don't alienate".
 

Finally, with the help of Allah (swt) and his blessing it has been more than one year since the Young Muslim Association (YMA) has been successfully active. Within the past year, the YMA has flourished into a responsible young organization assertively looking to better serve Allah and the community. It is a very promising phenomenon that gives us much hope and a lot to look forward to. It is inspiring to see such a display of young brothers and sisters working for Islam since we have long awaited such an enthusiastic movement. Although the YMA is still in its infancy, the journey of a thousand miles has begun with the first step.