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Youth in Islam: Being
Raised A Muslim
Heidi Guggisberg-Coners
The Five Pillars of Islam
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Testimony of Faith
Prayer
Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy)
Fasting the Month of Ramadan
The Pilgrimage to Makkah
Similarities between Islam and
Catholicism
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Here are some observations I have made between the religion in which I
was raised and the religion about which I have had the privilege of
learning…
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Both religions believe in approximately a month of fasting with a celebration at
the end (Catholics have Lent and Easter, Muslims have Ramadan and Eid)
Both religions believe in giving money to the Church or Mosque and giving to
the needy
Both religions believe in respecting people of all ages
Both religions believe that mothers are to be revered, especially the Virgin
Mary
Both religions believe in God
Both religions believe in life after death (either eternal life with God or hell)
Both religions have a holy day each week
Both religions have been around for thousands of years
Women in Islam
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Men may marry more than one wife (usually a virgin), but he may not marry a second,
third, or fourth wife (four is the limit), if he does not have the permission of the wife (or
wives) to whom he is already married; he must also be able to support all of the wives
equally
In most modern day Islamic societies, men have only one wife because one must have a
lot of money to afford all wives equally
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, “O Messenger of God! Who among
the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?” The Prophet said: {Your
mother.} The man said, “Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your mother.} The man
further asked, “Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your mother.} The man asked
again, “Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your father.}
Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with
the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings without any guardianship
“Women … need special care and protection. Thus Islam treats women as a precious
treasure that should be guarded and protected from being startled at or molested or
inconvenienced by other people in any way. So, far from depriving women from their
rights or freedom, these injunctions show the high status of the Muslim women. Islam is
even protecting the inner feelings of women.” girl, >21, Pakistan
The Family in Islam
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Family is very important to Muslims, so they spend a lot of time visiting one
another – immediate and extended family members alike
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There is not a lot of divorce in Islam because there is a deeper commitment within
the married couple, married couples will often stay together and get along for the
sake of their children, even if they no longer “like” each other
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Muslims are raised to respect their elders and it is expected for children to care for
their parents we they grow older
Youth in Islam
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Muslim youth are allowed to date prior to marriage – however, this varies by country
and culture within which the Muslims live – some countries will not allow boys and girls
to intermingle while others are similar to the U.S.
Muslims pray 5 times per day (morning before sunrise, afternoon, evening, before
sunset, after sunset) – for me this dispels the misconception that Muslims must miss
class to pray
Muslims (specifically in Tajikistan) drink more hot tea than coffee
"These young people are the product of a free society, and they have grown up believing
in that freedom," said Begg of Bloomfield Hills. "As far as speaking up, they are not shy.
These are American kids."
The Hijab is optional for most Muslim young women (again dependent on culture and
country of residence)
 On a Unicef website, “Hijab isn’t a scarf that you wear; more importantly, it’s [about]
peaceful and respectful behaviours with people. It should reflect good ethics.” girl, 16,
Morocco
 “I usually spend my time with my friends in the malls at the weekends. There you can
[see], as anywhere, guys … staring [at] the girls’ bodies and some of them talk and
annoy them. Those guys don’t choose the girls who wear the hijab because they
know that they will not agree with such a thing. We can say that those girls protect
themselves by wearing the hijab.” boy, 17, Bahrain
Youth in Islam Continued
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According to ISP News, "They cannot drink alcohol, they cannot eat pork, and they
cannot go to the beach (without wearing proper cover). The most common view
considers Muslims as people to whom everything is forbidden, but this is not true.“
As well ISP News reports, Rassmea Salah said she is finding a new identity, based
on an Islamic faith that is more "open" and less radical than that of her father. "True
integration," she said, "requires a deep study of the recipient culture and our own
religion as well as the Koran, from a historic-critical approach. We must not be so
presumptuous to think that we have the truth inside us; only God has the truth.”
Found on IslamForToday.com, covering the topic of Muslim American Teens:
 But with Islam, like all other great religions that have nonviolence and peace at
their core, there are fundamentalists — or extremists who manipulate what is
written in their holy book — to justify their acts of violence and terrorism.
 "I'm a regular guy. I happen to be Muslim," says Amir Shaikh, 17. "I've been
asked 'Are you a terrorist?' or 'Do you know Saddam Hussein or Yassar Arafat?"
 "You know, because I have dark skin and my parents are from India, a lot
of people have asked me 'Are you Middle Eastern? Are you a terrorist?'"
he says."I got to tell you, it feels pretty strange to be guilty by association."
Parable of ‘The Good Tree'
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The image of a healthy tree, evergreen, giving shade and bearing delicious, fragrant
fruit year-round, is a parable of a balanced Muslim. The source of this parable is the
Qur'an, which says, 'A good word is like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and
whose branches reach to heaven; bearing fruit in all seasons by the permission of its
Lord' (Qur'an 14:24-5).
If we imagine that the tree represents a Muslim who is sincerely striving to embody
Islamic ideals, then the seed of this tree is the shahadah. This affirmation of God's
unity permeates and colours every cell, so that his every thought, word and action is
formed within the matrix of this understanding. The roots, which nourish the tree
and grant it stability, can be likened to the Articles of Faith - belief in God, His
angels, holy books, prophets, the Day of Judgement and Divine destiny. The trunk
grows through faith in Allah and His Messenger, which extends from the seed to the
branches. Five branches represent the Five Pillars: they give the tree its shape and
habit. Furthermore, the leaves represent Islamic manners and customs (such as
greeting with 'salaam' or wearing modest dress). They are what make the tree
attractive and recognizable from a distance, and provide shade to other creatures. In
the end, however, a tree's purpose remains unfulfilled until it bears fruit. The fruits
of the tree are good character: qualities such as truthfulness, patience, courage,
empathy, love, and compassion, along with all the other things that we desire in a
friend, spouse or colleague; namely, the things that make us human.
Websites for Muslim Youth
Organizations
The Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa: http://mym.za.org/
World Assembly of Muslim Youth: http://www.wamy.co.uk/
The Global Islamic Youth Centre: http://www.giyc.org/
Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia: http://www.abim.org.my/web/
Young Muslims: http://www.ymusa.org/
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There are many more youth organizations I could list here, just like there are in other
religions around the world. I also understand that this is not exhaustive or extensive
research by any means, but I hope it brings to light what I have learned about Islam. It
is my intent for this “presentation” to spark the interest of others in learning more about
this wonderful culture and religion.
“Obviously we can’t control all people in the world. But we can
continue to remind ourselves of what is important and try to live in
ways nourishing for human beings. It is most important to know about
lives that seem, on the surface, unlike our own. We must remind
ourselves and our children that the Middle East is a complicated
center of dramatic cultural and religious history and the vast majority
of people living there would love to be our friends.”
~~Naomi Shihab Nye
References
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http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1.htm
Interview with Khushvaht K. Navruzov