It is often taken for granted that these are the years of carelessness and not those of serious thought. This is not an Islaamic position. Indeed we find youth in the time of the Prophet performing heroic deeds and very serious in their practice and dedication. Examples such as Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, Ibn Abbaas, Anas Ibn Malik, Usaamah Ibn Zaid, Mus'ab Ibn 'Umayr, Ammaar Ibn Yaasir and others will be forever remembered for their sacrifices and willingness to give their lives in the cause of Islaam at tender ages.

This is a character assessment checklist aimed at the youth to assist them in making their own assessment of themselves and decide if changes in their character are in order. Parents too can use it as a gauge. In fact, what is listed are sins certainly not limited to youth. Each point is an interrelated sin that either weakens eemaan or comes from weak eemaan. Some stem from others while others lead to something worse. Possessing any of them makes change necessary because to continue doing them may lead to worse sin, hypocrisy and disbelief. It may not seem like it, but even you, as young as you are, could face death at any moment. Do you want to meet Allaah in a sorry moral condition?

One step toward correction is recognizing one's faults and setting out to do the opposite. A second step is honestly seeking Allaah's help and asking His forgiveness. There have been people who commit terrible sins and Allaah has guided and forgiven them after true repentance and struggle with themselves. Certainly you can too. Look at yourself and ask yourself if you do any of the following:

• Lie to and disobey parents
• Raise your voice to or abuse parents or other family members
• Disregard the advice of parents
• Disrespect adults
• Break your promises
• Insult the opposite sex
• Freely mix with the opposite sex by flirting or looking lustfully at them
• Backbite and gossip
• Look at bad movies and listen to music, especially sexually explicit types or that have a lot of profanity
• Use profanity
• Lie or steal
• Devise ways to avoid anything Islamic
• Spend your money on what is haraam
• Think mostly of yourself and little of others
• Do as little as you can to assist in the home
• Put minimum effort into schoolwork
• Imitate, respect or love the ways and manners of kuffaar
• Act hard with Muslims and easy with kuffaar
• Smoke or do drugs
• Mostly keep company with weak and sinful Muslims or kuffaar
• Waste a lot of time and never study the deen
• Find it easy to do wrong and difficult to do right
• Hate to be reminded of religious duties
• Feel little or no sense of shame or modesty
• Hate proper hijaab
• Do not enjoy listening to the Qur'aan
• Only try to learn Arabic or how to recite the Qur'aan if pressured
• Don’t go to the masjid or consistently go late to prayer (for males) when there is no obstacle to doing so regularly and on time
• Dislike going to prayers or concentrate little in them and hurry to get them over with
• Rarely give charity or gifts
• Avoid the company of striving Muslims
• Rarely or never make extra (sunnah) prayers
• Read anything else other than the Qur'aan or authentic hadeeth that is of little or no value or haram
• Read the Qur'aan or the hadeeth only if forced to
• Attend circles of Islaamic knowledge only if forced and pay little attention when you do Never give thanks, seek forgiveness from Allaah nor seek refuge from wrongdoing

Don't use the faulty logic that ‘I am young so I want to enjoy as much as I can before I get old and I will ask forgiveness before I die’! Such people almost never change on their own. They usually get worse because sins become a part of their character that they can no more rid themselves of than they could the noses on their faces. Being good or right according to Islaam has absolutely no importance in their lives. Almost anything else is more important than their religion and they couldn't care less about how Allaah sees them. They may even be ashamed to be Muslim! This is a sure sign that they are headed for the worst fate if they don't change.

You are a Muslim and you must not take a defeated attitude or think that your sins affect you only. When the Muslims complain of their position or situation it is because there are too many of them who take the attitude that Islaam is not the number one concern in their lives and it is not important to follow or that it's for ‘old’ people. Are you a part of the problem or part of the solution? Practicing Islam to the fullest is a cause for great inner joy, satisfaction and happiness and totally eliminates the desire or need for any other means to feel good, better or best.

May Allaah help you to be the kind of youth that all Muslims can be proud of and not ashamed of or whom they disdain. We pray that you are a boon and not a burden to Islaam and the Muslims. This can only occur if you are first a youth that Allaah ta’aala is pleased with.

Avoid Hypocrisy.
Strengthen Your Faith.
Depend On Allaah.
Make Your Islaam Real!