Parents ... what have you prepared for this crucial time? 

It is the end of the educational year, children are at home and it’s a crucial time for parents. It is important to occupy the youth with permissible activities, engaging them in something enjoyable and meaningful to them, to prevent them becoming involved in the impermissible.

A challenge the youth face is getting caught up in the ‘web’ of technology which is so freely available; in a moment, shayṭān can cause one to slip up at the expense of devastation to their morality! They are faced with peer-pressure, appeasing friends to ‘fit in’, at the expense of displeasing Allāh‎ Taʿālā.

Every community should take interest in the affairs of the youth, occupying them constructively, whilst guiding and giving them direction in overcoming the challenges they face. Ensure the activities adopted are within the ambit of the Sharīʿah with the objective of salvaging the youth, protecting them from the dangers they face, which includes the threats to their Īmān, Allāh forbid!

Along with recreational engagements, it is important to infuse an element of spirituality into their schedules, such as Zikrullāh, ensuring Ṣalāh is maintained and Nasīḥah addressing the challenges they face. Afford them the opportunity to ask questions and sound out their worries and concerns to those who are able to relate to them, prepared to listen to them sympathetically and most importantly, wise and equipped with the knowledge to suitably guide them, such as the ʿUlamāʾ.

Islām is a complete way of life, and there is time for entertainment, humour, happy moments and recreation. We find this in the practical example of Nabī-Karīm ﷺ, as well as reference to this in the Aḥādīth. Take a balanced and moderate path, entertaining the nafs with sufficient Ḥalāl so as to keep away from all ḥarām.