Imam of grand mosque urges youth to stay strong in face of modern challenges

ISLAMABAD: An imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque Dr. Sheikh Abdullah Awad Al Juhany said on Friday that young Muslims were capable of transforming societies and warned them against being exploited in the name of religion.
Juhany arrived in Pakistan on Thursday and will address the Fourth International Message of Islam Conference, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Sunday.
On Friday, he addressed a seminar entitled “Youth and Contemporary Challenges” at the International Islamic University’s Faisal Mosque campus after Friday prayers, which he will lead.
“You should not fall into the trap of the people who try to deceive you in the name of religion,” the imam said, adding that young Muslims must stay strong and united in the face of modern challenges.
A frequent visitor to Pakistan, the imam urged the youth to seek guidance from clerics on religious matters instead of blindly following people with little understanding of major issues in Islam.
Earlier in the day, Juhany delivered the Friday sermon and led prayers at Islamabad’s iconic Faisal Mosque. Thousands of people from all walks of life, including women and children, attended the congregation where special prayers were offered for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan and the Muslim world.
Speaking at the youth seminar, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy said young people were the backbone of any culture and religion and must be provided with modern education and skills.
Lauding the vision of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with regards to young people, Malkiy said that a $100 million modern center was being set up in the Kingdom to educate and train the youth along modern lines.
“Ulema should play their role in putting the youth on the right path,” Malkiy said.
Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said it was the duty of religious clerics to create awareness among the youth about the true teachings of Islam: “The youth must be armed with modern education and skills – just like they were in the age of the prophet [Muhammad].”
In his welcome address, the rector of the International Islamic University Islamabad, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, said that Pakistan was home to 56 million young people whose true potential could be unleashed if they were equipped with education in science and technology.