Youth Issue - Education.

The Clock Cannot be Turned Back!

One of the experiences of a painful regret in life is for a person to meet another
person who was a class mate during their youth age and has now, as a grown-up
man, established himself very well professionally or economically through having
acquired a fairly enviable higher education.

They both were equal in age and intelligence while in the same grade; however,
what they were unequal about was in the degree of commitment and seriousness
in their studies.

What a cruel irony; the one who, unlike the other, was more focused on his
studies and did not let his focus be disturbed by an obsession with the thoughts
and talks about girls and was also balanced in his timing for his participation in
sports was at the end, the one, because of his accomplishment and high station
of life, who had a wide choice of pretty options available to him for a matrimony
and was now having ample leisure time for sports participation.

The other person, on the other hand, because of his poor focus and records in
education had to do with the third or fourth best available option in a competition
for a life partner. Participation in sports was not possible in his life any more
because he lacked qualifications for an executive job and therefore a long
day struggle for his daily living left a little time for sports or perhaps his
employment was so humble that he had to put on more hours to protect his job.

This is mere a scenario of contrast for the two youths which is quite common in
life. The mistake that youths often commit and regret later is in their failure to
establish a sharp sense of priorities while they are engaged in education.

It is necessary to exercise a restraint to the temptation to devote more time than

due in sports and in companionship of friends while in school and college during
that crucial youth age so that a youth does well in education. It is the extent of
education, which will determine how well he is placed economically for a
comfortable life with leisure time in the rest of his life for sports participation and
social engagements.

This is a message for youths, which they are never warned about in advance
while careering as youths. For those who missed the message find later that the
youth age cannot be relived; the phases in life are irreversible. In short, the clock
cannot be turned back.

Now, in schools and colleges any where around the world it is normal to find that
there are intelligent students but unfortunately befriend that group of friends who
are not seriously committed to their studies.
They show off themselves as a group having a lively time to attract others to the
fold. Serious students need to avoid befriending such groups. The alternative is a
disaster to haunt the weak minded all his lifetime.

Let us remember that In this life there is a hard system set by Allah swt. It applies
equally to all mankind. For every effort pleasing to Allah (swt) there is a gain and
for every mistake there is a lingering price. “And that man shall have nothing
but what he strives for” (al Qur’an - 53:39).
(Contributed by Mohamed Khalfan of Dar es Salaam).

Youth Magazine 38 January 2005 / Zilhajj 1425