Work among the youth

Conforming to the Society's mission and ensuring a bright future for Islam in America, MAS considers Islamic work among all segments of Muslim youth a top priority. Youth work proved and continues to prove to be one of the most challenging yet effective areas of Islamic work. MAS believes that Tarbiya is a core process to build the Muslim society and this process must take place in the youth age, a very critical period of life. Youth are the ones who are going to lead the Muslim community in the future and MAS believes that it is its duty to prepare them for that critical and important role. All objectives and means of the Tarbiya Department are used to develop and train Muslim youth.

MAS methodology and programs have always attracted Muslim youth. And after a short transition period, MAS is once again a hub for youth who aspire to fulfill all their potential and who are not satisfied with occasional and/or nominal participation in Islamic (community) activities/functions: those who subscribe to the belief that reform (enjoying what is good and forbidding what is evil) is an essential part of Islam and is both mandatory and necessary, and requires collective and organized efforts. MAS Youth Department has established dozens of chapters led by well-trained youth workers.

MAS-Youth...a long term vision

MAS Youth is a department of MAS is giving roots, nurturing, and establishing an organized, efficient, movement oriented Islamic work among all segments of Muslim youth based on the comprehensive understanding of Islam.

MAS-Youth...as a division of MAS

This means that the youth work is merely a part of the overall organization. It is not a separate entity, nor will it take on any characteristics as such. People do not join MAS-Youth; they join MAS. MAS-Youth does not sponsor activities, MAS does.

MAS-Youth...giving roots, nurturing, and establishing

This means that our work involves imparting tarbiya to the youth, through murabbis and not merely teaching youth Islamic knowledge. This tarbiya aims to establish organized and efficient, movement oriented, Islamic work and nothing less. Not only must we be organized, but we must be efficient as well, a characteristic that unfortunately we seem to have lost over time. And this work should be Islamic movement oriented, i.e. work that will help move us into the future, and break our stagnation and decline.

MAS-Youth...Amongst all segments of Muslim youth

This means that we will not fall prey to nationalism or racism and work with only a segment of the Muslim population. This is critical to the survival of our da’wah in North America that our members are truly North American, and not simply people transplanted from other parts of the world, unable to fully convey the message to the masses.

Based on the comprehensive understanding of Islam

This defines the balanced path that our Creator has chosen for us, as He (swt) reminds us in Surah Al Baqarah: “Thus have We made you a just and balanced nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger be a witness over you” (2:143)

Mission Statement

To develop, through knowledge and practice, committed Muslim young men and women capable of spreading and giving root to the comprehensive understanding of Islam, and to prepare them to be at the forefront in the development of their communities.

In our view, the tarbiya produces the personality of the “true Muslim activist” described by the Messenger, peace be upon him, when he said, “People are like a hundred camels, you can hardly find amongst them one rahila (one capable of sustaining energy throughout a long and arduous journey).” We want to produce al-Rawaahil. Our objective is that within 8-10 years all of the youth work is transferred to a new generation of du’aa who are part of the fabric of this society but are the embodiment of the understanding of MAS methodology.
 

MAS Core Tarbiya Programs:

MAS Halaqa: a weekly meeting, or study circle, of a few brothers or sisters. It follows a strict and thoroughly reviewed educational program and timetable, and serves as a nurturing ground for educational, spiritual, and intellectual development. The Halaqa mechanism helps joining hearts by developing true brotherhood and sisterhood (acquaintance and solidarity), trust and mutual understanding, loyalty and a sense of belonging, and commitment to the service of Islam and the community.

Night prayer (sleep over): usually a monthly program where all the halaqas of one chapter spend the entire night or part of it in prayers, recitation of the Qur’an, supplication and remembrance of Allah, thus recharging the members spiritually, softening their hearts, purifying and nourishing their souls, rekindling/reinforcing the spirit of sacrifice, and preparing the individual to shoulder the burdens of the Islamic Call under all circumstances.

Scouting Trips and Camps: They allow for interaction in an open and free atmosphere, thus strengthening the ties of relationships and love for the sake of Allah. They also train participants on patience, courage, tolerance, endurance, discipline and forbearance over a long period of time, thus rejuvenating the spirit, renewing the commitment, and revitalizing the body.

Workshops/Seminars: MAS offers a broad range of seminars and workshops to empower youth with full understanding of relevant themes/concepts and mastership of important skills (leadership, political activism, media skills,…).

Conferences/Conventions: These are large national and regional gatherings where prominent leaders and speakers translate the conclusions of their diligent researches and studies into practical solutions and guidelines for action plans. They usually focus on a particular theme, and provide a unique opportunity for the development and acquirement of new ideas.

MAS-Youth Centers

MAS has been spearheading the establishment of Youth Centers across the States. It is a place that the youth can call theirs and that is equipped with all needed facilities to host various youth activities. We believe that this project is critical if we are serious about raising a generation of committed and disciplined Muslims who will not only preserve their identity but also impact mainstream America.

Goals of MAS-Youth:

• Preserve the Islamic identity of our youth.
• Provide them with an Islamic environment to socialize with other Muslim youth.
• Strengthen the bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood among them.
• Empower the Islamic values in the youth and attach them to the Islamic teaching.
• Train our youth to develop and improve their leadership and Dawah skills.
• Our objective is to build a new generation of men and women who understand Islam, adhere to it, and call for it.