Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa Hulul

Azmat al-Shabab: Asbab wa Hulul (Crises of Youth: Causes and Solutions) is a treatise on Islamic social ethics and youth guidance by the judge and scholar Muhammad Ahmad Kanaan (d. 1432 AH / 2011 CE) Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1. The book examines the moral, intellectual, and socioeconomic dilemmas confronting young Muslims, identifies their root causes, and outlines remedies derived from Islamic teachings Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa ….

Composition and Title

The drafting of the text was completed in Beirut in Muharram 1411 AH (August 1990 CE), and it was published by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1. In determining the title, the author considered naming the work Mashakil al-Shabab ("Problems of Youth"), but chose Azmat al-Shabab ("Crises of Youth") after consulting classical Arabic lexicons, noting that mushkilat is the proper standard plural rather than mashakil Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …. He defined a "crisis" (azmah) as severe hardship (shiddah), encompassing any distress, harm, or affliction affecting a person, whether brought on by their own choices or imposed by external forces Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa ….

Purpose and Scope

Kanaan directed the work toward advising young people, framing youth as a pivotal stage of life where individuals possess the awareness and maturity to evaluate choices and receive moral counseling directly, unlike early childhood where direction relies entirely on guardians Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1. The book clarifies that youth crises are not isolated from the broader afflictions of society, nor are all young people implicated in these crises, but rather addresses widespread vulnerabilities that disrupt their role in the community Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.

Structure and Contents

The book categorizes youth crises into two main divisions based on causality and human agency (al-tasabbub aw al-kasb):

• General Crises (al-Azamat al-Ammah): Hardships that young people do not bring upon themselves, but rather suffer as victims of external mismanagement, political neglect, and societal corruption Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1. These comprise:

  • Intellectual void (al-faragh al-fikri), characterized by the loss of noble purpose and higher Islamic ideals Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa ….
  • Decline in educational standards (tadanni al-mustawa al-ilmi) Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa ….
  • Social crises (al-azamat al-ijtima'iyyah), specifically unemployment and low wages (azmat al-amal), housing shortages (azmat al-sakan), and impediments to marriage (azmat al-zawaj) Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.
  • Misguidance and corrupt ideological influences (al-tawjih al-sayyi') Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.

• Specific Crises (al-Azamat al-Khassah): Sins and behavioral deviations that individuals bring upon themselves through personal choice Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1. These are divided into:

  • Neglect of religious duties and acts of obedience (tark al-wajibāt wa-al-ta'at), such as the abandonment of ritual prayer Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.
  • Committing illicit acts and indulging in harmful habits (irtikab al-fawahish wa-ta'ati al-khaba'ith), covering unlawful sexual relations (al-zina), intoxicants (al-khumur), drugs (al-mukhaddirāt), tobacco smoking (al-tadkhin), and corruptive entertainment venues (al-malahi) Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.

Responsibility and Appendix

The author dedicates a major section to determining accountability ("Who is Responsible?"), deriving his framework from the Prophetic hadith: كلكم راع وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته ("Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock") Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …. He details the duties and shortcomings of five entities: the ruler (al-hakim), parents, educational institutions (schools and universities), friends, and society at large Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa …+1.

The book concludes with an appendix (mulhaq) that briefly surveys crises affecting other vulnerable segments of society whose hardships intersect with those of youth: children, the elderly, women, and persons with disabilities Azmat al-Shabab Asbab wa ….