Wa alaikum salaam wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuh sister,

 

It is unfortunate that the entire world seems to be in this state at present and that the majority of this fighting is happening in the Muslim lands.

 

Whilst some youth see the solution to be to go and join the fight, there are other options available.  Perhaps as fighting seems like the obvious solution any options become overlooked, however, there are other things that can be done.

 

First and foremost, without involving ourselves directly at all, we can turn to Allah. Ask Allah to guide those involved to stop the fighting and stop the conflict. This may seem like a mammoth and impossible task, but with Allah, anything is possible. We only have to look back to the battles in history to see this.

 

There are also things you can do on a more practical level too, both proactively as well as reactively.

 

Whilst youth are perhaps the most susceptible to go to war, they can also be the once to successfully initiate change through youth initiative programmers. Such initiatives can unite the youth with other members of the population including teachers, politicians and religious leaders to promote positive messages. As a unified unit they can strive more successfully as a group to appeal to other youths not to join the fighting as well as approaching political groups who may be involved in initiating the fighting in the first place. Such approaches are more successful when done in groups like this and are more like to enact positive change. With the support of teachers and religious leaders, this will also strengthen the message.

 

Unfortunately, much damage has also already been done so the proactive approach above will not serve to eliminate the damage that has already been done. On this level, there are many charitable organizations that deal with this and help those affected by war. This is another good area tor the youth to get involved in. Not only will this get you involved in a positive way, but it will count as good deeds for you too. Depending on your field of expertise or preference, this might involve helping to rebuild damaged structures, or providing physical or psychological assistance to those who have been hurt in the conflict.

 

Doing such work will also fuel you in the proactive approach as you feel motivated to seek change as a result of seeing the horrific damage that is being done and the two approaches can work hand in hand against the conflict.

 

May Allah guide those who initiate the fighting to a path of peace and may He support and protect those living in the war zones.