Azlan Othman
Investing in youth and strengthening them today will provide a bright future for the Sultanate, said Imams during the Friday sermon yesterday, marking the National Youth Day celebrated every August 1 annually.
“Youth is our future generation. When strengthened, they bring a source of enlightenment to the nation, or else it can lead to darkness and produce a bleak future,” said Imams, adding that they should be groomed with Islamic understanding from a tender age.
“The youth is a back-up of a nation and a source of valuable human resource where the nation can put their hopes on for the future. For that matter, they hold bigger responsibilities.”
The Imams shared that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reminded Ummah to not waste younger days, to get the best out of life, urging them to build self-confidence as well as nurture themselves with values, faith and pious activities.
As stated in a Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said youth who make full use of their age towards acts of piety will be one of the seven groups that will be protected by Allah the Almighty in the hereafter.
On the National Youth Day, the government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam continues to provide full attention to develop youth, through the provision of human capacity building, facilities, infrastructure and physical assistance.
The Imams said, “The theme for this year’s celebration reads ‘Youth Ready for the Future’ highlighting that youth is the Sultanate’s main pillar in shaping its future and development.
“They have proved their worth through their services when the country was fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at its peak.”
