If a person suddenly asks you who your role model is, how would you react? Will you answer truthfully because you know your role model well? Will you think about a satisfactory answer, which sounds good even if it is not true? Will you consider the question to be insignificant and not think about answering it in the first place? Will you be frank and plainly say that you do not have a role model?
Dear youth, whatever your answer might be, we ask the question and hope that none of you will be confused about choosing your role model on the condition that you would make the right choice. Our youth experience a lot of negative phenomena around them including the Western intellectual invasion of Arab and Muslim societies, the fascination of the youth with technological progress and modern technologies in all fields in the West, and the materialism that has started to control everything. Amidst all these things, we ask, “Did the youth blindly follow the glitter of Western civilization with its scientific progress? Have the makers of Western civilization become their role models or do they still hold fast to their Islamic creed and Arab civilization?
The Prophet, , Is Our Role Model
Ghaadah Muhammad, an Arts student, says that her role model is the Prophet, , and nobody else. She adds that the youth are now more aware than before, owing to the events that the Muslim and Arab world has recently undergone.
Her sister Faatimah Az-Zahraa', a secondary school student, agrees with her. She says that her role model is also the Prophet, . Ridhwaan Mustafa Fat’hi, a Law student at Ain Shams University, says that Muslims should take the Prophet, , and his noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, as role models, so that they would gain success in this life and the Hereafter.
Ahmad Shaakir, a student at the Faculty of Education at the same university, asserts that the vast majority of youth take the Messenger, , and his Companions as role models.
Shaymaa' Hasan, a secondary school student, says that she does not have a role model, nor does she consider or think of taking anybody as a role model. Ranya Saalih agrees with her and says that she does not have a role model either.
Figo is My Role Model
Muhammad Mitwalli, a student at an industrial school, says that his role model is Luis Figo, a football player in the Portuguese national team and the Spanish Real Madrid side as he is a professional, highly skillful player whom he loves very much.
Maryam Kamaal, a secondary school girl, agrees with the previous opinion that every person must have a role model to follow and take as an example. She added that her role model is ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, because he embraced Islam at a young age and still managed to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Sahar Haamid, an Arabic language student at Ain Shams University, says that Taha Husayn is her role model because he challenged his disability. His disability did not stop him from achieving his goals; on the contrary, it encouraged him to succeed until he assumed the highest positions.
Basmah Salah, a secondary school student, deems Anwar As-Sadaat her role model because he led Egypt in the liberation war, the infamous war of October 6, 1973.
My Mother is my Role Model
"The mother is the foundation." This is what Ahmad Mahmood Muhammad, a commerce student at the Suez Canal University, said when asked about his role model. He said, “The mother is the basis because every person grows up to find his mother a symbol of affection and love. It is enough that Paradise is under the feet of mothers, so why should I not take her as an example?”
Jeera, who is an arts student at Ain Shams University, has the same opinion and says that her role model is her mother because she is an ideal woman.
Zuwayl is My Role Model
When Aayaat Sayyid was asked about her role model, she said that it was Ahmad Zoowayl, as he is a scientist and has honored Egypt. It is enough that he won a Nobel Prize.
Waa'il Mar‘i Abdullaah, a science student at Zaqazeeq University, agrees with her and says that he views Ahmad Zoowayl as a role model and wants to be like him.
Artists and Footballers
Dr. Hanaan Muhammad Hasan, a professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, states that we cannot say for certain that there is a lack of role models among the youth, since such a general opinion does not preclude exceptions. In other words, despite the technological progress and the era of open skies, there are still role models that we can imitate. A role model has positive features that make people admire them and relate to them. Generally, however, with the economic and social changes, new values have appeared and others that we need have disappeared. For instance, we find that the values of love of knowledge, abiding by traditions and productive work have disappeared from our lives, and other things have replaced them, such as being easygoing and the sanctification of wealth. Based on these criteria, the youth have taken football players, film stars and singers as role models, and forgotten the real examples which are represented by the Companions, intellectuals, professors and other good examples.
Worthy of Consideration
Dr. Abdul-Mun‘im Najm, Dean of the Faculty of 'Usool Al-Fiqh (Fundamentals of Jurisprudence), Al-'Azhar University, says that there is no shortage of role models among the youth, but the youth first need to know how rich they are with their heritage and religious assets. They only need a reminder from time to time about their rights and dues, and to be reminded of Allah The Almighty and of the Sunnah of His Messenger, , so that the right path would be lit for them to follow and they would avoid deviation and aberration, and remain connected to the call of their Lord and the call of His noble Messenger, .
In doing so, they would not swerve or be deceived by Western propaganda; they would take refuge in their religion, so that they do not look at the Westerners, or unworthy people, as role models. One should know that he has a sufficient example as {There is a good example to you in the Messenger of Allah}. Also, there is an example in his noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, because they were raised in the house of the Prophet, , who was their teacher. Muslim scholars who led humanity to progress and prosperity are also excellent examples. They have done the West a favor by leading it to progress and prosperity, even though the West denies the efforts of such Muslim scholars.