Peer Pressure
Cont’d from page 2
- Ditching school
- Not being “smart”
- Lying
- To be someone else
- Being “popular” at the expense of losing righteousness
- Cheating
- Being rude/disobedient to parents
- Peer pressuring others
[2:219] They ask you about intoxicants and gambling:
say, “In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for
the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit.”
They also ask you what to give to charity: say, “The excess.”
GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you that you may reflect.
As righteous, young Submitters, God expects us to follow the highest
moral values given throughout the Quran and feel proud of our values,
our faith and our strength in the face of any peer pressure or any
blame.
[5:54] O you who believe, if you revert from your
religion, then GOD will substitute in your place people whom He
loves and who love Him. They will be kind with the believers, stern
with the disbelievers, and will strive in the cause of GOD without
fear of any blame. Such is GOD’s blessing; He bestows it upon
whomever He wills. GOD is Bounteous, Omniscient.
Most of those who fall for peer pressure are insecure youth who
lack self confidence, who are ignorant about their religion, and
have such a weak faith that the great
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values given in the scripture are never
on their minds.
On the contrary, a true young Submitter is armed with knowledge
and understanding of his/her religion, is self confident, and stands
tall and proud of being on God’s side. A good self-confident
Submitter will be the strength and focus of their circle of friends.
These friends will admire and try to move up to the Submitter’s
level of moral excellency.
The Submitter will not try to lower him or herself down to match
the moral values of the circle of friends. That is what we can call
an admirable reverse of peer pressure.
Managing peer pressure
(1) Move away from certain circles of friends. Befriending the
right people is an essential means for staying on the straight path
and avoiding unnecessary peer pressure. In choosing our friends
we should be looking for friends who believe in God and His scriptures.
Living in a society where Submitters are a minority is a challenge
by itself that is fully rewarded by God. In such a society, finding
a righteous friend may not be easy at the beginning but insisting
on them and looking for them is a sign to God that you are sincere
in your search and He will direct you in the right path.
(2) Don’t ever feel that you are missing out or living a
boring life just because you don’t give in to peer pressure.
Accepting the bad behavior prohibited in the Quran will end in more
misery than the temporary pleasure that it starts with in the beginning.
(3) Study the Quran. Learn what behavior is pleasing to God, and
what kind of lifestyle is discouraged in Submission.
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(4) Whenever peer pressure befalls us,
remembering God is the best thing we can do. When God is with us,
we can resist anything, as Joseph did when the lady of the house
seduced him.
[12:23] The lady of the house where he lived tried
to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, “I am all yours.”
He said, “May GOD protect me. He is my Lord, who gave me a
good home. The transgressors never succeed.”
(5) You should be armed with knowledge about your religion, Submission
(Islam in Arabic). Have knowledge about the risk of unrighteous
behavior that is encouraged by people around you. Such knowledge
will help you to resist the temptation of peer pressure and know
how to stand for the righteous behavior.
As a young person holding to your faith and all the beautiful moral
values you should be assured that God will be your supporter and
help you as He did for Joseph.
[3:150] GOD alone is your Lord and Master, and He
is the best supporter.
As a Submitter youth, you are so lucky, because not only do you
have parents who care, but God our Lord and Master is your supporter
and helper to get over these difficulties. You are lucky because
you have the Quran, a book that gives you the right answer and draws
for you the righteous map to avoid all the misachievements caused
by peer pressure during the difficult times. You should be happy
and rejoice in having God, the Quran, your parents and your good
friends, all on your side.
The Submitter youth of Orange County, California
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