Muslim Youth Research Articles

A Study on Factors for Religious Faith of Muslim Youth in China

This study investigates the factors influencing the religious faith of Hui Muslim youth in China, focusing on internal and external elements. The study used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews done in multiple mosques in Shanghai. Examined include external elements such as social integration, governmental policies, and educational environments, as well as internal factors such as personal beliefs, family influence, and community support. The results show that among young Hui Muslims, self-interest and family support are strongly associated with stronger religious faith. Moreover, the employment of digital media and virtual communities has emerged as a crucial component in fostering religious engagement, offering new avenues for religious education and community building. This study provides insights for policymakers, educators, and religious leaders to better support the religious and cultural needs of Hui Muslim youth in China.

Secular socialization vs. religious reactivity: effects of ethnic composition and discrimination on changing religiosity among Muslim youth

ABSTRACT Based on three waves of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (2010-2013), we test hypotheses of religious decline and religious reactivity among Muslim youth in England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The religious decline hypotheses predict that the proportion of natives in schools and neighborhoods has a negative impact on the religiosity of Muslim youth. The religious reactivity hypothesis states that Muslim youth increase their religiosity when they experience discrimination in the host country. We assess three dimensions of religiosity – service attendance, frequency of prayer, and subjective importance of religion – using linear growth models. Our findings partially support the religious decline hypotheses, particularly regarding prayer frequency. Additionally, we find that perceived discrimination is not related to prayer frequency or subjective importance of religion and, at best, predicts a decrease in service attendance rather than an increase, contradicting the religious reactivity hypothesis.

When young muslims meets online lending: Examining legal awareness and assessment of lending platforms

This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by investigating the perspectives of young Muslims on online lending platforms. The article explores young Muslims' understanding of online lending based on Sharia principles and their perceptions of the ethical and legal dilemmas associated with online lending, which are closely linked to their religious and social knowledge. This study starts from the assumption that online lending involves various issues intricately connected to recent legal and financial advancements. Online lending encompasses not only economic and financial matters but also ethical, moral, and legal issues. The research findings indicate that the understanding of Muslim youth regarding the legal aspects of online lending in the study area is quite high. Data shows that 62% of the Muslim youth (student) respondents are knowledgeable about both Sharia compliance and national legal issues concerning online lending. However, the data also reveals that only approximately 60% of the respondents know how to handle legal issues involving online lending platforms. This implies that respondents need further education and information on these matters. Following data collection, we provided socialization and information on legal awareness and the evaluation of online lending platforms, which improved their understanding. The findings of this study highlight several potential directions for future research, such as assessing the effectiveness of legal awareness programs for digital financial services and P2P lending, and creating more effective methods for legal education. Additionally, future studies should expand to include different cities and regions and a broader range of respondents to achieve a deeper understanding of online lending and legal awareness.

Mental health at the intersections: understanding South Asian Muslim youth mental health in Peel Region, Toronto, Canada

Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the unique mental health concerns and access barriers experienced by South Asian Muslim youth populations living in the Peel Region of Toronto, Canada. Design/methodology/approach For this qualitative exploratory study, interviews (n = 15) were conducted with mental health professionals, educators and spiritual leaders (n = 11) who work with South Asian Muslim youth living in Peel Region, as well as with South Asian Muslim youth themselves (n = 4, aged 20–23). Interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings Four primary themes emerged from the data: challenges and stressors, barriers, facilitators and hope and recovery. South Asian Muslim youth navigate a number of unique stressors related to the domains of culture, religion and family dynamics, as well as the impact of migration. Practical implications The findings stress the necessity of creating culturally safe, multilevel strategies to meet the nuanced challenges and diverse needs of South Asian Muslim youth communities. Originality/value This is one of the few papers to the knowledge that addresses the mental health needs and service access barriers of youth populations at the intersections of South Asian diasporic community belonging and Muslim faith in Canada.

Muslim youth collective amnesia of US government-inflicted violence against Muslims in the War on Terror

Evidence suggests that incidents of US government-inflicted violence against Muslims are absent from the post-9/11 generation of Muslims’ collective memory. To examine and confirm this collective amnesia, young Muslim American adults were nationally surveyed and interviewed on their knowledge of the Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib detention centers. In total, 100 survey responses were collected and 5 interviews were conducted to examine the extent and formation of the Muslim American youth’s collective perception of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. While nearly all participants displayed awareness of the 9/11 attacks, a significant number of them were unaware of Guantanamo Bay, and most of them were unaware of Abu Ghraib. This study reveals a potential generational gap in the collective memory of Muslim Americans, the individual-level perception of post-9/11 violence against Muslims amongst young Muslim Americans, and new topics for future directions as outlined in the conclusion. It also argues that the absence of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib from young Muslims’ collective memory of the War on Terror (WOT) creates an image of Muslims being the perpetrators of violence and never victims, making it impossible for young Muslims to break out of the dominant frame of memory of 9/11 and its aftermath.

Peace Project: Promoting Peace Awareness and Tolerance among Religious People in Jakarta, Indonesia

The study investigates Muslim youth responses to the Peace Project, an initiative by Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Indonesia aimed at fostering peace and tolerance among religious believers. Focusing on visits to Sion Church and Candra Prabha Temple, thirty Muslim participants engaged in this qualitative research through observations and surveys. The findings reveal: 1) the Peace Project effectively facilitates inter-group contact among religious youth; 2) Muslim participants expressed enthusiasm for the activities, suggesting longer durations and visits to additional places of worship; and 3) the need for academic speakers to guide discussions on respecting diverse religions. This study offers recommendations to enhance interfaith initiatives, improve activity planning, contribute to religious tolerance knowledge, and raise public awareness of interfaith engagement for a more tolerant society, based on the positive reception among Jakarta Muslim youth.

Urgency of Noble Characters’ Education and Building Students’ Prosocial Behaviors

The rapid advancement of information technology challenges Muslim youths, fostering individualism and antisocial behaviors, thus necessitating effective education strategies to promote prosocial actions. This research aimed to summarize studies on the formation of prosocial behavior through character education methods from the synthesis of several studies and review effective methods for developing prosocial behavior. This research used a literature review method for several articles about social behavior and character education. Data collection was carried out by studying the documentation of several previous articles through database searches such as Google Scholar, Sinta, Science Direct, and Taylor and Francis. The data analysis technique used was qualitative descriptive analysis. The results of this research indicated that the noble character development method will be effective in forming prosocial behavior. The character education method by focusing on the appreciation of noble moral values in character education produced positive habits. The process of realizing noble moral values was through various moral education methods, such as Tadzkiroh, the religious lessons with regular Islamic discussion activities that combined subjects with noble moral values and exemplary methods.

Religion in the Highway: Qualitative Exploration in Muslim Youths’ Moral Reasoning and Development on Traffic Rules

ABSTRACT As a set of rules and teachings, it is interesting to see how religion plays a role in traffic issues. Thus, this article qualitatively explores Muslim youths’ reasoning and moral development in the context of traffic rules and how they see it from the perspective of Islamic teachings. The study provided informants with dilemmatic case-based questions while driving and open-ended questions that explored their perceptions of traffic rules from Islamic teachings. The results illustrate that Muslim youth have diverse reasoning about traffic rules. Some see it normatively, functionally, as a personal image, and some see it as something flexible. Regarding its relation to religious teachings, almost all participants considered traffic rules closely related to religion as something that regulates order and social conduciveness on the road. Thus, religion as a set of teachings and norms can promote traffic order through the command to behave well, which considers the rights of others and the common good on the road.

Gender segregation in the friendship networks of Muslim youth in Germany: the role of chastity norms

ABSTRACT Western Muslim youth engage less in romantic relationships than their non-Muslim peers, an observation usually attributed to chastity norms that oppose Muslim youths’ premarital sexual activity. In this study, I ask whether chastity norms also shape cross-gender interaction beyond romantic relationships and lead to fewer cross-gender friendships among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. To isolate the consequences of chastity norms from institutionalized practices of gender segregation in Muslim religious communities, I study friendship-making in German coeducational schools, which provide ample opportunities for cross-gender friendships. I apply multilevel exponential random graph models to large-scale data on adolescents’ school-based friendship networks, finding cross-gender friendships to be generally infrequent but notably rarer among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. However, this lack of cross-gender friendships is limited to Muslim youth who hold strong chastity norms, while more liberal Muslim youth have as many cross-gender friends as non-Muslims. Among non-Muslims, chastity norms are unrelated to cross-gender friendships.

Self-medication Practices Among Muslim Youth of Kashmir: An Empirical Study

In many parts of the world self-medication is a popular practice to treat some common minor diseases in order to save time and money without realizing side effects of self-medication for the patients. We know ‘Over The Counter’ (OTC) drugs are meant for self-medications but their wrong use due to lack of knowledge about medicines can have grave side-effects on patients. In Kashmir the growth in self-medications in Kashmir can be attributed to urge to self-care, feeling of sympathy towards ill family members, deficiency of health services, economic condition, unawareness and easy availability of drugs in medical shops. To treat minor common diseases like fever, cold, cough, diarrhoea etc patients acquire expert advices from family members, neighbours or strangers about medications. Majority of people do not take their illness seriously or avoid Doctor because of busy life, ignoring side effects of self-medication. In Kashmir, it is a common practice in homes to use antibiotics like Co-Amoxyclav 625 and Azithromycin for treating common cold and sharing of prescriptions within the family, using the left over medications for somewhat related symptoms is quite a popular practice. In the present study carried out in Kashmir valley, a survey of the study area was carried out and discussions were held with the elders as well as with medical practitioners. A well-designed validated questionnaire was used to collect the information from 400 youth selected at random from Kashmir on their consent. The data collected from survey was statistically analysed using standard statistical methods. The study revealed that majority of respondents were taking medicine without consulting a Doctor to treat minor ailments. Statistically, it was observed that there was a significant difference in the attitude of male and female respondents towards self medication (P<0.01). The discussion with respondents revealed that they were interested in knowing Islamic ruling about self-medication as in the present world due to lack of patience youth take medicine because of depression and anxiety. Islam allows modern treatment of many diseases like infertility provided it is not against the teaching of Islam and guidance of holy Prophet. Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) taught Muslims to pray more in tough times for attaining peace of mind, relief from pain, anxiety and worries. Finally, it was suggested that everyone should avoid self-medication as much as possible and Government should play its role to avoid the selling of banned medicines on medical shops without Doctors prescription

Solo Raya Young Muslims Generation Decision to Invest in Sharia Stocks and Green Investment

The younger generation, particularly Muslims, faces concerns about an uncertain future, particularly regarding job opportunities. The unemployment rate in Indonesia has shown an increase, predominantly among the younger generation. This study aims to examine the impact of financial literacy, perceived risk, and high self-confidence on the decision to invest in stocks, particularly Islamic stocks. The research was conducted in the Solo Raya area with 125 Muslim youth investors as respondents, consisting of millennials and Generation Z. The analysis technique used was multiple regression, conducted using SPSS software version 24. The regression results, with a significance value below 0.05, indicate a significant influence of financial literacy, perceived risk, and high self-confidence on the investment decisions of young Muslim investors. Good financial knowledge encourages the younger generation to invest in stocks with confidence, anticipating substantial profits in the future. Perception of risk remains a consideration, leading young investors to delay investment decisions until they feel highly confident.

Hijrah Youth Virtual Communication Representation on Social Media

Self and group identity can be built through social media, including religious identity. Instagram can be used for various content regarding Islam, such as content from the youth community of hijrah which contains symbols of Islamic religious messages. This kind of community can be a solution to overcome problems that arise due to differences in perceptions about religion in society. This research aims to examine: 1) The values contained in communication symbols in the Millennial Muslim Youth Community’s Social Media, and 2) the experience of interacting among millennial Muslim youth on social media with Islamic religious content. The method used in this study is a qualitative method and a virtual ethnographic approach. The data were obtained through interviews, observation, literature studies, and relevant documentation. The research informants are community managers of hijrah youth, millennial youth active on social media, and hijrah community social media observers. This research is an implementation of the flagship topic of research at the Islamic University of Bandung. Furthermore, special topics based on these strategic issues are related to research on the impact of technology on human behavior and human relations. The results of the study show: 1. The values contained in the communication symbols on the social media of the millennial Muslim youth community are symbols that are closer to young people who are relaxed, fun, and do not seem hard to study religion. 2. Interaction is carried out on social media and also through face-to-face meetings in cafes. Keywords: virtual culture, Instagram, millennial Muslim youth

The Role of Muslim Youth in Promotion Education in Cambodia

The Muslim community in Cambodia, generally known as “Cham”, descended from refugees from the ancient Kingdom of Champa who fled central Vietnam 500 years ago. The community has faced two main dramatic periods of persecution. The first began with the end of the Champa kingdom in the 16th century and the Khmer Rouge period lives on in the collective memory of Cambodians from 1975 to 1979, up to 2 million Cambodians were killed, with many more displaced and separated from their families. This study is to describe the situational context of the Cham Muslim minority setting in Cambodia as well as specific problems in the formal education using literature review and data analysis. On the way towards universal primary education, Cambodia has made good progress over the past fifteen years. In 2014, the net enrolment rate in primary school was 98.4 per cent, the primary school completion rate was 89.9 per cent and the literacy rate of people aged 15-24 years was 91 per cent. In Islamic education, MoEYS allocated 1,500 teaching positions with civil service status to the Islamic education school system. Of those, currently, 1,391 Islamic school teachers hold that title and receive their salaries from the RGC. Recruitment of the 1,391 Islamic school teachers to become civil service teachers was done by MoEYS, in collaboration with the Highest Council for Islamic Religious Affairs in Cambodia (referred to as Mufti), which has a leadership team appointed by the RGC. The qualitative data confirms that Islamic schools are not a monolithic entity. There are a variety of ways Islamic schools are administered, offering different curricula and serving diverse Muslim communities across Cambodia

Saving behavior among immigrant and native youth

This study investigates the role of migration background in the saving behavior of youth, with a focus on immigrant generation, national origin, and the influence of cultural and socioeconomic factors. Drawing on a nationally representative dataset of over 28,000 secondary school students in the Netherlands, we employ binary logit models to analyze two dimensions of saving behavior: the likelihood of saving money and the propensity to use bank accounts for savings. Our findings reveal significant disparities in saving behavior among immigrant and non-immigrant youth. Migrant youth are less likely to save overall, and when they do, they exhibit a reduced inclination to use bank accounts for their savings. Furthermore, the study uncovers nuanced patterns within the immigrant youth population. First-generation immigrant youth display lower levels of saving and bank account usage compared to their second-generation counterparts, particularly to those with one foreign-born parent. Distinct national origin effects are observed, as Turkish and Moroccan youth exhibit reduced likelihoods of saving, particularly through bank accounts, compared to Surinamese and Dutch Antillean youth. The results also indicate that the disparities in saving behavior across migration background, immigrant generation, and national origin are partly explained by socioeconomic and cultural forces. Socio-economic status and parental education emerge as key determinants, with higher parental socio-economic resources and education levels positively associated with youth saving behavior and bank account usage. Additionally, religious affiliation, particularly among Muslim youth, contributes to variations in saving behavior due to the prohibition of interest-bearing transactions.

مسلم معاشروں میں مغربی تہذیب کے اثرات اور ٹرانس جینڈر ایکٹ: ایک تنقیدی جائزہ

Western culture is dominating rapidly in Muslim societies in current times. Islamic social values are being marginalized gradually. Impact of Western thought, in this regard, on Muslim world seems to be a challenge for Muslim scholars. The entire world has been converted into global village because of advance technology and communication. In this global age, Muslim youth is adopting western secular lifestyle. From materialistic aspects, the West is stronger economically, but socially it is weaker than the Muslim culture and civilization. Therefore, the foundations of Islamic social system are being overwhelmed by the West. Western thought manures in the disguise of attractive slogans of human rights, women rights, transgender rights, feminism, enlightenment, equality, and freedom. Recently, an LGBT+ Movie Joy land (2022) was produced in Pakistan. The basic aim was to promote western civilization in this Islamic country. The main objective of this research article is to highlight practice of western thought and culture in Muslim societies that is destabilizing bases of Islamic social system. Seemingly it becomes our responsibility to play our role in contesting emerging trends of western civilization in Muslim societies.

Online islamic Narrative

This paper aims to analyze the trends of digital Islamic narratives: whether to strengthen or reject offline Islamic authorities. Methodologically, this qualitative research focuses on Islamic YouTube channels in Indonesia. The results show that religious narratives in the online space have several tendencies based on three types of groups. First, free and progressive Muslim youth groups create provocative religious content to divide and create a new authority system that is entirely different from offline religious authorities. This group tends to oppose religious authorities in the offline space. Second, young religious fanatics tend to present famous figures (celebrities) they admire and try to strengthen the authority of these figures. Third, mainstream religious groups, such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, and splinter religious groups, such as Salafism-Wahabism, Shia, and Ahmadiyah. Their online religious activities seek to strengthen the authority of their respective groups in a contested manner. It can be seen that religious narratives in the online space are not single but varied, which works on the orientation of each group and exacerbates the complexity of religious narratives in the public sphere. This study contributes to the importance of organizing Islamic digital space so that the narratives voiced are narratives that do not divide people but rather bring peace to others as a manifestation of the values of rahmatan lil alamin.

HYPERSPIRITUALITY OF MUSLIM TEENS LEARNING RELIGION ON THE INTERNET ERA

This study investigates three key questions: how Muslim youth interpret religion in the Internet era, how the Internet influences and constructs it, and how religion is conceptualized. This is a qualitative study. The data was gathered through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. This study comprised 71 Muslim teens aged 17 to 21 from Kediri Regency who were chosen for their extensive usage of the Internet to explore Islam. The analysis involved data reduction, visualization, and conclusion. Data analysis techniques included descriptive, analytical, and interpretative approaches. The study's findings revealed that Muslim teenagers who learn Islam online experience hyperspirituality due to hypersemiotics. False indications and incomplete learning due to ignorance of Islamic religious research should lead to a nihilistic interpretation of Islam. Teens are deceived by the ideology driving religious information on the Internet, which they believe is neutral. Anti-ideological ideologies undoubtedly serve ideological goals. As a result, they incorrectly feel that the lack of dogma in online Islamic education prevents them from achieving their primary purpose.

Religious Moderation Perspectives and Pratices in Muslim Youths With International Exposure

Travel across border give opportunity to people to immerse in a diverse groups and societies. It is hoped to enrich life experiences that lays the groundwork for the creation of more harmonious and tolerant societies. Religious moderation, especially in Indonesian context, require tolerance, anti-violence, the sense of nationality and local culture acceptance from its citizen to maintain the harmonious, moreover, the unity of Indonesia as a country. Unfortunately, some Muslim youths were found to have low tolerance toward different religion groups. This study aims to assess if Muslim youths with international exposure have good moderation perspectives and practices in religion, including tolerance. This study is a quantitative descriptive with the help of survey tool to collect data from Muslim youths with international experiences. The analysis was carried out using univariate analysis. The results depict that more than 90% of the 155 respondents have good perspectives and practices toward religious moderation. Only practice of tolerance has slightly lower percentage which is 89%. More international programs for Muslim youths are encouraged to help them increase the level of tolerance toward differences

Wudu as Islamic Psychotherapy in Overcoming Emotions of Anger in Muslim Youth

This research aims to overcome angry emotions in Psychology students through Wudu psychotherapy. The research method used was pre-experimental using a one-group experimental design (One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design). The research respondents were Muslim youth who were students at the Faculty of Psychology, Raden Fatah State Islamic University, Palembang City, class of 2019. The respondents were 14 people, consisting of 3 men and 11 women. The instrument in this research uses a scaleanger leveland treatment monitoring records. The results of research analysis through the paired sample t-test showed a p value of 0.124 and a calculated t value of -1.644. From the pretest results, the score was 124.42 and the posttest results were 127.21. This shows the influence of wudu psychotherapy in controlling the emotion of anger in Psychology students at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang.

Enabling Islamic internet-only banks acceptance: an empirical analysis of the UTAUT framework and Islamic compliance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore a theoretical model using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology framework by adding Islamic compliance (IC) and security assurance to build antecedents of intention to use Islamic internet-only banks (IIOBs) in Muslim youth.Design/methodology/approachThis study involved 262 Muslim youths from several Islamic communities in Indonesia. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Moreover, PLS techniques such as the variance accounted for (VAF) were used to verify the statistical analysis of findings.FindingsThe findings show that effort expectancy (EE) and online social influences (OSI) strongly correlate with the intention to use IIOBs. In addition, user reviews (online reviews) are proven to form a solid social influence and impact consumer decision-making. Finally, IC and security assurance are still critical factors in the IIOBs acceptance.Practical implicationsPractically, IIOB providers need to strengthen information about performance, accessibility, security and benefits when running service applications. Providers must show their strengths and advantages compared to the traditional banks in various service lines. Besides, providers are expected to be more careful regarding IC applications in their products and services.Originality/valueThis study considers the effects of OSI, EE, security and IC as the unique characteristics of Muslim youth in using the IIOBs. In particular, the significance of IC and OSIs provides a valid picture of the pathways of acceptance creation towards IIOBs.