LONDON: A three-day International conference in London and Birmingham held this week by the Forum For Social Studies was organized to demonstrate leadership skills for youths and guidance for social benefits. Islamic scholars talked to Muslim youth about drugs, crisis, drinking and other social problems.

Speakers included Dr. Jamal Badawi, Dr. Shabir Ally, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Ibrahim Downey, Shahid Akmal, Dr. Tasneem Zaman, Ali Omar and Assim Al-Hakeem. They gave workshops and lectures on why leadership is important and how the adults can become good leaders and perfect parents.

Badawi talked on “Justly Balanced Ummah”and explained the process on just balance and key terms in the Qur’anic verse, applications of just balance and on being witnesses for Allah. He explained with the verse, “And thus We have made you a justly balanced Ummah, to be witnesses [for Allah] to people, and the messenger as a witness [for Allah] to you …” [2:143]

He explained, “He Made you” not by chance, not a natural social evolution, not a result of your wisdom, Allah made you to embody this just balance, he made you a justly balanced Ummah, not nation with common history, ethnicity, geographic boundaries,” he said.

He further said the usages of Ummah in the Qur’an is as the first human community, one key personality [Abraham], few people, a village, township or region, “community of believers.” Used in Al-Saheefah “constitution of Madinah” to refer equally to the Muslim and Jewish communities. “A justly balance is within immutable Shariah provisions and guidelines, opposite of just balance is exaggeration which is rejected in the Qur’an and Sunnah, we have to justly balance in matters of beliefs, in matters of worship, in matters of enjoying life and in matters of Ijtihad -- examples, being witnesses for Allah by words, spoken and written, by service to humanity and good example,” he said.

Ibrahim Downey, the chief inspirational officer (CIO) and director of Gang Reduction Services – SIBKIS Counseling, talked about “From Me to We Empowerment Training” and “How to give Dawah.” He also gave workshop on “Youth Leadership Training.”

He explained that the purpose of this training is to Inform youth, inspire them and involve them in a system of goal setting and achieving that is proven to be life changing and beneficial to all who use it.

He said that, “Our objective today is to enhance and improve the ability youth have as individuals to work together as a team and create greater sense of synergy and success.

“There is no entitlement, youth should have to develop their ABCs as by changing their attitude, become strong in belief and make commitment to their goal, they need to learn how to make living above the line and us the leaders should give them training , they should Know how to Improve themselves,instead of working individually, we leaders should work together and teach the youth the same thing. He further said there is need to bridging the gap of understanding and focus on Leadership.

He added: “Today and everyday we need sincere and authentic leaders, people of the highest moral integrity, committed to building outstanding organizations. We need leaders who work with a deep sense of purpose and are true to their core values and religious commitments and demand more of themselves than they do of others. We need leaders with the courage to build their families, our community and our society to meet the needs of all the citizens, and who recognize the importance of their service to God and mankind.”

The powerful definition of leadership “is where a person gets people to willingly do more than they would normally do to benefit themselves and others.” Downey said and gave the example of the best leader of the world even according to a Jewish writer Michael H. Hart in his book “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.” What mainly surprised readers in this book was the first person on Hart’s list (Hart, 1992). Hart decided to choose Muhammad over Jesus or Moses. Hart attributes this to the fact that Muhammad was “supremely successful” in both the religious and secular realms. He also accredits the authorship of the Qur’an to Muhammad, making his role in the development of Islam far more influential than Jesus’ collaboration in the development of Christianity. He attributes the development of Christianity to St. Paul, who played a pivotal role in dissemination of Christianity.

Downey explained the formula for success is success is the progressive realization of worthy ideal,

“Success should not be viewed by what a person or a group of people have achieved. But it must be viewed and valued according to what they had to go through to achieve it, living your life on purpose, there are three things that bring a person to a good condition or a bad condition, the information that they take into their life/head/heart, the emotional impact that information has in their life and the actions that are a result of the information and emotions they have“chosen” in their life,” he explained.

He further said self-esteem is another thing which is important. There are four things that a person must do to improve self esteem, complete your past, assess your present, design your future and keep hope alive. Focus on empowerment, begin with the end in mind that you will have (Paradise) if you obey Allah and for that what you have to do is follow Islam and be believers.

Shahid Akmal, another speaker and education consular at Birmingham, gave parents advice how they can do emotionally and intelligent parenting and helping the child to be a better learner.