Youth are the heart of any society, full of energy, potential, and hope. But they can also face challenges and pressures that sometimes lead them down the wrong path. In contemporary Muslim societies, youth deviance poses a growing moral and social concern. Islamic religious education offers guidance by teaching values like honesty, respect, self-discipline, and responsibility. These teachings can help young people make better choices and stay on a positive path. This study looks at how Islamic education can play a practical role in preventing youth deviance and shaping responsible, ethical members of society.
The Purpose of Religious Education in Islam
Religious education refers to a set of deliberate and purposeful actions aimed at teaching the valid tenets of a religion to others in such a way that they become committed and adherent to those teachings both in practice and in belief. Based on this definition, religious education is not confined to a mosque, church, or seminary; rather, any place may serve as a venue for purposeful efforts to teach religious knowledge, whether it be a mosque, street, home, or elsewhere[1].
In essence, Islamic education aims to “create individuals who are devoted to Allah and who can achieve a happy life in this world and the hereafter. The goal of Islamic religious education is to develop a quality and well-characterized person with a broad vision for the future, capable of adapting quickly and appropriately to their environment. This is because Islamic education itself motivates us to improve in all aspects of life[2].”
Thus, the ultimate objective of Islamic religious education is the realization of human perfection. Through the processes of knowledge (ʿilm), worship (ʿibāda), and self-purification (tazkiya), Islamic education seeks to elevate the human being from potentiality to actuality, from instinct to intellect, and from self-centeredness to God-centeredness — fulfilling the divine promise of creation in “the best of forms” (Qur’an 95:4). In other words, the religious education does not merely aim to produce scholars but to cultivate morally upright individuals who embody the values of Islam in both private and public life.
From the Prophetic perspective, education was never abstracted from character formation. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) said, “I was sent only to perfect noble character[3]”. This hadith encapsulates the very spirit of Islamic education — the moral and spiritual reform of the self as a means to social harmony. Therefore, Islamic pedagogy emphasizes the unity of knowledge and action, recognizing that learning devoid of moral practice is incomplete and potentially dangerous.
Understanding Youth Deviance from an Islamic Perspective
The phenomenon of youth deviance — whether moral, social, or behavioral — poses a significant challenge to Muslim societies today. In Islamic moral philosophy, deviance is understood not merely as the violation of social norms, but as a departure from divine guidance. The Qur’an repeatedly warns against the spiritual consequences of such deviation, describing it as a state of moral blindness: “Have you seen him who has taken his desire to be his god and whom Allah has led astray knowingly, set a seal upon his hearing and heart, and put a blindfold on his sight?” (Qur’an 45:23). This verse illustrates that “when one follows his vain desires and regards his concupiscence as object of worship, they will turn into a cover covering his vision, hearing, and heart. As a consequence, the Words of Truth may not affect him. In this way, he is not worthy of being guided, and thereby he is led astray.[4]”
From the Islamic viewpoint, religious education serves as a preventive shield against such moral disorientation. By instilling Īmān (faith) and Taqwā (God-consciousness), it equips young Muslims with inner moral controls that transcend external laws or social surveillance. Religious teachings, particularly in Islamic education, emphasized values such as honesty, respect, and responsibility, which contributed to the development of positive behavioral patterns. Furthermore, religious education facilitated the internalization of moral values, enabling students to distinguish between right and wrong actions based on ethical and religious principles[5].
Islamic scholarship identifies both internal and external causes of youth deviance. Internally, weak faith, lack of moral discipline, and spiritual emptiness often lead young individuals to pursue fleeting pleasures over enduring values. Externally, globalization, materialism, and digital media have introduced powerful influences that distort the moral compass of the youth. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) warned of this moral drift when he said: “There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is patient upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.[6]” This hadith reflects the moral pressures faced by people, particularly the youth, in environments where vice is normalized and virtue is ridiculed.
Religious education, therefore, plays a crucial role in strengthening resilience against these influences by grounding youth in an ethical worldview. It provides them with moral reasoning derived from revelation rather than mere social convention.
Socially, deviance can also result from weak family structures, poor parental guidance, or the absence of role models. Islam places great emphasis on the family as the first school of moral instruction. The Qur’an commands, “O you who have faith! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel will be people and stones” (Qur’an 66:6). From the blessed verse, it is obvious that “preservation of one’s family indicates fostering and educating them, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, preparing a pure family environment. …Such a plan is to be acted upon through all the stages by precise and accurate planning. In other words, giving what is due to one’s wife and children is not restricted to providing them with accommodation and sustenance, but helping them with gaining spiritual growth through accurate education bears further significance.[7]”
Religious Education and Prevention of Youth Deviance
Islamic religious education is a proactive and preventive framework designed to protect youth from moral, social, and spiritual deviance. Rather than relying solely on punitive measures or societal enforcement, Islamic education cultivates internal moral awareness (taqwā), ethical reasoning, and self-discipline, thereby addressing the root causes of deviant behavior[8]. By fostering a spiritually anchored identity, youth are equipped to resist negative influences and make choices aligned with divine guidance.
- Enhancing Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence: Religious education strengthens emotional regulation and spiritual awareness, both of which are critical in preventing impulsive or destructive behaviors. Practices such as daily ritual prayer, reflection, and meditation cultivate mindfulness and empathy, allowing youth to make conscious, ethically aligned decisions. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized emotional self-mastery, teaching that “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.[9]” Through religious education, these principles become internalized, promoting resilience against moral lapses.
- Building Internal Moral Control: Central to the preventive role of religious education is the development of internal moral control. When youth internalize values through education grounded in Qur’anic guidance and Prophetic ethics, they are less dependent on external enforcement to guide their behavior.
- Warning against the Cunning and Deceit of the Perverts: Islamic education also equips youth with critical reasoning skills necessary to resist deviant ideologies, whether extremist, materialistic, or secular. Warnings against the cunning and deceit of the perverts and education create a kind of awareness and insight in the teenager and sound an alarm in his soul. Therefore, it can be effective in preventing their deviation[10]. By grounding youths in authentic Qur’anic knowledge and Prophetic teachings, Islamic education enables them to differentiate between ethically sound guidance and harmful influences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is found that Islamic religious education remains a vital tool for moral reform and youth development. Strengthening its curriculum, pedagogy, and community engagement is essential for producing ethically conscious, spiritually grounded, and socially responsible youth capable of resisting deviant influences in a rapidly changing world.
By instilling divine guidance and moral restraint, religious education emerges as a powerful instrument in preventing youth deviance. It enables young Muslims to navigate contemporary ethical dilemmas through the lens of Qur’anic values and Prophetic ethics. Thus, when effectively implemented, it functions as both a preventive and reformative mechanism against moral deviation, offering a framework for the cultivation of virtue and the restoration of communal harmony.
Notes:
[1] . Dāvūdī, Muhammad. (1397 Sh/2018). Sīreh-ye Tarbiyat-e Payāmbar (ṣ) va Ahli Bayt (a.s), vol. 2, pp. 25-26.
[2] . Muh Hanapi Bahri1 (2025). The Influence of Religious Education on Adolescent Behavior, p. 75.
[3] . Majlisī Muhammad Bāqir (1982). Biḥār al-ʾAnwār, vol. 68, p. 382.
[4] . Sayyid Kamal Faqih Imami et al. (1997). An Enlightening Commentary into the Holy Qur’an, vol. 17, p. 40.
[5] . Muh Hanapi Bahri1 (2025). The Influence of Religious Education on Adolescent Behavior, pp. 74-75.
[6] . Al-Tirmidhi. Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2260. Link: https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2260
[7] . Sayyid Kamal Faqih Imami et al. (1997). An Enlightening Commentary into the Holy Qur’an, vol. 18, p. 182.
[8] . Muh Hanapi Bahri1 (2025). The Influence of Religious Education on Adolescent Behavior, pp. 74-75.
[9] . Al-Bukhari. Sahih al-Bukhari 6114. Link: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6114
[10] . cf. Muhammad Ali Hājī Deyābādī & Seyyed Ali Ḥusainizādeh (1388 SH). Barresī Masā’il Tarbiyatī Javānān dar Rivāyāt, pp. 75.
References
Al-Bukhari. Sahih al-Bukhari. Chapter 76: To be cautious from being angry, Book 78: Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab). Link: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6114
Al-Tirmidhi, Muḥammad ibn Īsá. Jami` at-Tirmidhi. Chapter 73: The One Who Is Patient Upon His Religion During Fitan Is like One Holding An Ember, Book 33: Chapters On Al-Fitan https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2260
Dāvūdī, Muhammad. (1397 Sh/2018). Sīreh-ye Tarbiyat-e Payāmbar (ṣ) va Ahli Bayt (a.s). Qom: Research Institute of University and Hawzah.
Majlisī, Muhammad Bāqir. (1982). Biḥār al-ʾAnwār al-Jāmiʿah li-Durar ʾAkhbār al-ʾAʾimmah al-ʾAṭhār (2nd edition). Beirut: Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-Arabi.
Muh Hanapi Bahri1 (2025). The Influence of Religious Education on Adolescent Behavior. Indonesian Journal of Education and Science, Volume 1, No 2, pp. 72-79.
Muhammad Ali Hājī Deyābādī & Seyyed Ali Ḥusainizādeh (1388 SH). Barresī Masā’il Tarbiyatī Javānān dar Rivāyāt. Qom: Research Institute of University and Hawzah.
Sayyid Kamal Faqih Imami et al. (1997). An Enlightening Commentary into the Holy Qur’an. Translator: Sayyid Abbas Sadr-‘Ameli (1st edition). Isfahan: Iman Ali Library and Research Centre.
