Is it correct that in the young age the rewards of good deeds are higher? If yes, why is that the case?

We are looking at the circumstance where the pressure is the most. When you look at all categories, people who have the greatest pressure on them commit evil or sins; these people who restrain themselves in those times are the ones who have the greatest reward. Those who do not have such pressure yet, they go ahead and commit these sins; these people have the greatest punishment. So, you will see there is a relationship between reward and the struggle one has to do to earn it. This is why the scholars have pointed out a principle; which most people find difficult to grasp initially.

The idea as Ibn-Al-Qayim put it that, “Patience in times of ease is greater or more difficult than patience in time of difficulty.” [1]

Having patience in times of difficulty is easier than having patience in times of ease. How is that? In times of difficulty the disbeliever can be patient. Man are raised under the principle that men don’t cry; so calamity strikes them as they are men, they can hold themselves, they can be patient. Or calamity strikes them and they think logically- what is my reaction going to bring? If I become impatient, I go crazy, I start breaking things around me; what is it going to change? It’s not going to change anything, so as a non-believer, not believing in Allah I can get a hold of myself and be patient. In this regard the believer is in no special position over the disbeliever being patient in times of difficulty.

However, being patient in times of ease- only a believer can do this. Only one who believes in Allah can restrain himself or herself from evil in times of ease. When wealth comes, one seems to have gained success, the success that this world offers, the person to control -at that time-him or herself and thank Allah for what He has given them and restrain themselves from squandering or abusing that wealth. It is only believe in Allah that can restrain that individual at that time. Otherwise people just let go. When success comes that’s it, forget Allah, forget everything, it’s just that I have succeeded and it’s time to enjoy. This is most difficult. Patience from an Islamic prospective does not merely mean; restraining one from doing things, it also means restraining one from stopping in doing things. In other words, if you pray regularly when times of success and everything comes to you and you feel to be lazy and to restrain yourself and continue to worship Allah; in those times that is the peak of the patience. To stay on the right path, to continue to do what is right at the time when you are successful; this is the greatest difficulty, this is why all of these cases as we look at the individuals who will be shaded by the throne of Allah on the Day of Judgment when there will be no shade. [2] These are all the people who will be driven by circumstances, by emotions, by hormones, by whatever, to commit evils, sins and to be corrupt. So, the young men and women who grow up worshiping Allah-this is the special case. The individual at the time when all the hormones are on them calling to corruption, they restrain themselves and worship Allah and stay on that path, control themselves and do the right thing. For those who grow up in that state that is a special reward for them. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “The two feet of Adam’s descendent will not move on the day of resurrection when they stand before Allah until they are asked about five things. One’s age and how one has spent it, one’s youth and how one used it, ones wealth from where it was earned and on what it was spent and what one did with one’s knowledge.” [3]

One’s youth and how one spent it, this will be asked to every person. How they spent their youth? Did they spend it in the worship of Allah or did they destroy themselves in corruption? And linked to this in order to protect young people from the trial of the hormones of the teens and early twenties; Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said,

يمعشرالشبابمناستطاعمنكمفليتزوج

“O young people! Those of you who are able to marry go ahead and get married and if you are unable then fast because this will enable your desires.” [4]

Young people are encouraged to marry young. Unfortunately in the Muslim world today, Muslims discourage young people from marrying young. They are told to finish their education first, complete university studies get a degree and so and so, then get married. Not only that they ask the young men to get their house together and get other things together, everything prepared then get married. What is the cause that many young people go through the most difficult period of their lives unmarried and when they finally reach their late twenties or early thirties then they get married? So what happened in those twenty years between 13 and 30, what happened to them? And whose fault is this? Primarily it is the fault of the parents. Of course they haven’t reached the basis of adult hood; in puberty they are held responsible of what they do, but the parents carry also a greater sin for not helping them to get them out of that situation. And furthermore, what we find parents doing something very common is that where a young man comes and wants to marry your daughter and you see he is a pious young man, whose has a good character [5] and has the means to look after your daughter but he is not an Egyptian and you told them I like you, you are really a nice guy but you’re not a Somali and we only marry our daughters to Somali. What is this got to do with Islam? Then we find young boys and girls in corruption as a result of them not getting married; this is a great sin being perpetuated by Muslim families, here in this part of the world and elsewhere, and we need to address this issue, if we are trying to build whole-some communities which fear Allah.

References:

[1] “Patience in worshipping Allah سبحانه و تعالى and carrying out His instructions means that you perform the prescribed acts of worship regularly and do so sincerely and with knowledge. Worship that is not performed regularly is of no value. Even if worship is performed regularly, there are two dangers. Firstly, we risk losing our sincerity, if the motive for performing prayers is not to please Allah سبحانه و تعالى and draw closer to Him. So to protect our worship we must make sure that we are sincere. Secondly, we must be sure never to deviate from the way of the Prophet (ﷺ), so we have to ensure that our worship is done according to the Sunnah.(Ibn Qayyim, The way to Patience and Gratitude, p 13)

[2] Abu Hurayah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated from Prophet (ﷺ)

“Seven will be shaded by Allah Almighty on the day when there will be no shade besides his shade. 1- a just ruler 2- a youth that grows up worshiping Allah 3- a man whose heart is attached to the mosque 4- two who love each other for the sake of Allah they meet on the basis of it and separate on it 5- a man who is invited by high position and beauty and he replies, “Indeed I fear Allah.” 6- A man who gives charity and hide so much so that his left hand is unaware of what his right hand gave and 7- a man who remembers Allah in private and his eyes become filled with tears.” (Bukhari,  Book 8, Volume 82, Hadith 798)

[3] Sunan At-Tirmidi, vol 4, Book 11, Hadith 2416, classed as weak by Imam Tirmidhi

Abu Barzah reported that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “ Man’s foot will not move on the Day of Resurrection before he is asked about his life, how did he consume it, his knowledge, what he did with it, his wealth, how did he earn it and how he disposed it, and about his body, how did he wear it out” (Sunan Tirmidhi, Book 1, Hadith 407, classed as authentic by Imam Tirmidhi)

[4] Muslim, Book 8, Hadith 3233

[5] "If one whose religion and character pleases you proposes to you, you should marry him. If you do not do so, they will be tribulations in the land and great evil."(Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Marriage, Number 1084, classed as Sahih by Suyuti)