The importance of young Muslims finding and being guided by their “compass”, and using technology to drive positive change, has been emphasised by thought leaders as the second edition of Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Qiyada conference came to a close.
The two-day gathering at Multaqa (Education City Student Centre) drew more than 1,300 Muslim youth from Qatar to discuss, explore, and share experiences and perspectives on faith, identity, leadership, and addressing today’s challenges with scholars, educators, and other inspiring voices.
Held under the theme Guided by Faith: Thriving in a Changing World, Qiyada (Qatar Islamic Youth Aspiration and Development Assembly) has empowered young Muslims to reflect on their Islamic values, tackle global challenges, build their leadership skills, and embrace cross-cultural understanding.
On the second day of the conference, educational consultant and lecturer Dr Abdulrahman al-Harami presented a talk on “The Compass: Which Direction?” in which he defined what he called “the compass of life” and how people can best manage their time toward it.
“What is the thing I am willing to pour my time and effort into? That is your compass,” said Dr al-Harami, as he asked the young attendees at Qiyada to look within themselves and assess the value of their time and how they spend it.
“The gift of life is in the time we have, and those who do not know what their compass is will spend their lives lost as to their destination,” he said.
“Many of us do not lead happy lives because we are always looking for tomorrow’s happiness,” Dr al-Harami continued. “Very few think about how to create quality time for themselves in the now, so that they may look
back on their days contentedly.”
Muslim chaplain, imam, khatib, and teacher to young adults Sheikh Hisham Abu Yusuf spoke about technology, especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), during a talk on “Prophetic Leadership in the Age of AI”.
“There is no point talking about leadership if we don’t talk about the new reality of leadership that faces us today – the reality of a digital world,” he said. “The reality is that people don’t exert themselves for answers because everything is known by ChatGPT; the reality of a world where everything is two clicks away.”
A panel discussion featuring scholar and human rights activist Dr Omar Suleiman, Islam21c website editor Sheikh Ali Hammuda, and Dr Osman Umarji, director of Global Data Studies at Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and senior consultant to the QF, reflected on events and topics discussed over the two days of the conference.
Speaking to participants about uncertainty, unpredictability, and the changing world, Dr Umarji said: “You’ve all witnessed change at a rate that prior generations have never experienced.”
Giving the conference’s concluding remarks, media professional, presenter, trainer, and khatib Sheikh Abdullah al-Buainain said: “How can you be a leader and show up without knowing who you are? Who you are is a Muslim?”
And he ended with a piece of advice: “Purpose is not derived from being on a stage or a platform; that is not a requirement of life. The most important question is ‘where do I belong?’ – and that is a question only you can answer.”