If They Can Change, Why Can't We?

Sometimes the difference between listening and switching off is not the subject being discussed. It is the way the subject is presented.

I have noticed this when listening to Islamic speakers who communicate in a way that feels familiar rather than intimidating. Their tone, humour, examples, and willingness to engage with ordinary questions can make religious learning feel less distant. I do not think every young Muslim connects with the same speaker, and I do not think popularity automatically proves religious authority. But I do think communication affects whether someone feels able to listen, ask questions, and take the first step towards learning.

For me, that matters because being imperfect should not mean feeling permanently disqualified from improvement.

The Importance of Feeling Able to Ask

Young Muslims do not all have the same doubts, backgrounds, personalities, or relationships with Islam. Some are looking for structured learning. Others are trying to understand questions about belief, identity, relationships, or personal struggles. Some respond to humour and warmth. Others prefer intellectual discussion, storytelling, or traditional scholarship.

What many of these people may share is the need for a learning environment where questions are not immediately treated as disrespect.

Feeling welcome does not mean being told that everything is acceptable. It also does not mean that religious teachings should be changed simply to suit modern preferences. A good teacher can make someone feel comfortable while still encouraging responsibility, reflection, and sincere practice.

The difference is that the person does not begin the conversation believing they are already beyond hope.

When a Speaker Feels Like an Older Brother

Tuaha Ibn Jalil is one example of this kind of communication for me. When I listen to him, his humour, body language, and conversational style make him feel approachable. He can seem more like an older brother having a serious conversation than a distant religious authority speaking down to an audience.

That does not mean I agree with every speaker on every point, or that a relatable personality replaces knowledge. It means that his delivery makes it easier for me to stay engaged. He can discuss religious subjects seriously without making every interaction feel intimidating.

I particularly appreciate speakers who do not make me feel like a bad Muslim simply because I am imperfect or have questions. There is a difference between being reminded of what needs to change and being made to feel that change is impossible.

Tuaha’s official Youth Club profile identifies him as the organisation’s Director North, a trainer, life coach, and mentor who works across faith, personal growth, and youth development. That combination helps explain why his communication often feels broader than a formal lecture. He speaks to a person’s everyday life as well as their religious responsibilities.

I find that approach meaningful. Young people are not only asking, “What is the ruling?” They are also asking, “How do I become better when I am struggling with consistency, confusion, or motivation?”

Warmth Can Make Serious Conversations Easier

I notice a similar quality in Mufti Menk’s communication. His warmth, humour, and gentle engagement can make difficult subjects feel more approachable. Even when the topic involves marriage, family, regret, or personal responsibility, the tone does not always feel like a public scolding.

That matters because religious conversations often involve subjects people already feel sensitive about. A person may be embarrassed by their lack of knowledge or worried that admitting a weakness will expose them to judgement. A speaker who can address serious matters with kindness creates more space for people to keep listening.

Kindness should not be confused with avoiding difficult truths. In fact, people may be more willing to accept correction when they do not feel attacked from the beginning. Mufti Menk’s official profile provides the background to his scholarly work, but it is his manner of communicating that many listeners notice first.

This is one reason I understand why young Muslims connect with speakers who combine knowledge with personality. The message still matters, but the human delivery determines whether many people give the message their attention.

Questions Can Be a Beginning, Not a Threat

Mufti Tariq Masood represents another form of accessibility. Much of his public work is presented through questions and answers, including long-form sessions covering religious, family, and everyday issues. His official YouTube channel reflects the range of questions people bring to him.

That format can encourage curiosity. A young person may hear someone ask a question they were too embarrassed to ask themselves. They may realise that uncertainty is not unusual, and that religious learning involves conversation as well as listening.

I do not think every question has a simple answer, and I do not think every answer should be accepted without thought. But the willingness to engage with questions can keep people connected to the process of learning.

Mufti Shamail Nadwi shows how contemporary intellectual discussion can reach people who are thinking about faith at a more philosophical level. In December 2025, he took part in a public debate with Javed Akhtar on the question of whether God exists. The discussion, held at New Delhi’s Constitution Club and moderated by journalist Saurabh Dwivedi, lasted almost two hours and covered belief, reason, morality, suffering, and the limits of science. It was reported by The Indian Express and India Today.

The value of such a discussion is not that it produces a winner for every viewer. Its value is that it brings Islamic arguments into a conversation many people are already having: questions about existence, evidence, suffering, and meaning.

For someone who believes that faith should not be afraid of serious questions, seeing those questions discussed publicly can provide a starting point.

Not Every Contribution Needs to Look Modern

It would be a mistake to assume that only young, informal, or social-media-friendly speakers contribute to the relationship between young Muslims and Islam.

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani represents a different kind of contribution. His work is rooted in traditional Islamic scholarship, including hadith, fiqh, Islamic economics, and teaching. His official profile documents his long involvement in Islamic education, while the International Islamic Fiqh Academy records his scholarly and institutional work.

Many young Muslims encounter Islam through books, teachers, formal study, and inherited scholarly traditions. Preserving and explaining that knowledge is itself a contribution. It does not need to be packaged in the same style as a short video or a youth event to remain valuable.

Mufti Ajmal Raza Qadri represents another form of religious communication. His public work includes Urdu bayans, Friday sermons, spiritual instruction, and religious gatherings. The official Islahe Muashra website presents his speeches alongside the religious and spiritual activities connected with Khanqah Shareef Ghakkhar and the organisation’s educational and community work.

His style reflects the importance of emotional and devotional communication. Not every listener is looking for a debate or a structured lecture. Some people respond to reminders about love, character, repentance, and spiritual discipline.

Maulana Tariq Jameel is also known for using storytelling, emotional connection, and religious reminders in his public preaching. His official YouTube channel contains years of bayans and public addresses. In May 2025, he addressed students at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Islamic education and the life of the Prophet Muhammad, emphasising qualities such as compassion, honesty, humility, and discipline, according to the university’s event report.

These examples should not be forced into one category. A jurist, a preacher, a public speaker, and a youth organisation do not perform identical work. That difference is part of the point. Young Muslims may need more than one doorway into religious learning.

The Example of Personal Change

Junaid Jamshed’s journey affects me for a different reason.

He became famous as the lead singer of Vital Signs and was one of the defining voices of Pakistani popular music. Later, he moved away from his music career and devoted much of his life to religious work, including nasheeds and preaching. His broad transition has been documented by sources including CNN and the BBC.

I do not see his journey as proof that one person is perfect, or that every part of a person’s past and future can be reduced to a simple story of “before” and “after.” Real change is usually more complicated than that.

But witnessing someone leave behind a successful and familiar life can still make a person reflect on their own priorities. Junaid Jamshed’s story makes me think about how easy it is to postpone change. We often tell ourselves that we will become more disciplined, more sincere, or more connected to Islam later. His life reminds me that people can make major decisions and redirect themselves.

That does not mean we need to copy another person’s exact journey. It means we should not assume that our current habits permanently define us.

Faith Also Needs Community

A speaker can start a conversation, but community can help someone continue it.

Youth Club Pakistan is an example of this kind of contribution. According to its official website, Youth Club describes itself as a non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-political organisation that aims to help young people develop their potential in accordance with Islamic values. Its activities include lectures, study circles, workshops, retreats, sporting events, mentoring, and community projects.

Its FAQ page also describes events and activities designed to address youth concerns and provide practical guidance. Tuaha Ibn Jalil’s connection with Youth Club is documented through his official role as Director North.

This kind of work is important because religion is not only something people consume through screens. It is also something people practise through routines, friendships, service, learning, and accountability.

A young person may discover a useful reminder online, but a community can give them somewhere to discuss it, question it, and apply it. It can make religious growth feel less like a private struggle.

A Question Worth Asking Ourselves

I am not arguing that traditional scholars are disconnected or that modern communication is automatically better. Many traditional scholars make valuable contributions through teaching, research, and preserving Islamic knowledge. I am also not suggesting that every popular speaker should be treated as a perfect role model.

My point is simpler: people connect with different forms of communication.

Some need warmth. Some need humour. Some need intellectual discussion. Some need stories. Some need formal scholarship. Some need a community that helps them build consistency.

Young Muslims do not necessarily need to look outside their own culture to find meaningful voices. Pakistan and South Asia already have people contributing through scholarship, public speaking, personal example, education, and community-building.

The question is not whether religious teachings should be changed to make them easier to accept. The question is whether we are communicating them in ways that allow people to listen, ask, learn, and take responsibility for their lives.

And then there is the question I keep returning to:

If people can change their priorities and move closer to Islam, why can’t we try to do the same?

Perhaps the answer does not begin with becoming perfect. Perhaps it begins with admitting where we are, asking better questions, and refusing to believe that our mistakes are the final version of who we are.

People can grow in different ways. They can learn through a lecture, a book, a conversation, a story, a community, or the example of someone who changed direction.

For me, that is the most meaningful part of this conversation. Islam does not become more valuable because it is made trendy. But young people may become more willing to approach it when they feel that learning is still open to them.

Sometimes the first step is simply believing that we are not too far gone to take it.