Never Turns Youth Pledge into Youth on the Edge

Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, M.A., Ph.D.
Rector of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta

Ninety-seven years ago, Indonesian youth delivered a historic pledge: one homeland, one nation, one language. The Youth Pledge was not merely a political declaration against colonial rule; it was a moral milestone that set the nation’s direction.

In the 21st century, Indonesia faces a new kind of colonization targeting the human mind and spirit. If in 1928 young Indonesians fought to free the nation from foreign powers, today’s struggle is to liberate ourselves from the chains of lifestyle addiction and the trappings of modern escapism.

One of the gravest threats is the escalating abuse of narcotics as a toxin that erodes the moral and intellectual foundations of the younger generation. Data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) for 2025 indicates a rise in drug-use prevalence to 2.8 percent among the productive-age population (16–35 years). In fact, most junkies are students from high schools and universities—how horrific.

This is not merely a legal or medical issue; it is a profound moral and spiritual crisis. As Soekarno once noted, “A great nation is determined by its youth.” How can that spirit endure if the minds and hearts of young people are consumed by addiction?

A New Oath

The Youth Pledge was born of moral courage and the willingness to confront fear and oppression through unity. Today, the nation needs a form of spiritual courage by rejecting every form of self-enslavement, including narcotics.

Drug abuse is a social symptom rather than a purely personal issue. Classical sociologist Émile Durkheim, in Suicide (1897), describes anomie as a condition in which moral order collapses and individuals lose their sense of purpose. A similar disorientation marks today’s youth: freedom without direction and autonomy without discipline.

In Islamic thought, this condition is known as ghaflah, a spiritual negligence that distances individuals from God and from their deeper purpose. In such a state, people seek instant relief from inner unrest, and narcotics offer the illusion of tranquility. However, Islam teaches that true well-being emerges from a disciplined and serene soul (an-nafs al-muthma’innah).

Instant Gratification as a Culture

The digital generation grows up in an accelerated world. They face daily pressure to achieve, perform, and appear perpetually happier than everyone. Social media frequently equates happiness with likes and followers.

This environment is beneficial for drug sellers, who seek an escape from expectations and emotional emptiness. The culture of instant gratification promises instant happiness that is ultimately fragile.

Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, in The Burnout Society (2015), describes modern individuals as existentially exhausted people who are running tirelessly with zero productivity. They lack a safe space needed for self-reflection.

In addition, Islam emphasizes tawazun, the balance between work and worship, body and spirit. Without this equilibrium, freedom leads to emptiness, and progress turns into self-destruction. Hamka, in Tasawuf Modern (1939), reminds us, “The wealth of the soul matters more than material wealth; those who lose meaning will seek poisons to deceive their hearts.”

Restorative Measures

Public policy often treats narcotics solely as a criminal matter. Despite many users being victims of their own, some are shaped by dysfunctional families, adverse environments, or psychological trauma. Strict punitive measures frequently worsen their condition, punishing without healing.

In Islamic legal ethics, justice encompasses not only punishment (‘uqubah) but also the restoration of human dignity. The principle of la dharar wa la dhirār (do not harm yourself and do not harm others) offers a moral basis for social policy.

Michel Foucault, in Discipline and Punish (1975), argues that modern societies tend to punish in order to subdue rather than rehabilitate.

Islam, by contrast, offers the path of tazkiyah as the purification of the soul through awareness rather than fear. A compassionate anti-narcotics framework must harmonize law enforcement with spiritual rehabilitation. Faith- and knowledge-based recovery programs could establish a new model: collaboration between universities, Islamic boarding schools, and the BNN for spiritual counseling; value-driven anti-drug curricula; and student-led initiatives that cultivate empathy and social solidarity.

Campus-Based Movement

Universities still play a critical role in shaping a new moral ecosystem. Higher education is responsible not only for producing graduates but also for cultivating individuals with character.

The drug crisis is not merely a medical challenge; rather, it is a crisis of meaning. This is where tazkiyatun nafs (self-purification) becomes profoundly relevant. Our younglings must be guided to restore their intentions, reclaim meaning, and revive ethical discipline.

Therefore, spiritual well-being should be integrated into university curricula. Contemporary Islamic thinker Ziauddin Sardar writes in Reforming Modernity (2008): “The future of Islamic civilization can only be built by individuals free from fear and grounded in moral consciousness.”

As a result, educational institutions will become the moral project of a new generation with a scientific, spiritual, and social commitment.

A Moral Compass for the Future

In the end, the Youth Pledge became a moral compass that must be renewed for each era. If 1928 was a pledge of unity, then 2025 must be a pledge for safeguarding the nation’s soul:

We, the youth of Indonesia, pledge to reject narcotics, preserve our intellect, and dedicate our lives to humanity.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught, “Seven groups will receive God’s protection, among them a young person who grows up in devotion.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim). Avoiding narcotics is not only a legal duty; it is a form of social worship and an expression of patriotism. 

Only true freedom liberates from political oppression, but it is also freedom from the enslavement of the self: from addiction, emptiness, and moral decay. A nation that safeguards its reason to live, its soul from negligence, and its youth from ruination is one that has truly attained independence.

This article was originally published in Disway on Friday (31/10/2025)