Young in Years, Lost in Meaning: A Review of The Lives of Man in Light of the Modern Crisis Before Forty
- Umar Khan
- 21 hours ago
- 6 min read
Introduction:
In recent years, a troubling pattern has emerged across global mental health data: individuals under the age of forty are experiencing rising levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide. According to the World Health Organization, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, particularly among young people aged 15–29. Similarly, institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report increasing trends in suicide rates among younger demographics, even in developed societies.
This reality raises a profound question: how is it that the years most associated with vitality and opportunity have become, for many, a period of emotional and existential strain?
A compelling lens through which to examine this paradox is The Lives of Man by Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad. This classical Islamic text outlines the stages of human existence, placing particular emphasis on the formative nature of early life. When read against the backdrop of modern psychological distress, the work offers not only contrast but also an intriguing critique as well.
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Overview of the Work:
In The Lives of Man, Imam al-Haddad presents life as a sequence of transitional stages, beginning before birth and continuing into the afterlife. His framework is deeply rooted in Islamic theology, emphasising accountability, spiritual awareness, and the ultimate return to Allah.
While the text spans the entirety of human existence, its implications for the early decades of life are particularly striking. The years before forty are implicitly framed as a period of preparation where one develops the intellectual clarity, moral discipline, and spiritual grounding necessary for true maturity.
Wherein the honourable Imam states that:
"Youth is the time when acquiring merit, knowledge and attaining positions of religious leadership and eminence are possible.”
This reinforces the very idea that youth is not meaningless drifting but rather an integral period where one can lay the foundations for a life of purpose, worship, and spiritual reward.
This is consistent with broader Islamic teachings. The Qur’ān states:
“Until, when he reaches maturity and reaches forty years, he says: ‘My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour…’” (Qur’ān 46:15)
Classical scholars have interpreted this verse as highlighting forty as the age of completion in human development. It is also at this age that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received revelation, marking the beginning of his prophetic mission.
Thus, the years leading up to forty are not incidental, as many people have come to believe. As per this text and Islamic theology in general, these years are in fact foundational.
The Modern Crisis of Youth:
In contrast to this structured and purposeful vision of early life, contemporary data reveals a far more unstable reality. The World Health Organization estimates that over 700,000 people die by suicide each year, with a disproportionate number occurring among younger individuals. In many countries, suicide ranks among the top causes of death for those under thirty.
Beyond statistics, there is a growing cultural narrative of disillusionment among young adults. Researchers and mental health professionals frequently point to:
Increased social isolation despite digital connectivity.
Economic uncertainty and delayed life milestones.
The psychological effects of social media comparison.
A pervasive sense of purposelessness.
The result is a generation that, while physically youthful, often feels psychologically and emotionally depleted. This atmosphere of existential resignation stands in stark contrast to Imam al-Haddad’s conception of youth.
Quoting the righteous predecessors, he writes: “Use your youth before you become like us, old, feeble and too weak to perform many acts of goodness.”
As the famous phrase goes, we must all strive to “strike while the iron is hot". Youth is not as simple as an inevitable stop before adulthood; rather, it is an essential stepping stone for a prosperous adulthood. We must use the energy of our youth to build not only our worldly life but also a benevolent life in the hereafter.
A Crisis of Meaning, Not Just Mental Health:
Beyond statistical trends, this sense of disillusionment is increasingly visible in everyday life among young adults themselves. In university environments and early professional spaces, it is not uncommon to encounter individuals who speak about life after graduation with a sense of resignation rather than anticipation.
In my personal experience, there was a time when I could not see adulthood as the beginning of meaningful development, but rather the onset of repetition. The monotonous nature of waking, working, earning, and repeating the same cycle indefinitely.
Among people in their twenties, there is often an underlying fear that life “ends” after university, not in a literal sense, but existentially. The structure, social stimulation, and perceived momentum of youth give way to anxieties about routine, financial pressure, and purposeless labour.
My peers after university often considered their first job to be an indication of what life was going to be in the “real world”. Even among those who are academically successful or professionally ambitious, there frequently remains a lingering question: Is this all life ultimately becomes?
This sentiment is particularly striking because it emerges despite unprecedented technological convenience and access to opportunity. Material progress has not necessarily translated into existential fulfilment. Instead, many young people appear trapped between external achievement and internal emptiness. My motivation for the reading of Imam Haddad’s work and the writing of this commentary was spurred on by my own purposeless existence. And my personal discovery has been that where a man lives without purpose, it is not that he is living, but rather that he is waiting for his life to end.
What makes Imam al-Haddad’s work particularly relevant is that it does not approach human struggle purely in psychological terms. Instead, it situates the human experience within a broader metaphysical and spiritual framework.
From this perspective, the distress observed among younger populations may be understood not only as a mental health crisis but also as a crisis of meaning.
Modern life often encourages individuals to construct their identity around unstable markers such as career success, financial status, or social validation. While these pursuits are not inherently problematic, they are insufficient as ultimate sources of purpose. Regardless of whether they succeed or fail, they do not fully answer the deeper questions of existence: Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life?
In the absence of clear answers, individuals may experience a sense of fragmentation and uncertainty that no material achievement can resolve. This loss of purpose, despite the completion or failure of an objective, is a critical factor in the ongoing global mental health crisis.
In contrast to modern assumptions that adulthood consists merely of repetitive economic survival, classical Islamic thought viewed worldly life as temporary and transitional. Imam al-Shafi’ as quoted by Imam al-Haddad, remarked in old age that he carried a staff “to remind myself that I am a traveller.” Should we, as the Muslim youth, shift our perspectives that we are not stuck, but rather we are travellers; the so-called monotony of life would be an outdated concept.
Faith as a Restorative Framework:
It is here that The Lives of Man offers its most significant contribution. By centring human existence around the relationship with Allah, Imam al-Haddad provides a framework in which life is inherently meaningful.
The Qur’ān states: “And I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Qur’ān 51:56).
This verse establishes purpose not as something to be discovered through trial and error but as something divinely defined. Within this framework:
Success is redefined as nearness to Allah.
Hardship is understood as a test with spiritual benefit.
Time is seen as a trust, not an expendable resource.
Faith, therefore, does not eliminate struggle, but it transforms its meaning. It provides a stable anchor in a world characterised by constant change and uncertainty.
Reinterpreting “Youth Until Forty”:
The traditional notion that one remains “youthful” until forty is often misunderstood. It does not imply ease or freedom from responsibility. Rather, it reflects a period of capacity, a window in which one has the physical and mental ability to establish a meaningful life trajectory.
When viewed through Imam al-Haddad’s framework, the difficulties faced by modern youth do not invalidate this concept. Instead, they highlight the consequences of approaching these years without adequate spiritual grounding.
In other words, the issue is not that the model is outdated but that it has been neglected.
Conclusion:
The Lives of Man remains a deeply relevant text, offering insight into the structure and purpose of human life that transcends time and context. When read alongside contemporary data on mental health and suicide, its message becomes even more urgent.
The years before forty are not merely a phase to be endured or explored aimlessly. Rather, they are a critical period of formation, one that requires intentionality, discipline, and, above all, a connection to Allah.
In a world where many feel lost despite having more than ever before, Imam al-Haddad’s work serves as a reminder that true direction is not found in external abundance but in spiritual clarity.
To be young, in its fullest sense, is not simply to possess energy but to possess purpose. And that purpose, as the Islamic tradition consistently affirms, begins with faith.
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