Imam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) to Ahlus-Sunnah from his an-Nooniyah

Student of knowledge Hassan as-Somali (hafidhahullaah Ta'aala), using the explanation of Shaikh al-'Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah), relayed the highly beneficial advice of Imam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) to Ahlus-Sunnah from his an-Nooniyah about this very matter of strangeness. What follows are some excerpts:

Regarding Ibnul-Qayyim's statement: "Do not allow the strangeness that you sense amongst the people to cause you to lose heart." ------> Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaimeen, rahimahullaah Ta'aala, said: this means, "If the people go astray, and you are upon guidance, do not feel lonely, do not be sad, do not lose heart. Because the nature of man is that if he does not see people accompanying him in a particular way, or upon a particular path, then he will feel lonely and he may stop in his tracks or he may return and recant from that which he's upon of guidance.

And that is why we find the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in an authentic hadeeth told us about those days when a person will need patience to remain upon the truth; he will receive the reward of 50 of the companions. There will be a time when patience will be required and, due to the amount of patience that is required to remain firm upon the truth, the individual at that time will receive the reward of 50 of the companions of the Prophet Muhammed (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).

Why? Why will he receive this reward?

Because if a person was to look around him and he found that all of his friends and the people surrounding him were upon the same path, he would not feel lonely. He would not feel lonely. However, for these days you will need patience. All of the people will be differing and disagreeing and contradicting one another. This one saying, 'I'm upon the truth,' another individual saying, 'I'm upon the truth, he's upon falsehood.' So at that time, the believer is going to need to be patient upon the truth.

During that time, it will be difficult for a person to do acts of obedience, and it will be hard, but the individual who will receive this reward - that the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) highlighted in the hadeeth - he will be patient in the face of all those trials and difficulties, and his feet will be firm. His feet will be firm."

So Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: "Do not allow the sense of strangeness you feel amongst the people cause you to feel lonely." Ibn 'Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said, "Wallaahi (by Allaah), this is the truth."

Brothers, Ahlus-Sunnah should not be disheartened. Ahlus-Sunnah should not lose heart. Ahlus-Sunnah should not feel lonely. As long as you're upon guidance from Allaah, why do you feel lonely? The person upon the Sunnah does not feel lonely. You're upon the correct religion. You're upon the truth. Don't worry about the people. As the 'ulamaa of the past used to say: 'Pleasing the people is something that you will never be able to achieve.' Because you will always have those who are pleased with you and those who are upset with you. The most crucial thing is that you remain firm upon the truth - upon the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) with the understanding of the Sahabah.

Ibn Uthaymeen said, "You will be buried in your grave alone. No one to aide you and assist you. And the people will be buried in their graves alone. And on the Day of Resurrection, you will be brought back to life without any wealth and any offspring or children."

Brothers, Ahlus-Sunnah should not feel lonely. Why should they not feel lonely? Because if you obey Allaah and you obey the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), Allaah 'Azza wa Jall gives glad tidings in the Qur`aan that should remove that sense of loneliness and sadness and grief from the heart of any person who clings to the Sunnah of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:

And whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqoon (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are! (An-Nisa, ayah 69)...

And then Imam Ibnul-Qayyim said: "Are you not aware that Ahlus-Sunnah during every era, then they are truly the strangers." And the Shaykh Ibn Uthaimeen said: "The answer to this is: Na'am, certainly we're aware of this. Wallaahi, Ahlus-Sunnah are the strangers."

When the reader was reading this poem (an-Nooniyyah) to Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah), Ibn Uthaymeen said: "May Allaah make us from Ahlus-Sunnah." So the Shaikh said, "The people of the Sunnah are the strangers. The people who cling to the religion, they don't water it down, they don't go to extremes, they're upon the middle path, they are the strangers no matter what time they live in."

The Shaikh said: "If you were to study history, if you were to study the history, Islaamic history, you would find that Ahlus-Sunnah were the strangers, regardless of what time they lived in. ... the difference of opinions, the disputes, the different beliefs, the different religions and sects, you would find that the person of the Sunnah is like the white dot upon the horse's head." The person of the Sunnah is like the white dot upon the horse's head -----> meaning he's small in number.