Oh Stranger: Stand Firm!
Allaah, Subhanahu wa Ta'aala, said:
If only there had been among the generations before you, persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasaad (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them. Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers in Allaah, polytheists, sinners, etc.). (Hud, ayah 116)
The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Islaam began as strange, and it will return strange as it began. So glad tidings to the strangers. [Saheeh Muslim, no. 145]
Shaikh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) was asked about the meaning of this hadeeth, and he said:
If only there had been among the generations before you, persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasaad (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them. Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers in Allaah, polytheists, sinners, etc.). (Hud, ayah 116)
The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Islaam began as strange, and it will return strange as it began. So glad tidings to the strangers. [Saheeh Muslim, no. 145]
Shaikh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) was asked about the meaning of this hadeeth, and he said:
"It means that Islaam was
strange and new for people in the early days of Islaam, in Makkah and
Al-Madinah. Not many people knew of it, and fewer still believed in it, and
practiced it. After that, it [Islaam] spread, and people entered the fold of
Islaam in droves, and it was victorious over all other religions. But later on,
during the final times, Islaam will return as strange - only a few people will
truly know Islaam, and only a few will correctly apply it, and they are the
'strangers.'
[The Prophet's statement] "glad tidings to the strangers" is further explained in a narration of Muslim and others: Those who are righteous when the people will be corrupt. (Ahmad no. 4/67) And in yet another wording: They are the ones who will make right what people have corrupted of my Sunnah. (At-Tirmithi no. 2630 and Al-Baghawi 1/121) We ask Allaah to make us from them; indeed, He is the best to ask."
Here are wordings of other narrations that explain who the strangers are:
- Those who correct the affairs at a time when people become corrupt. (Al-Albanee, al-Saheehah no. 1273)
- Those who have departed from the tribes. (Ahmad no. 3784, Ibn Majah no. 3988; Tirmidhee quotes that Bukhaaree ruled the hadeeth hasan.)
- A small group of righteous people amongst a large number of evil people; those who disobey them are greater in number than those who obey them. (Ahmad no. 6650; saheeh as per Albanee no. 1619)
Shaykh 'Abdullaah 'Ateeq Al-Harbee (hafidhahullaah Ta'aala) said:
"The Prophet (salallaahu
'alaihi wa sallam) said in the beginning of the hadeeth, 'Islaam began as
strange.' Indeed, Allaah ('Azza wa Jall) sent Muhammad (salallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam) after a break in the sending of the Messengers. So after raising 'Iesa
(Jesus) to the heavens, He did not send a Prophet until sending Muhammad
(salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The people lived in ignorance and darkness, and
were in a state of kufr (disbelief) and shirk (polytheism), except for a few
from the People of the Book. So, kufr and tughian (oppression) had encompassed
the whole of the earth.
Allaah (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) intended good for mankind; therefore, He sent the Messenger (Muhammad, salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) in order to take mankind away from the worship of the people and slaves to the worship of Allaah (Jalla wa 'Alla), and in order to take them from the darkness of kufr and shirk to the light of Al-Islaam.
So when the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was initially sent, and he began to call the people to the worship of Allaah, Islaam at that point was something that was strange. And nobody believed in him apart from one or two men, his wife and a child. So Islaam began as something strange.
Then Allaah ('Azza wa Jall) gave victory to the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), and Islaam was spread upon the earth, and indeed the Qur`an was manifest. And people entered into the religion of Allaah (Jalla wa 'Alla) in droves. And Allaah informed - upon the tongue of the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) - that Islaam shall return to being strange, just as it began. So how would that be when Islaam had already spread upon the earth, its East and its West?
Yes, Islaam did return as strange - even to Muslim lands. And [even] among the Muslims, the true and correct Islaam that the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was sent with has become something strange.
So, for instance, you'll find the Muslim who says La illaaha il Allaah (which means: none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah) yet seeks refuge in other than Allaah, contradicting the testification of Tawheed. Or you'll see the Muslim who says La illaaha il Allaah and says, "Ya RasulAllaah, give us rain," or "Wali such and such, help me in this affair." And from them are those who believe there is benefit in other than Allaah: that we may call on other than Allaah to benefit us. And from them are those who believe thoseother than Allaah can harm us - without the Qadr (decree) of Allaah.
And from them, you will find individuals who believe - or will say - they know the Ghayb (Unseen). And from them, you will find individuals who say La illaaha il Allaah, but they distance themselves from the worship of Allaah (Jall wa 'Alla) and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah.
And from them are those who call to the authentic Sunnah, and [their] call is looked at as strange among [their] own people of Al-Islaam.
This is one of the signs of the Prophethood of the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), who informed this would happen, and indeed it has taken place as the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihiwasallam) informed us." [Click here and here for the characteristics of the Strangers.]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbalee (rahimahullaah) wrote:
"Concerning the statement of
the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam): Islaam began as something
strange and will return to being strange, as it began, Imaam Al-Awzaa'ee
(rahimahullaah) said: 'As for this, then it does not mean that Islaam will go
away, rather it means that Ahlus-Sunnah will go away, up to the point that
there will not remain any from them in a land except one person.'"
What is meant by Ahlus-Sunnah are
all the Muslims who strictly follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
(salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) in 'aqeedah and manhaj and
manner of worship andcharacter. They learn it, act upon it, enforce it, and teach
it to others. They consist of the scholars, their students, and those who
follow in their footsteps.
Abu Bakr al-Aajurri (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) wrote in his book Sifatul Ghuraba, translated into part of The Journey of The Strangers, regarding the Prophet's statement: and it shall return to being strange ----> "misguided innovations shall increase, and many people will succumb to them; as such those who follow the truth - those who adhere to the Legal Law of Islaam - shall seem like strangers amongst the masses."
Regarding the statement of 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood (radiallaahu Ta'aala 'anhu): A time will come in which the believer will be regarded as lower than a slave-girl, Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) wrote in his book Kashf al-Kubrah Wasfi Haali Ahlil-Ghurabah, translated into part of The Journey of The Strangers:
Abu Bakr al-Aajurri (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) wrote in his book Sifatul Ghuraba, translated into part of The Journey of The Strangers, regarding the Prophet's statement: and it shall return to being strange ----> "misguided innovations shall increase, and many people will succumb to them; as such those who follow the truth - those who adhere to the Legal Law of Islaam - shall seem like strangers amongst the masses."
Regarding the statement of 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood (radiallaahu Ta'aala 'anhu): A time will come in which the believer will be regarded as lower than a slave-girl, Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (rahimahullaah Ta'aala) wrote in his book Kashf al-Kubrah Wasfi Haali Ahlil-Ghurabah, translated into part of The Journey of The Strangers:
"The believer is humiliated and
degraded in the last days because of him being a stranger amongst the corrupt,
those who have succumbed to their doubts and desires. All of them hate him and
persecute him because of his opposing their path and objectives, and because of
his keeping aloof from their practices."
Shaykh 'Abdullaah 'Ateeq Al-Harbee (hafidhahullaah) said concerning the reward of the strangers, concerning the Prophet's statement Tooba (glad tidings) for the Strangers:
Shaykh 'Abdullaah 'Ateeq Al-Harbee (hafidhahullaah) said concerning the reward of the strangers, concerning the Prophet's statement Tooba (glad tidings) for the Strangers:
"Tooba is either a tree in
Jannah or it is the whole of Jannah, Al-Jannah, the expanse of which is as the
expanse of the heavens and the earth. As Allaah (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) has
said:
The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon (pious) have been promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure) therein for them is every kind of fruit; and forgiveness from their Lord... (Muhammad, ayah 15)
And in a hadeeth Qudsi, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) said (what means): I have prepared for My righteous slaves what no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard, and that which has never occurred in a human heart."
The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon (pious) have been promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure) therein for them is every kind of fruit; and forgiveness from their Lord... (Muhammad, ayah 15)
And in a hadeeth Qudsi, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) said (what means): I have prepared for My righteous slaves what no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard, and that which has never occurred in a human heart."
