View Full Version : islam began as something strange...
ibn suleman
15-06-07, 11:41 AM
Question: What is the correct meaning of the hadith: “Islam began as something strange and will return to being something strange”?
Answered by Sheikh Salman al-Oadah
This hadîth comes to use from many chains of transmission with variations in wording. Roughly twenty Companions relate it from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The following are a few of these hadîth:
Abû Hurayrah relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Islam began strange, and it will become strange again just like it was at the beginning, so blessed are the strangers.” [Sahîh Muslim (1/130)]
`Amr b. `Awf relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The religion will shrink back to the Hijâz like the snake shrinks back into its hole. It will cling to the Hijâz like the mountain goat clings to the mountaintop. The religion began strange, and it will become strange again just like it was at the beginning, so blessed are the strangers who restore what the people corrupt of my Sunnah.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (#2630)] Al-Tirmidhî grades it as good and authentic (hasan sahîh).
`Abd Allah b. `Amr b. al-`Âs relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), said one day when the Companions were with him: “Blessed are the strangers.” He was then asked: “Who are the strangers, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “They are righteous people among many evil people who disobey them more than they obey them.” [Musnad Ahmad (2/177 & 2/222) and Ibn al-Mubârak, Kitâb al-Zuhd (#775 p. 267)]
This hadîth has reached us in many ways with both complete and incomplete chains of transmission. Some scholars have graded this hadîth as well-known (mashhûr) or even mutawâtir.
The hadîth tells us that a time will come when person, on account of his uprightness in knowledge and in deed, finds few who agree with him but many who disagree with him and ridicule him. When he calls the people to what he is on, he gets few followers.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) made this meaning clear when, after being asked about the strangers, he said: “They are righteous people among many evil people who disobey them more than they obey them.”
This estrangement is typified by the small number of those who assist in doing right and the paucity of those who answer the call to Allah.
Another aspect of this estrangement is the difficulty faced by the one who attempts to travel on the straight path without stumbling. Evil and iniquity will continue to increase and righteousness will continue to decrease as the time between the people and the era of prophethood grows longer. It will become more and more difficult to achieve anything of benefit without getting involved in something detrimental as well. It will also be difficult to do what is best, due to the great number of impediments that discourage a person from trying.
And Allah knows best.
Ashraaf Ali
15-06-07, 12:49 PM
Assalaatu wa salaam ya Rasoolullah
Assalaamo alaikum:
It's interesting these ahadeeth you have mentioned, because there is another famous hadeeth which says:
Imam Abu `Abdullah Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "We were sitting with the Prophet , when Surat Al-Jumu`ah was revealed to him (And others among them who have not yet joined them.) They said, `Who are they, O Allah's Messenger' The Prophet did not reply until they repeated the question thrice. At that time, Salman Al-Farisi was with us. So Allah's Messenger placed his hand on Salman, saying: "If faith were on Ath-Thurayya (Pleiades), even then some men or a man from these people would attain it.'' Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa`i, Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir collected this Hadith.
ibn suleman
15-06-07, 01:29 PM
walaykumasalaam
:jkk: for sharing the hadith
LiveIslam
15-06-07, 01:34 PM
i heard a lecture on this by khalid yasin
Sulaiman Harun
16-06-07, 05:49 AM
truly a superb lecture by him!
Would a Muslim be so kind as to give us the Arabic for "strange" and perhaps tell us its root and other words related to it?
(This really does help a lot when you're trying to get a good grasp of Islamic concepts.)
Sulaiman Harun
16-06-07, 07:14 AM
Ghareeb is the Arabic word
al faqeer
16-06-07, 08:02 AM
So who are the Strangers ? :) Nowadays ?
So who are the Strangers ? :) Nowadays ?could someone make it clearer to me also.
heaven2002
16-06-07, 10:48 AM
islam is still a strange concept to many people in this oh so 'modern' world so in that sense muslims are seen as strangers to some non muslims who dont understand why we choose to follow islam
islam is still a strange concept to many people in this oh so 'modern' world so in that sense muslims are seen as strangers to some non muslims who dont understand why we choose to follow islam well its going to remain strange if you dont explain.
Would a Muslim be so kind as to give us the Arabic for "strange" and perhaps tell us its root and other words related to it?
(This really does help a lot when you're trying to get a good grasp of Islamic concepts.)
The Arabic word “Ghurabaa`”, is the plural of the word “Ghareeb” which is a derivative of the word “Gharaba” – which means, “to go away, depart, absent, withdraw (from), leave" The word “Ghareeb” means, “strange, foreign, alien, extraneous”
Strangeness and the Strangers
by Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
The prophet Sallallahu alleyhi wa salam said :
"Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers."
The Meaning of "Strangeness"
Many times in many situations the people that follow the religion of Allah feel a sense of not belonging, of being out of place, of not fitting in, and, in other words, of being strange. This feeling could occur in a gathering of non-Muslims, but, unfortunately, this feeling sometimes also occurs when one is with his fellow Muslims.
A person sees his brothers and sisters doing acts that are contrary to Islam, or taking part in innovations that sometimes even border on kufr (apostasy), yet he feels that he does not have enough power or courage to stop them in these acts.
Some brothers and sisters, especially if they do not have enough taqwa or Islamic knowledge, sometimes buckle under the pressure of their peers and join in these acts, knowing that this is not what Allah wants them to do. However, feeling helpless, since it seems that they are alone in their ideas and without any support to help them do what is right, they succumb to such pressures.
These brothers and sisters, may Allah have mercy on them, should take consolation in the verses of the Qur’an and the many statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) describing this very situation of strangeness that they feel.
Why Have They Been Called "Strangers"?
Allah says in the Qur’an, "If only there had been, in the generations preceding you, people having wisdom, prohibiting others from evil in the earth; except a few of those whom we have saved from among them." (Hud 116).
This verse speaks of the few people on earth, the "strangers", who prohibit mankind from evil. These are the same people the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about when he said, "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings [ar. Tooba. This is a tree in Paradise. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) is giving the good news of Paradise to these strangers.] to the strangers." It was asked, "Who are those strangers, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Those that correct the people when they become corrupt." [Reported by Abu Amr al-Dani, from the hadith of ibn Masoud. It is authentic. Another narration says, "Those that correct my sunnah which has been corrupted by the people after me."]
In another narration he said in response to the same question, "They are a small group of people among a large evil population. Those who oppose them are more than those who follow them." [Reported by ibn Asaakir. It is authentic according to al-Albani.]
These praiseworthy people are called strangers since they are a small minority among mankind. Thus, Muslims are strangers among mankind; the true believers are strangers among Muslims; and the scholars are strangers among the true believers. And the followers of the Sunnah, those that clear themselves from all peoples of innovation, are likewise strangers.
In reality, however, their strangeness is only because they are the minority and it is not because their actions and beliefs are strange. This is what Allah says in surah al-Anaam, "And if you obey most of the people on Earth, they will lead you astray" (al-Anaam 116).
Allah also says, "And most of mankind will not believe, even if you (O Muhammad) desire it eagerly" (Yusuf 103); "And truly, most of mankind are rebellious and disobedient (to Allah)." (al-Maidah 49); "But nay, most of mankind are ungrateful" (Yusuf 38). Therefore, Allah, the all-Knowing Creator, knows the most of mankind will not follow the truth. Instead, only a small group of people will be set apart that truly and correctly believe in Him, the strangers from among mankind.
The strangers in belief, however, and the strangers in character and actions are in reality the majority of mankind, for they are strange to Islam and to the laws that Allah has revealed. Thus we see that there are various types of strangeness, of which some are praiseworthy, some are blameworthy and some are neither praiseworthy or blameworthy. We will discuss these various categories separately below.
The Various Types of Strangeness
You should know, may Allah have mercy upon you, that strangeness is of three types:
The first type of strangeness is the strangeness of the "People of Allah and the People of His Messenger" (peace be upon him), which we mentioned previously. This strangeness is a praiseworthy strangeness, as it has been praised by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore, this kind of strangeness should be sought and its people must be supported. This strangeness occurs in different times, in different places, and among different peoples. These strangers, then, are the true "People of Allah" for they do not worship ought save Him, and they do not take support from any path except the path of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and they do not call to anything except that which has been brought by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
These are the people who left mankind when they (the strangers) were in need of them the most. For, on the Day of Judgment, when all other groups will go with that which they used to worship, they will stay in their places. It will be said to them, "Will you not go as the other people have gone?" They will answer, "We had abandoned the people (in this life), and we were more in need of them then we are today, and we will wait for our Lord whom we used to worship." [Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Thus it is apparent that this strangeness does not cause its bearer any discontent. Rather it is a comforting strangeness, a solace to the believers. This is because he knows that his helpers are Allah, His Messenger and those who believe [This is a reference to verse 55 of surah al-Maidah], even if all of mankind left and abandoned him. These strangers are again described in a hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "It is possible that a disheveled, dusty person, with not many belongings [Literally, "with two headdresses"], who is not noticed among the people, if he asks of Allah, Allah will fulfill his prayer." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim. sahih.]
Al-Hasan al-Basri [a very famous Follower – tabi` - known for his piety, asceticism and knowledge] said, "A believer is a stranger in this world, he is never afraid of its humiliation, and he never competes for its glory. The people are in one situation and he is in a different situation. The people are content with him, yet he is in turmoil [Literally, "tired"] with himself."
From the characteristics of these strangers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) described is the holding on to the sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him), even if the people abandon it. They, the strangers, leave all the innovations that their people invent, even if such practices should be common among them.
They also stick to tawheed, even if the people corrupt it with shirk. They do not ascribe themselves to anything besides Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him); they do not, that is, ascribe themselves to a shaikh, tariqah, particular madhhab or a group of people.
They are dedicated only to Allah, with their sincere worship of Him and Him alone, and to His Prophet (peace be upon him), by following the path that he followed. These are the people who grasp the glowing hot embers [A reference to the hadith that is to follow], even though most of mankind - nay, all of them - blame them for this. This is the meaning of the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) alluding to the fact that they stick to his sunnah, even if the people corrupt it.
Allah, all praise be to Him, sent His Prophet (peace be upon him) when mankind followed different religions, for there were those who worshipped rivers and trees, and there were those who worshipped idols, and there were Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. Islam, when it first appeared among these people, was strange to them. If a person from among them accepted Islam and followed the call of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him), he would be shunned by his family and his tribe. He would live the life of a stranger among his people. Eventually, however, Islam spread far and wide. The Muslims became stronger and stronger, so much so that the strangers were those that did not accept the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
But, alas, Satan deceived mankind again. People took to the ways that their forefathers, who had accepted Islam, had abandoned until, finally, Islam became strange again, just like it had started and just like the Prophet (peace be upon him) had foretold. Nay, indeed, rather the true Islam - that which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions were following [this is a reference to the reply that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave when asked what the characteristics of the "Saved Group" were] has become even stranger to the people then when it initially appeared, even though its outward signs and external relics are well known and widespread. [This is what ibn al-Qayyim, wrote in the 8th Century of the Hijrah, wrote. Imagine our situations six centuries after him. May Allah protect us.]
How can it not be so, when these strangers are only one group among seventy-two others [the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith that this Ummah would divide into seventy-three groups, all of which would go to Hell except the one Saved Group.], each of which follows its own desires and takes its passions as gods? Those are the groups that base their teachings on doubts and innovations and whose sole purpose is the gratification of their own desires. Thus, the group whose goal is to achieve the pleasure of Allah by following the path of His Messenger (peace be upon him) will be the strange one among all of the other groups.
This is why the true Muslims - those that adamantly cling to the Sunnah - will have the reward of fifty Companions. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about the verse,
"O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow right guidance, no harm can come to you from those who err" (al-Maidah 105)
He salAllahu alleyhi wa salam said, "Nay indeed, order good and forbid evil until you see stinginess being obeyed, and desires being followed, and this world preferred [over the next], and each person being deluded by his own opinions. Then take care of yourself and leave the common people. For indeed, after you there will be days of patience, where patience will be like holding on to glowing embers. Whoever is able to do this will have the reward of fifty people that do like him." They asked, "O Messenger of Allah, the reward of fifty of them?" He replied, "The reward of fifty of you" [Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud with a weak chain but it has supporting evidence. Al-Albani calls it sahih. See al-Sahiha, #957]. This reward is due to his strangeness among the people.
So, if the believer whom Allah has blessed with wisdom and knowledge wants to tread upon this path, the path of Allah, then let him be prepared to resign himself to the life of a stranger among his people, just like his predecessors who accepted Islam were treated by the people. For indeed, he will be a stranger in his beliefs, because his people have corrupted their beliefs. He will be a stranger in his religion, due to what the people have done to it. He will be a stranger in his manner of praying, because the people are ignorant of the prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He will be a stranger in his ordering of good and prohibiting evil, for the people have taken what is evil as good and they have abandoned what is good as evil. In short, then, he will be a stranger in all his matters of this world and the Hereafter, calling to the path of Allah and withstanding the harm of all those that go against him.
As for the second type of strangeness, then know, O reader, that this strangeness is the blameworthy strangeness, for its people are the evil sinners, the ignorant and the arrogant of mankind. Their strangeness is due to their refusal to follow the correct and straight path of Allah. This strangeness is the strangeness of not conforming to the religion of Islam and, as such, it will remain strange even if its followers are numerous, its power is strong and its existence is widespread. These are the strangers to Allah. May Allah keep us from becoming one of them.
The third category of strangeness is, in essence, neither praiseworthy or blameworthy. It is the strangeness that a traveler experiences when he travels to a different country, like a person who lives in a place for a short period of time, knowing that he has to move on. One aspect of this strangeness is that all of us, whether we realize it or not, are strangers in this world, for we will all go one day to our permanent abode in the Hereafter. This is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he told Abdullah ibn Umar, "Live in this world as though you are a stranger or a wayfarer." Thus, this category of strangeness has the potential to become a praiseworthy strangeness if we realize the meaning of this statement of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him).
We pray that Allah bless us to be Muslims, knowledgeable and pious, and that He forgive us our sins and bless us with His Mercy.
Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honor and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute to Him And Peace be on the Messengers. And all Praise and thanks be to the Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Abu Mus'ab
16-06-07, 11:34 AM
Would a Muslim be so kind as to give us the Arabic for "strange" and perhaps tell us its root and other words related to it?
(This really does help a lot when you're trying to get a good grasp of Islamic concepts.)
Edit: Asiya already answered it above.
al faqeer
16-06-07, 11:34 AM
Ok this is good , so you are saying all muslims are strange and not a particular Group or sect ?
If thats the case OK .
LiveIslam
16-06-07, 11:35 AM
this is not the full lecture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN4lFNbANPY does anyone know where to get it ?:confused:
this is not the full lecture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN4lFNbANPY does anyone know where to get it ?:confused:
check ur reps ukhti different speaker but excellent lectures masha Allah
The Arabic word “Ghurabaa`”, is the plural of the word “Ghareeb” which is a derivative of the word “Gharaba” – which means, “to go away, depart, absent, withdraw (from), leave" The word “Ghareeb” means, “strange, foreign, alien, extraneous”
Strangeness and the Strangers
by Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
The prophet Sallallahu alleyhi wa salam said :
"Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers."
The Meaning of "Strangeness"
Many times in many situations the people that follow the religion of Allah feel a sense of not belonging, of being out of place, of not fitting in, and, in other words, of being strange. This feeling could occur in a gathering of non-Muslims, but, unfortunately, this feeling sometimes also occurs when one is with his fellow Muslims.
A person sees his brothers and sisters doing acts that are contrary to Islam, or taking part in innovations that sometimes even border on kufr (apostasy), yet he feels that he does not have enough power or courage to stop them in these acts.
Some brothers and sisters, especially if they do not have enough taqwa or Islamic knowledge, sometimes buckle under the pressure of their peers and join in these acts, knowing that this is not what Allah wants them to do. However, feeling helpless, since it seems that they are alone in their ideas and without any support to help them do what is right, they succumb to such pressures.
These brothers and sisters, may Allah have mercy on them, should take consolation in the verses of the Qur’an and the many statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) describing this very situation of strangeness that they feel.
Why Have They Been Called "Strangers"?
Allah says in the Qur’an, "If only there had been, in the generations preceding you, people having wisdom, prohibiting others from evil in the earth; except a few of those whom we have saved from among them." (Hud 116).
This verse speaks of the few people on earth, the "strangers", who prohibit mankind from evil. These are the same people the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about when he said, "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings [ar. Tooba. This is a tree in Paradise. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) is giving the good news of Paradise to these strangers.] to the strangers." It was asked, "Who are those strangers, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Those that correct the people when they become corrupt." [Reported by Abu Amr al-Dani, from the hadith of ibn Masoud. It is authentic. Another narration says, "Those that correct my sunnah which has been corrupted by the people after me."]
In another narration he said in response to the same question, "They are a small group of people among a large evil population. Those who oppose them are more than those who follow them." [Reported by ibn Asaakir. It is authentic according to al-Albani.]
These praiseworthy people are called strangers since they are a small minority among mankind. Thus, Muslims are strangers among mankind; the true believers are strangers among Muslims; and the scholars are strangers among the true believers. And the followers of the Sunnah, those that clear themselves from all peoples of innovation, are likewise strangers.
In reality, however, their strangeness is only because they are the minority and it is not because their actions and beliefs are strange. This is what Allah says in surah al-Anaam, "And if you obey most of the people on Earth, they will lead you astray" (al-Anaam 116).
Allah also says, "And most of mankind will not believe, even if you (O Muhammad) desire it eagerly" (Yusuf 103); "And truly, most of mankind are rebellious and disobedient (to Allah)." (al-Maidah 49); "But nay, most of mankind are ungrateful" (Yusuf 38). Therefore, Allah, the all-Knowing Creator, knows the most of mankind will not follow the truth. Instead, only a small group of people will be set apart that truly and correctly believe in Him, the strangers from among mankind.
The strangers in belief, however, and the strangers in character and actions are in reality the majority of mankind, for they are strange to Islam and to the laws that Allah has revealed. Thus we see that there are various types of strangeness, of which some are praiseworthy, some are blameworthy and some are neither praiseworthy or blameworthy. We will discuss these various categories separately below.
The Various Types of Strangeness
You should know, may Allah have mercy upon you, that strangeness is of three types:
The first type of strangeness is the strangeness of the "People of Allah and the People of His Messenger" (peace be upon him), which we mentioned previously. This strangeness is a praiseworthy strangeness, as it has been praised by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Therefore, this kind of strangeness should be sought and its people must be supported. This strangeness occurs in different times, in different places, and among different peoples. These strangers, then, are the true "People of Allah" for they do not worship ought save Him, and they do not take support from any path except the path of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and they do not call to anything except that which has been brought by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
These are the people who left mankind when they (the strangers) were in need of them the most. For, on the Day of Judgment, when all other groups will go with that which they used to worship, they will stay in their places. It will be said to them, "Will you not go as the other people have gone?" They will answer, "We had abandoned the people (in this life), and we were more in need of them then we are today, and we will wait for our Lord whom we used to worship." [Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Thus it is apparent that this strangeness does not cause its bearer any discontent. Rather it is a comforting strangeness, a solace to the believers. This is because he knows that his helpers are Allah, His Messenger and those who believe [This is a reference to verse 55 of surah al-Maidah], even if all of mankind left and abandoned him. These strangers are again described in a hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "It is possible that a disheveled, dusty person, with not many belongings [Literally, "with two headdresses"], who is not noticed among the people, if he asks of Allah, Allah will fulfill his prayer." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim. sahih.]
Al-Hasan al-Basri [a very famous Follower – tabi` - known for his piety, asceticism and knowledge] said, "A believer is a stranger in this world, he is never afraid of its humiliation, and he never competes for its glory. The people are in one situation and he is in a different situation. The people are content with him, yet he is in turmoil [Literally, "tired"] with himself."
From the characteristics of these strangers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) described is the holding on to the sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him), even if the people abandon it. They, the strangers, leave all the innovations that their people invent, even if such practices should be common among them.
They also stick to tawheed, even if the people corrupt it with shirk. They do not ascribe themselves to anything besides Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him); they do not, that is, ascribe themselves to a shaikh, tariqah, particular madhhab or a group of people.
They are dedicated only to Allah, with their sincere worship of Him and Him alone, and to His Prophet (peace be upon him), by following the path that he followed. These are the people who grasp the glowing hot embers [A reference to the hadith that is to follow], even though most of mankind - nay, all of them - blame them for this. This is the meaning of the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) alluding to the fact that they stick to his sunnah, even if the people corrupt it.
Allah, all praise be to Him, sent His Prophet (peace be upon him) when mankind followed different religions, for there were those who worshipped rivers and trees, and there were those who worshipped idols, and there were Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. Islam, when it first appeared among these people, was strange to them. If a person from among them accepted Islam and followed the call of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him), he would be shunned by his family and his tribe. He would live the life of a stranger among his people. Eventually, however, Islam spread far and wide. The Muslims became stronger and stronger, so much so that the strangers were those that did not accept the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
But, alas, Satan deceived mankind again. People took to the ways that their forefathers, who had accepted Islam, had abandoned until, finally, Islam became strange again, just like it had started and just like the Prophet (peace be upon him) had foretold. Nay, indeed, rather the true Islam - that which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions were following [this is a reference to the reply that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave when asked what the characteristics of the "Saved Group" were] has become even stranger to the people then when it initially appeared, even though its outward signs and external relics are well known and widespread. [This is what ibn al-Qayyim, wrote in the 8th Century of the Hijrah, wrote. Imagine our situations six centuries after him. May Allah protect us.]
How can it not be so, when these strangers are only one group among seventy-two others [the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith that this Ummah would divide into seventy-three groups, all of which would go to Hell except the one Saved Group.], each of which follows its own desires and takes its passions as gods? Those are the groups that base their teachings on doubts and innovations and whose sole purpose is the gratification of their own desires. Thus, the group whose goal is to achieve the pleasure of Allah by following the path of His Messenger (peace be upon him) will be the strange one among all of the other groups.
This is why the true Muslims - those that adamantly cling to the Sunnah - will have the reward of fifty Companions. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about the verse,
"O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow right guidance, no harm can come to you from those who err" (al-Maidah 105)
He salAllahu alleyhi wa salam said, "Nay indeed, order good and forbid evil until you see stinginess being obeyed, and desires being followed, and this world preferred [over the next], and each person being deluded by his own opinions. Then take care of yourself and leave the common people. For indeed, after you there will be days of patience, where patience will be like holding on to glowing embers. Whoever is able to do this will have the reward of fifty people that do like him." They asked, "O Messenger of Allah, the reward of fifty of them?" He replied, "The reward of fifty of you" [Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud with a weak chain but it has supporting evidence. Al-Albani calls it sahih. See al-Sahiha, #957]. This reward is due to his strangeness among the people.
So, if the believer whom Allah has blessed with wisdom and knowledge wants to tread upon this path, the path of Allah, then let him be prepared to resign himself to the life of a stranger among his people, just like his predecessors who accepted Islam were treated by the people. For indeed, he will be a stranger in his beliefs, because his people have corrupted their beliefs. He will be a stranger in his religion, due to what the people have done to it. He will be a stranger in his manner of praying, because the people are ignorant of the prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He will be a stranger in his ordering of good and prohibiting evil, for the people have taken what is evil as good and they have abandoned what is good as evil. In short, then, he will be a stranger in all his matters of this world and the Hereafter, calling to the path of Allah and withstanding the harm of all those that go against him.
As for the second type of strangeness, then know, O reader, that this strangeness is the blameworthy strangeness, for its people are the evil sinners, the ignorant and the arrogant of mankind. Their strangeness is due to their refusal to follow the correct and straight path of Allah. This strangeness is the strangeness of not conforming to the religion of Islam and, as such, it will remain strange even if its followers are numerous, its power is strong and its existence is widespread. These are the strangers to Allah. May Allah keep us from becoming one of them.
The third category of strangeness is, in essence, neither praiseworthy or blameworthy. It is the strangeness that a traveler experiences when he travels to a different country, like a person who lives in a place for a short period of time, knowing that he has to move on. One aspect of this strangeness is that all of us, whether we realize it or not, are strangers in this world, for we will all go one day to our permanent abode in the Hereafter. This is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he told Abdullah ibn Umar, "Live in this world as though you are a stranger or a wayfarer." Thus, this category of strangeness has the potential to become a praiseworthy strangeness if we realize the meaning of this statement of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him).
We pray that Allah bless us to be Muslims, knowledgeable and pious, and that He forgive us our sins and bless us with His Mercy.
Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honor and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute to Him And Peace be on the Messengers. And all Praise and thanks be to the Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.thank you for your attention i think i understand now.
thank you for your attention i think i understand now.
Alhamdulillah your welcome, its an extensive topic.
Debater
16-06-07, 11:56 AM
So who are the Strangers ? :) Nowadays ?
Those brothers who pray salaat and offer other acts of worship, those who keep beard, and Munafiqeen (so called Muslims) call them Mullas because they look strange in a Muslim society.
Those sisters who are pious and do hijaab, Munafiqeen (so called Muslims) call them ninjas, because they look strange to them.
Mujahideen today, in Afghanistan and Iraq etc are called Terrorists by Kuffar and Munafiqeen (liberal muslims) because they are strangers to them. (please note that those who are involved in terrorists activities as is defined by shari'ah not Kuffar, don't fall in the category of Mujahideen.)
al faqeer
16-06-07, 12:18 PM
Those brothers who pray salaat and offer other acts of worship, those who keep beard, and Munafiqeen (so called Muslims) call them Mullas because they look strange in a Muslim society.
Those sisters who are pious and do hijaab, Munafiqeen (so called Muslims) call them ninjas, because they look strange to them.
Mujahideen today, in Afghanistan and Iraq etc are called Terrorists by Kuffar and Munafiqeen (liberal muslims) because they are strangers to them. (please note that those who are involved in terrorists activities as is defined by shari'ah not Kuffar, don't fall in the category of Mujahideen.)
so only salafis are strange? ROFL :D
Debater
16-06-07, 12:32 PM
so only salafis are strange? ROFL :D
Yes and faqeeris are strange to Salafis because faqeeris believe in Halwa, Grave worship and so many things which Followers of Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhe wasallam don't do.
al faqeer
16-06-07, 12:35 PM
Yes and faqeeris are strange to Salafis because faqeeris believe in Halwa, Grave worship and so many things which Followers of Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhe wasallam don't do.
:) Non Is secure of the Devising of Allah But a loosing nation .
Inshallah anyone who has a atom of arrogance in their heart will not smell the Jannah , No matter how long their beards or how short their thobes Ameen .
Amethyst
16-06-07, 12:36 PM
Yes and faqeeris are strange to Salafis because faqeeris believe in Halwa, Grave worship and so many things which Followers of Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhe wasallam don't do.
what does believing in Halwa mean?
heaven2002
16-06-07, 12:37 PM
well its going to remain strange if you dont explain.
islam will always remain strange and foreign to some people
- just like the 'big bang' theory is strange to me
al faqeer
16-06-07, 12:38 PM
what does believing in Halwa mean?
Sorry for that
Halwa : sweets :)
He meant Khalwa : which means a state of seclusion to perform Ibaada and seek spiritual fulfilemt .
But because of PAAN for brains mutilates the arabic language .
Amethyst
16-06-07, 12:38 PM
Sorry for that
Halwa : sweets :)
He meant Khalwa : which means a state of seclusion to perform Ibaada and seek spiritual fulfilemt .
But because of PAAN for brains mutilates the arabic language .
Thanks for that, i thought it meant sweets :)
islam will always remain strange and foreign to some people
- just like the 'big bang' theory is strange to me trying to understand each other is not a bad thing is it?
Abu Mus'ab
16-06-07, 01:45 PM
If you (you know who you are) got nothing good to say then go away and stop messing this thread up.
al faqeer
16-06-07, 01:47 PM
If you (you know who you are) got nothing good to say then go away and stop messing this thread up.
Good advice for yourself .
Abu Mus'ab
16-06-07, 01:59 PM
Good advice for yourself .
You should watch your fingers, i can have you banned if i wanted to, so don't come thinking you can do as you please.
I'd advise you to read the forum rules, the next time you break one i might just report you.
heaven2002
16-06-07, 03:06 PM
trying to understand each other is not a bad thing is it?
no i didnt mean anything like that:up:
was just saying that islam will always be seen as strange by some people
no i didnt mean anything like that:up:
was just saying that islam will always be seen as strange by some peopleok sorry for being paranoid.
heaven2002
16-06-07, 03:42 PM
ok sorry for being paranoid.
:D dont worry, im not out to get you
you'll know if i ever am!
al faqeer
16-06-07, 04:00 PM
You should watch your fingers, i can have you banned if i wanted to, so don't come thinking you can do as you please.
I'd advise you to read the forum rules, the next time you break one i might just report you.
I fear u none :D , wanna be humiliated u came to right place :) .
:icon_offtopic: can we pack it in now plz..:badguy:
al faqeer
16-06-07, 04:13 PM
:icon_offtopic: can we pack it in now plz..:badguy:
Ok sister we can , Islam started out strange and will always be strange , but can we claim to be those strangers ?
Or should we ask Allah to make us those strangers ? rather than having an arrogant holier than thou attitude that could you ( In GENERAL ) the scent of the Jannah .
Ok sister we can , Islam started out strange and will always be strange , but can we claim to be those strangers ?
Or should we ask Allah to make us those strangers ? rather than having an arrogant holier than thou attitude that could you ( In GENERAL ) the scent of the Jannah .
Allah only knows a persons destination, all we can do is aspire to seek knowledge of our deen according to what Allah ta ala and his messenger salAllahu allehi wa salam have said, and obey them in that, act upon it, and ask Allah ta ala to give us knowledge and understanding of our religion insha Allah and make us of those strangers insha Allah ta ala . It is our duty to do as much as we can to hold tight to the rope of Allah ta ala, and the sunnah of Muhammad salAllahu alleyhi wa salam, and have taqwa of Allah ta ala insha Allah.
no one knows their final destination, even some of the companions did not feel sure that they worthy of going to Al Jannah, and even the prophet salAllahu alleyhi wa salam the best of all mankind when asked why he used to stand in prayer till his ankles became swollen when Allah ta ala has promised him al jannah , said " should i not be a thankful slave of Allah "
al faqeer
16-06-07, 04:57 PM
Allah only knows a persons destination, all we can do is aspire to seek knowledge of our deen according to what Allah ta ala and his messenger salAllahu allehi wa salam have said, and obey them in that, act upon it, and ask Allah ta ala to give us knowledge and understanding of our religion insha Allah and make us of those strangers insha Allah ta ala . It is our duty to do as much as we can to hold tight to the rope of Allah ta ala, and the sunnah of Muhammad salAllahu alleyhi wa salam, and have taqwa of Allah ta ala insha Allah.
no one knows their final destination, even some of the companions did not feel sure that they worthy of going to Al Jannah, and even the prophet salAllahu alleyhi wa salam the best of all mankind when asked why he used to stand in prayer till his ankles became swollen when Allah ta ala has promised him al jannah , said " should i not be a thankful slave of Allah "
asalaamu alaikum
Agreed sister shukran.
Debater
16-06-07, 05:06 PM
Ok sister we can , Islam started out strange and will always be strange , but can we claim to be those strangers ?
Or should we ask Allah to make us those strangers ? rather than having an arrogant holier than thou attitude that could you ( In GENERAL ) the scent of the Jannah .
In fact no one or groups claimed to be strangers or pious here, it is only a Fitnah maker monkey like you who always brings up the issue of madhab in all threads. There are other people who follow madhabs like bro al-ghazali but no one is psycho-retard like you who doesn't have any other topic to talk about except taqleedis and salafis.
Ummah has to get rid of monkeys like you for the unity and peace.
al faqeer
16-06-07, 05:15 PM
In fact no one or groups claimed to be strangers or pious here, it is only a Fitnah maker monkey like you who always brings up the issue of madhab in all threads. There are other people who follow madhabs like bro al-ghazali but no one is psycho-retard like you who doesn't have any other topic to talk about except taqleedis and salafis.
Ummah has to get rid of monkeys like you for the unity and peace.
Well You know what they say about sticks and Stones PAAN breath :) , You frustrated eh ?
Nice , good to see I am under your skin.
[B]shortly just for joining
not every one really will enjoy islam
in time everyone will see
who is really honest
who is liar
in other words there may seem that many people realy deal with islam
yet at the time of action
no one is there
very few
think
you can pretend to be muslim
if you arent really believer
yet you cant pretend to be goddamn one,
if you are really believer
in other words, many talk yet few have in heart realty
that is meaning of it
think how many people wake up at night to talk with his lord
think
is there really one whose problem is his LORD
just time
they wouldnt pass the sirat
may allah make us under the shadow of muhammed(as)
/B]
no one knows their final destination, even some of the companions did not feel sure that they worthy of going to Al Jannah, and even the prophet salAllahu alleyhi wa salam the best of all mankind when asked why he used to stand in prayer till his ankles became swollen when Allah ta ala has promised him al jannah , said " should i not be a thankful slave of Allah "
I think the above is a very interesting point because, to me at least, it makes Islam seem more alive and real. (As opposed to a highly refined and highly complex spiritual discipline reserved for almost-perfect people.)
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