Strangeness
and the Strangers
Imâm Ibn Qayyim
al Jawziyyah
Adopted by Ammar ibn Abdullah al-Hindi Based on a booklet by ibn Qayyim entitled “al-Ghurbathu wa al-Ghuraba” Some modifications and additions have been made, © 1994 Basheer Publications
“Islâm 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 Allâh 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 Islâm, 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 taqwâ or Islamic
knowledge, sometimes buckle under the pressure of their peers and join in these
acts, knowing that this is not what Allâh 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 Allâh have mercy on them,
should take consolation in the verses of the Qur’ân 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”?
Allâh says in the Qur’ân, “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.”
(Hűd: 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, “Islâm began as
something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad
tidings [Ar. Tűba. 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 Allâh?”
He replied, “Those that correct the people when they become corrupt.”
[Reported by Abű Amr al-Dani, from the hadîth of ibn Masűd. It is authentic
according to al-Albânî. 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 Asâkir. It is authentic
according to al-Albânî.]
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 sűrah al-An‘âm, “And if you obey most of the
people on Earth, they will lead you astray” (al-An‘âm:116). Allâh also
says, “And most of mankind will not believe, even if you (O Muhammad)
desire it eagerly” (Yűsuf: 103); “And truly, most of mankind are
rebellious and disobedient (to Allâh).” (al-Mâ’idah 49); “But nay,
most of mankind are ungrateful” (Yűsuf 38). Therefore, Allâh, 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 Allâh 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.
You should know, may Allâh have mercy upon you, that
strangeness is of three types:
The first type of strangeness is the strangeness of the “People of Allâh 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 Allâh 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 Allâh” 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-Bukhârî 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 Allâh, His
Messenger and those who believe [This is a reference to verse 55 of sűrah al-Mâ’idah],
even if all of mankind left and abandoned him. These strangers are again
described in a hâdîth narrated by Anas ibn Mâlik, 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 Allâh, Allâh will fulfill his
prayer.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhî and al-Hâkim. Al-Albânî said it is
authentic.] Al-Hasan al-Basrî [a very famous Follower – tâbî` -
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, tarîqah, particular madhhab
or a group of people. They are dedicated only to Allâh, 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 hadîth 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.
Allâh, 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. Islâm, when it first appeared
among these people, was strange to them. If a person from among them accepted
Islâm and followed the call of Allâh 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, Islâm 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 Islâm, had abandoned until,
finally, Islâm became strange again, just like it had started and just like the
Prophet (peace be upon him) had foretold. Nay, indeed, rather the true Islâm -
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 hadîth 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 Allâh 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-Mâ’idah 105), he 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 Allâh, the reward of fifty of them?” He replied, “The reward of fifty
of you” [Recorded by al-Tirmidhî and Abű Dâwűd with a weak chain but
it has supporting evidence. Al-Albânî calls it sâhîh. See al-Sahîhah,
#957]. This reward is due to his strangeness among the people.
So, if the believer whom Allâh has blessed with wisdom and
knowledge wants to tread upon this path, the path of Allâh, 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 Allâh 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 Allâh.
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 Allâh. May Allâh 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 hadîth 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 Allâh’s Messenger (peace be upon him).
We pray that Allâh 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 Allâh, the Lord of the Worlds.
