The Prophet (peace be upon him) was reported to have said, “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler. When evening comes, do not expect to live until morning, and when morning comes, do not expect to live until evening. Take from your health a preparation for your illness, and from your life for your death.” [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was reported to have said, “Islam started and will return back as something strange; paradise is for the strangers.”
but..being a stranger is so hard...
Being a stranger for the sake of strangeness is not the same thing.
Ive mentioned it before, but there are interpretations of the hadith which are not so ... downbeat. they suggest that by strangeness it means conditions that allow it to succeed, like the rapid expansion that was experienced in the early part of Islam.
Our aim is not to be strangers.
There is a hadith that was quoted to me from a calendar at work the other day... top of my head, something like that believeer who lives among people and is patient when they sin against him is better than... (either the one who isnt patient, or the one who avoids them, cant remmeber).
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Would you believe I was just thinking about this today. Being a stranger is very uncomfortable as we all try to fit in. If you are born this way , you spend all your life trying not to be. Soon I am going to give up trying to fit in and just be myself. It's not going to be pretty but It's going to be a relief.
I thought the following article was quite poignant and relevant
said 'Islam began as something strange, and it will revert to being strange as it was in the beginning, so good tidings for the strangers.' Some asked, 'Who are the strangers?' He said, 'The ones who break away from their people (literally, 'tribes') for the sake of Islam.'" (Sahih Muslim, Ibn Majah)
to be a "stranger"
by Amber Rehman
Abdullah ibn Masud, said: "the Prophet
There is an incredible lesson in the above Hadith, which we need to repeat to ourselves over and over again. As a 20-year-old Muslima, I find my practice of Islam feeling stranger by the day. There is a norm that we have to live up to in this society, and if we don't meet it, we will be called strangers.
Did amazing in school and could talk my way out of anything
When I was in high school, I was an average, overachieving teenager, with a serious superficial streak. I did amazing in school, could talk my way out of anything, and had to look as though I belonged on the modeling runways, that were called the high
school hallways.
A great education and an even better career lay ahead of me. I was the master of my own destiny, what more could I ask for?
I was no longer in control
While I was planning my Sweet 16 bash, my grandfather, who I loved a lot, fell ill and passed away.
Suddenly I wasn't in control. I saw someone moving on to the unknown. I had never been so near death before.
The realization hit then, that the tangible wasn't the ultimate reality. I could no longer find reason, purpose or consolation in good grades, praise
Everything lost its meaning for I saw my grandfather, without his worldly possessions, in a shroud. The only things he could take with him were his deeds and intentions.
Everything finally made sense, for as I prayed for Allah to give him ease in his grave, I thought of mine, as I prayed to meet him again in the Akhira, I had to think of preserving mine.
All I had ever strived for fell to pieces.
As the Quran replaced my pointless and juicy novels, I realized that of all creation, Allah has created us with a conscious, and free will. Why would we let our free will work against us?
Family, friends, and fortune are all relative, they would go as easy as they came. We had to take everything as a teacher, and learn to do better for the sake of our souls.
Could not be alone with myself
With all of this it became apparent, that living with the norm of society, I wasn't allowed to be alone with myself. I had to be surrounded with friends, or be reading some novel or other, and the music was always blaring in the background.
Feeling strangeness
Silence was deafening, and noise was the only peace. To communicate with Allah, and to pray, I felt strangeness when there was silence accompanied by peace as my heart turned to my Lord.
Working to please myself, would've only given me peace in this life, but just the mere intention of doing things for the sake of Allah, would preserve this life and the next.
Other young Muslims who were once with me have lost the strangeness
Five years have passed since that epiphanous age of mine and now I find my brothers and sisters, who had commenced the search with me are now leaving the Deen.
The folds of Islam are not satisfactory any more. When I ask them why their only answer is that Islam did not give anything back to them as a social system as a community. It did not feed their needs and their spiritual thirst. It had to do with the harshness of other Muslims.
I wonder about this a lot since it affects my faith as well as the faith of those who say it. Even though Allah has created us and has preferred us as a Jamaah the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) still acknowledged the time when there would be people struggling alone for righteousness.
And the only answer I can come up with is that this world is mostly a sowing ground. We can't reap everything here. That's why there is a day of accountability which will restore justice and mercy.
The strangeness does go away
Now as I struggle to maintain my Islam, I find practicing my faith in this world feels strange only so long as I surround myself with worldly things and people. When I turn to Allah's creation, I feel the strangeness fade away.
If nature, as it is subservient to the Will of the Creator, has harmony when the wind blows and rustles its leaves, I don't see why our souls and hearts can't move to the same command.
In our time, and our part of the world, if nothing is strange and nothing immoral, I guess it's only good then, if we feel connected to the strange.
'Good tidings for the strangers.'
Took out the repetition thanks Lilly
I thought it was a good article.
its a bit confusing, could you not edit the first post and delete the repetition? it really cuts up the effect of reading that article.
and i didnt mean i would go out of my way and make sure im strange.
sometimes, life takes turns and you end up feeling really lonely and strange. during those times I remember this hadith and find comfort in my lonelyness.
that's what i meant.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
right, being a stranger is hard, being strange on the other hand is harder and not good. loneliness is a sad word especially as we are never alone beacuse Allah is always with us even if we are not with Him.