KASHF AL-KURBAH FI WASFI HALI AHLIL-GHURBAH
With the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful There is no might or movement except with Allah, the Exalted, the Great.
The Shaykh, the Imam, the Ailamah, Shaykhu’l-Islam, the example for the people, the unique scholar of his age: our master and teacher,Abu’l-Faraj (Abdu’l-Rahman ibn Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanball, may Allah elongate his life and cause benefit by it, said:
All praise and thanks be toAllah, the Lord of the worlds; a praise that is pure and inherendy blessed, as ourLord loves and is pleased with, as befits the nobility of His face and the greatness of His Majesty. Abundant peace and blessings be upon our master, Muhammad, his family and his Companions.
23. Muslim records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Islam began as something strange and it shall return to being something strange just as it began, so tuba for the strangers.”
24. He also records on the authority of ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Indeed Islam began as something strange and it shall return to being something strange just as it began.”
25. Imam Ahmad and ibn Majah record this hadith on the authority of ibn Mas’ud with the following addition, “…It was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, who are they?’ He replied, ‘Those who have departed from the tribes.’”
26. Abu Bakr al-Ajurri also records this and his wording is, “…It was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah,who are they?’He replied, ‘Those who rectify the affairs at a time when the people become corrupt.’”
27. Others record it with the wording, “Those who flee from trials and tribulations to safeguard their religion.”
28. TirmidhI records on the authority of Kathir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Muzanl; from his father; from his grandfather that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “The religion began as something strange and shall return to being something strange, so tuba to the strangers: those who correct what the people have corrupted of my Sunnah after me.’’
29. Tabarani records on the authority ofJabir that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “…those who rectify the affairs when the people are corrupt.”
30. He also records a similar hadith on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa’d.
31. Imam Ahmad records the hadith of Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “…so tuba to the strangers on that day when the people become corrupt.”
32. Imam Ahmad and Tabarani record the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr that the Prophet (pbuh) said,“Tuba for the strangers!” We asked, ‘Who are the strangers?’ He replied, “A small number of righteous people amongst a large number of evil people, those who disobey them are more than those who obey them.”
33. Another wording of this hadith is also reported on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr, both from the Prophet(pbuh) and as is own words, ‘…It was asked, “Who are the strangers?” He replied, “Those who flee in order to safeguard their religion; Allah, Most High, will resurrect them with ‘Isa ibn Maryam.’”
By saying, “Islam began as something strange,” he (pbuh) was referring to the fact that people, before his being commissioned, were upon widespread misguidance;
34. Muslim records on the authority of ‘Iyad ibn Himar that the Prophet(pbuh) said, “Allah looked to the inhabitants of the earth and was angry at them, the Arab and non-Arab, except for some remnants of the People of the Book.”
When the Prophet (pbuh) was commissioned and began the call to Islam, only a few individuals responded, a person in this tribe and a person in that tribe. The person who responded lived in fear of his family and tribe and faced harrowing persecution and defamation; however he would remain steadfast and patient for the sake of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. At that time the Muslims were weak and would be assaulted, ostracised and spurned; they were forced to flee to distant lands in order to safeguard their religion as can be seen in their migration to Abyssinia on two occasions and the subsequent migration to Madinah. Amongst them were those who were tortured and those who were slain; all those who accepted Islam at that time became strange.
After the migration to Madinah, Islam became ascendant and strong, its followers became dominant and people began to accept the religion in droves. Allah granted the religion ascendancy and completed His favor upon them. After the death of the Prophet (pbuh), during the rule of Abu Bakr and (Umar, may Allah be well-pleased with them, this situation remained unaltered. Then Satan began working his machinations and caused the Muslims to split and spread doubts and desires amongst them, these two tribulations remained on the increase until the plot of Satan gained ascendancy and the majority of people fell prey to it; some succumbed through the door of doubts, others through the door of desires, and yet others through a combination of both.
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali & Imam Al-Ajurri
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