THE CONDITION OF THE STRANGERS
These strangers are of two categories: the first is the one who corrects himself at the time when people are corrupt and the second, the better of the two, is the one who purifies the Sunnah from what the people have corrupted.
40. Tabarani and others record, with an isnad that is problematic, on the authority of Abu Umamah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Everything has a progression and a regression and this religion has a progression and a regression.The regression of this religion is what you used to be upon of blindness, misguidance and opposing what Allah has sent me with. The progression of this religion is that the whole tribe accept learning to the point that there remain amongst them only one or two evildoers and these two be subjugated and degraded; when they want to speak, they are restrained, subdued and silenced. For sure, the regression of this religion is that the whole tribe spurn [learning] to the point that only one or two people of learning are found amongst them and these two be oppressed and degraded; when they speak and enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they are restrained,subdued and silenced; not being able to find anyone to support or help them.”
In this hadith, the believer – one who knows the Sunnah and has understanding of the religion – has been depicted as being subjugated and degraded in the last days, not finding anyone to support or help him.
41. Tabarani also records,with an isnad that contains weakness, on the authority of ibn Mas‘ud that the Prophet (pbuh) said in a lengthy hadith concerning the signs of the Hour, “…and from its signs is that the believer would be lowlier in his tribe than tiny sheep.”
Imam Ahmad records that ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit said to one of his colleagues, ‘It is well possible that if you live a long life, you willsee a man who read the Qur’an from the tongue of Muhammad (pbuh), or from one who read it from Muhammad, repeating it and reciting it, treatingitslawful as lawful and its prohibited as prohibited. He will pass you on the way to his house, and his status in your eyes will be as insignificant as the head of a dead donkey.’ (Ahmad #17140 with a da`If isnad.)
Ibn Mas( ud said, ‘A time will come in which a believer will be regarded lower than a slave-girl.’
The believer is humiliated and degraded in the last days because of his 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.
When Dawud al-Ta’i died, ibn al-Sammak said, ‘Dawud would look with the eye of his heart at what was before him and the sight of his heart would envelop the sight of his eyes. It would then seem that he did not see what you saw and you were not seeing what he was seeing. You would be amazed at him and him at you; he would think that he was alone, living amongst the dead.’ (Abu Nu‘aym, vol. 7, pg. 336 )
Some of these strangers were detested by their own families and children due to the stark contrast of their conditions. Umar ibn Abdu’l-Aziz once heard his wife saying, ‘May Allah relieve us from you!’ He said, ‘Amin.’ (Abu Zur‘ah, Tarikh, pg. 127 )
The Salaf,in times gone by,would depict the believer as a stranger even in their times as has preceded from the words of al-Hasan, Awza’i Sufyan and others. Ahmad ibn `Asim al-Antaki, one of the great Gnostic contemporaries of Abu Sulayman al-Darani, said, ‘A long time ago I witnessed a time in which Islam once again became strange as it began, to describe al-Haqq became strange just as it was in the beginning. Were you to seek out a scholar you would find him put to trial by love of this world and hankering after status and leadership. Were you to seek out a worshipper, you would find an ignoramus, deluded by his worship, felled by his enemy, Iblis. He has led him to attempt the greatest actions of worship while being ignorant of the least, so why attempt the greatest?! All of them are mere rabble, polluted and misguided, as if they were resdess wolves, or ravenous lions, or prowling foxes. This is the description of the best people of your time: the carriers of knowledge and the Qur’an, and the callers to wisdom.’ Recorded by Abu Nu’aym, al-Hilyah. (Abu Nu’aym, vol. 9, pg. 286 )
This is the description of the people of his time,what then would he think of the enormities and calamities that have occurred after him which would never have crossed his mind or wildest imagination!
42. Tabarani records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “The one who holds firm to my Sunnah at a time when my nation is corrupt has the reward of martyr.”
Abu’l-Shaykh al-Asbahanl records with his isnad that al-Hasan said, “Were a person from the first generation resurrected today, hewould not recognise anything of Islam except this prayer.’Then he said, `I swear by Allah that if he were to live to these evil times, he would see the innovator calling to his innovation or the individual engrossed in worldly life calling to his worldly affairs. Then if Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, protected him, his heart would long for that which the pious predecessors were upon, he would follow their footsteps and traverse their path; for him there will be a great reward.’ (Ibn Waddah, al-Bid’ah #74)
Mubarak ibn Fadalah reports that al-Hasan mentioned a rich, powerful man living in luxury, embezzling property and claiming that there was none to bring him to account; he also mentioned the misguided innovator who went out with his sword raised against the Muslims, twisting the meaning of what Allah revealed concerning the disbelievers to apply it to the Muslims. Then he said, “Your Sunnah, by Allah besides whom none has the right to be worshipped, is between these two: between extravagance and harshness, between the luxurious and the ignorant. Be patient and steadfast upon it for Ahlul-Sunnah are the fewest of people, they do not take the luxury from the extravagant and neither the innovations from the innovators;they steadfastly follow the Sunnah until they will meet their Lord,so you too,if Allah wills,should be like this!’
Then he said, ‘By Allah, were a person to live in these evil times yet search for the Sunnah and ask about it, saying, “All I want is the Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh), “ while this person is saying, “Come to me,” and that person is saying, “Come to me,” such a person will have a great reward stored up for him, so you too, if Allah wills, should be like him!”
By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali & Imam Al-Ajurri
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