The strangers mentioned in the hadith, “Blessed are the strangers”: Are they present now, have they already passed, or have they not yet come?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : Your Eminence, what is your opinion regarding the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim, in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2629Sahih (Darussalam) or as he said it? Your Eminence, have the strangers mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) already come and passed, or are they those in our current time amidst this estrangement and trials, or have they not yet come? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): did not specify a time. A person may be a stranger at a certain time, then return to being not a stranger afterwards. He may be a stranger in some places but not in others. However: It is not possible to determine a specific time and a specific place. As for us, the religion, praise be to Allah, is not a stranger in our lands, as we believe. It is true that sins have increased and open sinfulness has been declared in some matters, but we cannot say that we are currently in a state of estrangement. Absolutely not. The congregational prayer is established, the Friday prayer is established, Ramadan is announced, and Hajj is likewise. There is no estrangement, praise be to Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : Your Eminence, what is your opinion regarding the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim, in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Indeed Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange as it began. So Tuba is for the strangers.
بدأ الإسلام غريباً وسيعود غريباً كما بدأ فطوبى للغرباءThe Shaykh : The statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):
and will return as a stranger
وسيعود غريباًBlessed are the strangers, those who repair what people have corrupted, or those who repair things when people corrupt them
طوبى للغرباء، الذين يُصلحون ما أفسد الناس، أو الذين يَصلحون إذا فسد الناسThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.