His saying "as if you are a stranger" is a simile; why did he not say "be a stranger in this world"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : His saying: Why did he not say "be in this world as if you are a stranger"? Is that not more eloquent than "as if you are a stranger"?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : His saying "as if you are a stranger" is a simile; why did he not say "be a stranger in this world"?
The Shaykh : Because a person is not a stranger; he may be a resident in his land. Yes, because a resident is settled, whereas a stranger is not settled. Even if, for example, he stays in a town for four or five days, you will find him feeling lonely. Even the people, everyone who passes by him, looks at his face and asks, "Who is this?"
The questioner : My intention, O Shaykh, is that he said:, a stranger's state of being a stranger does not last.
The Shaykh : How does it not last?
The questioner : "As if you are a stranger" means it does not last.
The Shaykh : It means that in this world, you do not settle in it and do not consider it a homeland, for it is passing away.
As if you are a stranger
كأنك غريبThe Shaykh : What?
The questioner : His saying "as if you are a stranger" is a simile; why did he not say "be a stranger in this world"?
The Shaykh : Because a person is not a stranger; he may be a resident in his land. Yes, because a resident is settled, whereas a stranger is not settled. Even if, for example, he stays in a town for four or five days, you will find him feeling lonely. Even the people, everyone who passes by him, looks at his face and asks, "Who is this?"
The questioner : My intention, O Shaykh, is that he said:
As if you are a stranger
كأنك غريبThe Shaykh : How does it not last?
The questioner : "As if you are a stranger" means it does not last.
The Shaykh : It means that in this world, you do not settle in it and do not consider it a homeland, for it is passing away.