Blessings be upon the Ghurabaa (strangers) who reform that which the people have corrupted

Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
''Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.''
The strangers are those who live far from their tribe and homeland. Ad-Daarimi, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Bazzaar, Abu Yu'la and Ahmad reported, with a reliable chain of transmitters, on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) 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).'' This version is that of Ahmad.

Here are some of the praiseworthy descriptions of these strangers:

Those that correct the people when they become corrupt: as evidenced by the hadith of 'Amr b. 'Awf b. Zayd b. Mulhah al-Muzani that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

''The Deen will shrink back to the Hijaz as a snake shrinks back to its hole, and the Deen shall find refuge in the Hijaz in the same manner that mountain-goats find refuge on the tops of mountains. Indeed, the Deen began as something uncommon and strange and it shall certainly return again to be something uncommon and strange. Therefore, Tuba (glad tidings) awaits the strangers, those who have set aright, after I am gone, that of my Sunnah which the people have corrupted.''

Abu 'Isa said: This is hadith hasan, and the strangers are not the Sahabah since the strangers come after the people had corrupted the way of Muhammad (saw). The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not corrupt the sunnah of Mohammad (saw) and nor was it corrupted at their time. This is proven by the hadith of Sahl b. Sa'd as-Saa'idi (ra) who said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

''Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.'' It was asked, ''Who are those strangers, O Messenger of Allah?'' He replied, ''Those that correct the sunnah when the people become corrupt.'' This is the narration of at-Tabaraani in his al-Kabeer. And in the narration in al-Awsat as-Sagheer we have:

''They correct the people when (izaa) they become corrupt.'' The word 'izaa' (when) is used for that which comes in the future. This indicates that the corruption will occur after the time of the companions. Al-Haythami said regarding this hadith: This hadith has been reported by at-Tabraani in the three works and its transmitters are those relied upon in the Sahih works except Bakr b. Saleem, though he is trustworthy. They will be few: Ahmad and at-Tabaraani reported on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Amr who said: I was with the Messenger of Allah (saw) one day at sunrise when he (saw) said:

''A people will come on the Day of Judgment whose light will be like that of the sun. Abu Bakr said: will that be we O Messenger of Allah? He said: No, You have a great reward but they will be the poor immigrants who will be raised from all regions of the earth. Then he said: blessed are the strangers, blessed are the strangers, and blessed are the strangers. He was asked: who are the strangers? He said: The righteous people who will be few good people amongst many bad people; those who disobey them are more than those who obey them''. 

Al-Haythami said: in al-Kabeer it has some isnads but only the transmitters of one of
the chains contain narrators relied upon in the Sahih works. It is worth drawing attention to the fact that the distinction of 'strangeness' is not better than the distinction of companionship. The strangers are not better than the Sahabah. Some of the Sahabah had special distinctive qualities in addition to companionship but that did not make them better than Abu Bakr. Uways al-Qarni had a special quality but that did not make him better than the Sahabah and he is a successor (taabi'i). And so the same applies to the strangers.

There is no kinship among them: al-Haakim reported the following hadith on the authority of Ibn 'Umar in his al-Mustadrak and said the narration is sound though it has not been narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

''Allah has servants who are neither Prophets nor martyrs, yet the martyrs and Prophets acknowledge their ranks and their nearness to Allah on the day of Judgment. Then a Bedouin bent on his knees and said: ''O Messenger of Allah! Describe them and explain them for us.'' He said: ''They are of different peoples that do not belong to their tribes. They befriended each other and loved each other for the sake of Allah. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will make for them platforms of Light on which they will sit. People will fear, but they will not fear. They are Allah's friends (awliyaa') azza wa jall, on whom there is no fear, nor shall they grieve''. 

It is stated in Lisaan al-'Arab: the word afnaa means mixed people. This characteristic is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Malik al-Ash'ari as reported by Ahmad:

''They are of different peoples and of those departing from their tribes.'' Also at-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer reports the following expression: ''From different lands.''

They are people who love one another for the mercy of Allah: i.e. the Sharee'ah of Muhammad saw) i.e. what binds them is the ideology of Islam and nothing else. They are not bonded by any other body like lineage, kinship, interest or worldly benefit. Abu Dawud reported with a sound chain of narrators on the authority of 'Umar b. al-Khattab that the Prophet (saw) said:

''There are people from the servants of Allah who are neither Prophets nor martyrs; the Prophets and martyrs will acknowledge their high rank on the Day of Resurrection due to their rank from Allah, the Most High. They (the people) asked: Tell us, Messenger of Allah, who are they? He replied: They are people who love one another for the spirit of Allah, without having any mutual kinship between them or property they give one to another. I swear by Allah, their faces will glow and they will be (sitting) in (pulpits of) light. They will have no fear (on the Day) when the people will have fear, and they will not grieve when the people will grieve.''  He then recited the following Qur'anic verse:

''No doubt! Verily, the Auliya' of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.''[ Al-Yunus:62]
This description has been given by al-Haakim in the above hadith of Ibn ‘Umar with the wording:
''Maintain your friendship and love each other (for Allah’s sake).''

And at-Tabaraani reported from the hadith of 'Amr b. 'Abasah with a chain al-Haythami said contains reliable transmitters and al-Munziri said: close to the grade of laa bas bihi. 'Amr said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:

''They are all are from different tribes meeting on the remembrance of Allah and selecting the best words like the one who eats the fruits would select the most succulent of fruits.'' Meeting 'on the remembrance of Allah' is different to meeting 'for the remembrance of Allah.' The former refers to a bond between them whether they are sitting together or are separate, whilst meeting for the latter means the bond ends when the gathering ends. At-Tabaraani records an isnad declared hasan by al-Haythami and al-Munziri on the authority of Abu Dardaa (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

''They are the ones who love each other for Allah's sake. They will be from different tribes and lands but coming together on the remembrance of Allah.'' i.e. the bond between them is the remembrance of Allah, which is the mercy (rawh) of Allah as mentioned in the above hadiths.

They will achieve this status without being martyred: this is because the martyrs will acknowledge their high rank. This does not mean they are better than the Prophets and martyrs but rather they have this distinction. At-Tabarani reported in al-Kabeer with an isnad, which has been declared hasan by al-Haythami. Its chain of transmitters is sound as narrated on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (ra) who said: I was with the Prophet (saw) when the following ayah was revealed:

''O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.'' [Al- Maa'idah:101] He said but we ask him when he said:

''Indeed, Allah has servants who are neither Prophets nor martyrs and whom the Prophets and martyrs acknowledge their high rank, due to their seat and proximity in relation to Allah on the Day of Judgment.'' There was a Bedouin amidst the people who stood, bent on his knees, flung his arms open and said: Tell us, O Messenger of Allah who they are? I saw the Prophet's face light up due to this question. He said:

''They are the servants of Allah from different places and clans from different tribes, there was no kinship between them for which they communicate for the sake of Allah. They have no worldly matters they exchange with each other. They love each other in the mercy of Allah azza wa jall. Allah will make their faces beam in light, and make to them minbars at the feet of ar-Rahman The Supreme. The people will be scared but they do not, and the people feel afraid but they do not''.

All the narrations agree in negating from them any qualities of Prophethood or martyrdom, rather they achieved this status due to the descriptions mentioned above. These are just a few of their descriptions. As for their status in the sight of Allah (swt) this has been clarified by the aforementioned hadiths and there is no need to repeat them. The one who reflects on them should rush to take his place on the minbar at the feet of ar-Rahmaan (swt) so that perhaps He (swt) will have mercy on his strangeness and realise his wishes.

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