WHO WANTS TO BE A STRANGER?

A STRANGER

INTRO

On the authority of Ibnu Umar Al-Khattab radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: The messenger of Allah, Rasulullah s.a.w took me by the shoulder and said:

"Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a
traveler/wayferer."

Ibnu Umar used to say:

"When evening comes, do not expect(to live till) morning, and
when morning comes, do not expect (to live till evening. Take
ur health (a preparation) for ur illness, and from ur life for
your health."

LESSON

The Prophet s.a.w, tells the believers how to deal with this life, and as usual he offers his audience with more than one choice. In this hadith, the Prophet s.a.w, is giving 2 choices or levels with regards to living in this world:


1. To be as a stranger

This usually the easier choice. The Prophet s.a.w, used the analogy 'to be a stranger' because, as Ibnu Rajab points out, the stranger usually prepared to eventually go back to his original place or town. His heart will always long for his home. His main concern will be to be in preparation to do whatever possible and beneficial for returning. A stranger does not look like the other people in his current environment - he is different. Similarly, the believer should be different from those who can only care about this life and worldly matters. He should rid himself of the yearning for this materialistic world, a world where some people do not care about the spiritual aspects and the Hereafter. As believers, we should be different from the 'people of this wolrd'.

For the example, a muslimah, she went to work with the uncovered aurah, always talks to the men, wearing lipstick and perfume. She's like the other non-muslim women. She was NOT A STRANGER. But now, she understand about women in islam by reading Al-Quran and Al-Hadith. She starts to wearing hijab, cover herself from the men eyes, not wearing lipstick and perfume anymore, she quits from working becoz she knows that to keep herself from doing 'haram'. She's now become a stranger. Then, her husband ask ..."what's wrong with u? u become an extremist". Then she said, "i'm doing this for Allah and His messenger, not becoz i'm became an extremist". Her husband tell her, " i dont want u anymore". Also now she's completely a stranger becoz her husband didnt recognize her. Alhamdulillah, may Allah give her a better man that also a STRANGER.

Ibnu Al-Qayyim, a famous scholar, says that a Muslim is a stranger amongst the disbelievers and the Mu'min is a stranger amongst the Muslims, and the Muhsin is a stranger amongst the Mu'mins. This means that there are levels of being a stranger: the lowest level is Islam, the second is Iman and the third is Ihsan.



2. The impact of this hadith on the life of Muslims

-To increase the sense of responsibility in terms of our duties towards Allah, the Prophet, relatives, and the community members.
-To motivate the Muslims to enjoin what is good and to forbid what is evil.
-To be closer to Allah at all times.
-To minimize weaknesses, shortcomings and sinful acts.
-To maximize self-accountability and self-reckoning.
-To emphasize taqwa and fearing Allah Almighty.
-To be safeguard from being misled or enslaved by self-interests, desires and worldly temptations.

Written from the Khalid Yasin speech......you all can get from here insyaAllah.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvmTd6AWTaM

May Allah be with you all always.