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مشكوة المصابيح
Mishkat al-Masabih
كتاب الإيمانThe Book of Faith
(وَصْفُ الإِسْلَامِ)(The characteristic of Islam)
Hadith 159
اُردوEn
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «بَدَأَ الْإِسْلَامُ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ فَطُوبَى للغرباء» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
He also reported God’s messenger as saying, “Islam began as a small religion and will return to the state in which it began. Then blessed will be the few [who hold to it]' Muslim transmitted it.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Takhrij al-Hadith:
[صحيح مسلم 232؍145]
Fiqh al-Hadith:
➊ One must always remain steadfast upon the truth, even if the entire rest of the world becomes opposed to the truth.
➋ One should never be intimidated by the large number of opponents of Islam and the truth, because except for the era after the descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam), the number of people of truth will always remain few in the world.
➌ Those people who are referred to as «غرباء» (strangers) in this hadith are those about whom it is mentioned in the hadith:
«ناس صالحون قليل فى ناس سوء كثير، من يعصيهم أكثر ممن يطيعهم .»
“There will be a small number of righteous people among a great many evil people; those who disobey them will be more than those who obey them.” [كتاب الزهد للامام عبدالله بن المبارك : 775 و سنده حسن]
◄ It is thus understood that by “the strangers” (ghuraba’), what is meant are those with correct beliefs who follow the Book and the Sunnah, and whose opponents are in the majority; it does not refer to any specific party or group.
[صحيح مسلم 232؍145]
Fiqh al-Hadith:
➊ One must always remain steadfast upon the truth, even if the entire rest of the world becomes opposed to the truth.
➋ One should never be intimidated by the large number of opponents of Islam and the truth, because except for the era after the descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam), the number of people of truth will always remain few in the world.
➌ Those people who are referred to as «غرباء» (strangers) in this hadith are those about whom it is mentioned in the hadith:
«ناس صالحون قليل فى ناس سوء كثير، من يعصيهم أكثر ممن يطيعهم .»
“There will be a small number of righteous people among a great many evil people; those who disobey them will be more than those who obey them.” [كتاب الزهد للامام عبدالله بن المبارك : 775 و سنده حسن]
◄ It is thus understood that by “the strangers” (ghuraba’), what is meant are those with correct beliefs who follow the Book and the Sunnah, and whose opponents are in the majority; it does not refer to any specific party or group.
Source: Adwa al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, Page: 159
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
A "ghareeb" (stranger) refers to someone who is foreign, unfamiliar, or without a homeland.
In the beginning, this was the state of Islam: no one knew it,
and society was not prepared to accept it.
Gradually, people began to understand and accept it, until Islam became dominant everywhere and disbelief and polytheism were eradicated.
➋
After the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, innovations (bid‘ah) appeared in Islam; in later periods, Muslims adopted the customs and ideas of non-Muslims.
In this way, the original Islam became limited to only a few people.
The majority considered self-invented customs and incorrect beliefs and practices to be the true Islam.
➌
Those strangers who have been congratulated are those who, amidst the abundance of innovations (bid‘ah), adhere to the Sunnah, remain steadfast upon correct belief when false beliefs become widespread, and adopt true Islamic morals during times of moral decline.
➍
The criterion of truth and falsehood does not depend on adopting a particular name, but rather on conformity or opposition to the Qur’an and Hadith.
➊
A "ghareeb" (stranger) refers to someone who is foreign, unfamiliar, or without a homeland.
In the beginning, this was the state of Islam: no one knew it,
and society was not prepared to accept it.
Gradually, people began to understand and accept it, until Islam became dominant everywhere and disbelief and polytheism were eradicated.
➋
After the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, innovations (bid‘ah) appeared in Islam; in later periods, Muslims adopted the customs and ideas of non-Muslims.
In this way, the original Islam became limited to only a few people.
The majority considered self-invented customs and incorrect beliefs and practices to be the true Islam.
➌
Those strangers who have been congratulated are those who, amidst the abundance of innovations (bid‘ah), adhere to the Sunnah, remain steadfast upon correct belief when false beliefs become widespread, and adopt true Islamic morals during times of moral decline.
➍
The criterion of truth and falsehood does not depend on adopting a particular name, but rather on conformity or opposition to the Qur’an and Hadith.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3986
