Islam Began as Something Strange and it will Return to Being Something Strange
Islam originally began as a strange phenomenon in society. The idea of worshiping only one God and adhering to universal moral teachings was distasteful to the pre-Islamic Arab society whose ethics and loyalties were based upon tribalism.
After Islam won the hearts and minds of the Arabs and subsequently spread throughout the world, the teachings of Islam were no longer viewed as strange at all. However, the Prophet warned us that days would come when Islam would return to being strange in society just as it began.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
بَدَأَ الإِسْلاَمُ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ
"Islam began as a something strange and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers." [Muslim 145]
There will be times and places when being a Muslim is very difficult and the mainstream society will shun the teachings of Islam. Muslims will be viewed as weird, troublesome, or even enemies of the state. Yet if we face such trials, we should rejoice because blessed are the strangers.
The scholars interpreted the Prophet’s statement by gathering various narrations from different companions in which the strangers are described.
In another narration, the Prophet(ﷺ) said:
أُنَاسٌ صَالِحُونَ فِي أُنَاسِ سُوءٍ كَثِيرٍ مَنْ يَعْصِيهِمْ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ يُطِيعُهُمْ
"They are righteous people among many evil people. Those who disobey them are greater in number than those who obey them." [Ahmad 6612 (Sahih)]
And in another narration, the Prophet(ﷺ) said:
الَّذِينَ يُصْلِحُونَ إِذَا فَسَدَ النَّاسُ
"They are those who reform the people when they have become corrupt.". [Ahmad 16249(Sahih)]
The strangers in Islam are those who are a minority among a majority of wicked people, calling to Allah and to righteousness despite the scorn of society.
In another narration, the Prophet(ﷺ) said:
النُّزَّاعُ مِنْ الْقَبَائِلِ
"They are those who depart from the tribes." [Ibn Majah 3988(Sahih)]
When the persecution of society becomes too much to bear, the strangers will be forced to leave their homelands in order to practice their religion.
An-Nawawi commented on this narration, saying:
أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الَّذِينَ هَجَرُوا أَوْطَانَهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
"What is meant are those who emigrate from their homelands to Allah the Exalted." [Sharh Sahih Muslim 147]
This interpretation is supported by another narration, although there is weakness in it:
الْفَرَّارُونَ بِدِينِهِمْ يُجْمَعُونَ إِلَى عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
"They are those who flee with their religion. They will be gathered with Jesus the son of Mary on the Day of Resurrection." [Zuhd Ahmad ibn Hanbal 236]
Scholars also explained the meaning of strangers as the disappearance of the correct understanding of Islam and the prophetic tradition (sunnah).
Al-Awza’i said:
أَمَا إِنَّه مَا يَذْهَبُ الإسلامُ وَلَكِنْ يَذْهَبُ أَهْلُ السُّنَةِ، حَتَّى مَا يَبْقَى فِي الْبَلَدِ مِنْهُم إِلاّ رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ
"Islam will not disappear but the people of the Sunnah will disappear until none remain in any country except a single man." [Kashf al-Kurbah 1/7]
Islam itself will always exist outwardly in various forms and misguided sects, but the strangers will be the few who revive true Islam when misguided Islamic philosophies and ideologies predominate.
This interpretation is supported by another narration, although there is weakness in it:
الَّذِينَ يُحْيُونَ سُنَّتِي وَيُعَلِّمُونَهَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ
"They are those who revive my practice (sunnah) and teach it to the servants of Allah." [Zuhd al-Bayhaqi 215]
The number of Muslims who understand and practice the faith correctly will continue to decrease until they are a very small minority, even to the pkoint that large crowds of people will abandon Islam altogether.
Jabir ibn Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
