Ghuraba - The Stranger of Islam

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being something strange, just as it was in the beginning. So, glad tidings to the strangers.”

When he was asked who the strangers are, he replied: “Those few who separate themselves from their tribes for the sake of Islam—those who set things right when people become corrupt. A small group among a large population. Their opponents will be more than their followers.”

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) first invited people to worship Allah alone, Islam appeared strange.

It was strange because it challenged the corruption of the powerful.

It was strange because it uplifted the weak.

It was strange because it destroyed the idols of arrogance and injustice.

It was strange because it called for purity in a world comfortable with darkness.

In those early days, only a handful responded to his call. Men, women, slaves, and youth from different tribes accepted Islam, even though they knew their families might torture them. Yet they remained patient for the sake of Allah. They were mocked, beaten, and driven out of their homes—but none of them abandoned their faith. They were the strangers of that time.

But who are the strangers of the End Times?

Imam Al-Awza‘i explained this Hadith saying: “Islam itself will not disappear, but the people who truly follow the Sunnah will, until only a few remain.”

This is why the early generations of Muslims held firmly to the Sunnah. They understood that when moral chaos becomes widespread and corruption is common, holding tightly to the Sunnah would become rare, and those who uphold it would once again feel like strangers.

When we look at the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), no group is greater than the Companions. They were exceptional—their love for one another, their devotion to Allah, their loyalty to the Messenger (peace be upon him), and their willingness to sacrifice everything. Their strength did not come from numbers, but from hearts that truly loved Allah and His Messenger.

Today, it is easy to blend in, to copy others, to follow the crowd without thinking.

But to go against the tide…

To hold firmly to the Sunnah when people mock it…

To protect your faith when many are losing it…

To choose purity when the world celebrates temptation…

This is the sign of a heart that truly loves Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

These are the strangers of today—the ones the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave glad tidings to.

May we be among those few: the sincere, the steadfast, the strangers whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised.

Muhammad.