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Who are the Ghurabaa` - The Strangers? Besides the Hadeeth mentioned in the “Ghurabaa`” article about the strangers, the Messenger of Allah SAW made mention of these people in various other aHadeeth that help us complete the picture of these people. al-Firqatun-Naajiyah: The Prophet SAW described them as “al-Firqatun-Naajiyah”, meaning – The Saved Sect, when he said: “Indeed before you from
the people of the book, they were divided into 72 sects, and that this Ummah
will divide into 73 sects. 72 in the Hellfire and one in the Paradise, and that
is al-Jamaa’ah (the Group)” In another narration he SAW said: “They are those who are
upon what I am upon today and my companions” So the Prophet SAW taught us that this Jamaa’ah, which will be the saved sect is upon what he SAW is upon and his companions. Therefore, this must be the first criterion for those who claim to be the saved sect that they should be upon what the first generation was upon in belief and in actions, in morals and in manners, outwardly and inwardly. Some people claim that since the Prophet SAW used the word “Jamaa’ah” (i.e. the Group, the main body, the community), the saved sect then must be the majority of the Muslims. This belief is incorrect due to various reasons and from them are: 1. It contradicts the Ahadeeth of Ghurbah – the strangeness. Because the reason why the saved sect will be strange is due to lack of its adherents in the first place. As the Prophet SAW said: “A small group of pious
people in a large group of evil people. Those who disobey them are more than
those who obey them.” 2. The majority of the people can be on the straight path at a time, as well as become deviated from the straight path at another time. As is the case with the Prophet SAW at the end of his life, followed by the four righteous Khulafa`. The adherents to Ahlus-Sunnah back then were in the majority. But by the time of Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, the majority under the influence of the government became astray by being the adherents of the Mu’tazili philosophy, and those who held on to the Sunnah became few. Similarly, we know that Sufyaan ath-Thawree said to Yoosuf al-Asbaat: “O Yoosuf! If you hear of a person from the east that he is a person of Sunnah, then send him Salaam. And if you hear of another from the west who is a person of Sunnah, then send him Salaam, for Ahlus-Sunnah have become few!” (Talbees Iblees by Ibnul-Jawzi p.17 Daarul-Kitaab al-‘Arabi) 3. Another criterion of being form the saved group is, as the Prophet SAW said: “They are those who are
upon what I am upon today and my companions” Therefore the “Jamaa’ah” is, what is in accordance with the Qur`aan and the Sunnah, and not the trend of the people. This is why Ibn Mas’ood said: “al-Jamaa’ah (the group) is what is in accordance with the truth, even if you were to be alone!” (See A’lam as-Sunnah al-Manshoorah p.195) at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah: In many other narrations, he SAW described them as “at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah”, meaning – The Victorious Group, as in the Hadeeth of the Prophet SAW: “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah being apparent on the truth, those who forsake
them will not be able to harm them.” “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah being apparent (and over-powering), until the
decree of Allah comes to them while they are apparent” In another narration the Prophet SAW describes them as those who establish the order of Allah when he said: “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah, establishing the order of Allah. Those who forsake
them or oppose them will not be able to harm them, until the decree of Allah
comes and they are apparent (and over powering) upon the people” In a different narration he SAW describes them as those who fight for the truth (i.e. the Mujaahideen): “This Deen will never
depart from being established, so long as there is a band from the Muslims fighting
for it, until the hour is established.” “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah fighting upon the truth, over-powering until
the day of resurrection.” “There will never seize
to exist a band from my Ummah, fighting for the decree of Allah over-powering
their enemy, they will not be harmed by those who oppose them, until the hour
approaches them and they are upon it (i.e. fighting for the truth)” “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah fighting upon the truth, over-powering those
who are hostile to them, until the last of them fights al-Maseeh ad-Dajjaal
(the false christ)” In one narration the Prophet SAW indicated where this group would be found when he SAW said: “There will never seize
to exist a group from my Ummah upon the Deen, apparent over their enemy and
over-powering. They will not be harmed by those who oppose them, except what
afflicts them from hardship, until the order of Allah approaches them and they
are like that (i.e. steadfast on the truth). They said: O Messenger of Allah!
Where are they? He replied: They are at Bait al-Maqdis and on the outskirts
of Bait al-Maqdis.” The points to note in all these narrations are the following: · There will not be a time when this Ummah will live a day without this group. As the Prophet SAW said in all the narrations mentioned above: “There will never seize to exist a group from my Ummah...” Therefore this necessitates that no matter what state the Muslims might be in, whether they are strong or weak, elevated above all other nations or in a state of humiliation, at-Taa`ifa al-Mansoorah will not seize to exist and its non-existence only signifies the Day of Judgement. · This Taa`ifah (party) will be: 1. Apparent upon the truth. 2. Apparent upon the people with evidences and proofs. 3. Establishing the order of Allah. 4. Over-powering their enemies and those hostile to them. 5. Fighting for the truth. · There will be many people condemning them (not necessarily them condemning everyone else, as we witness nowadays!), speaking ill of them, backbiting and slandering them. But none of this will be able to harm them in the least. They will continue to be apparent on the truth, apparent over the people with un-refutable evidences and proofs as well as the sword, establishing the order of Allah and making Jihaad in His path regardless of what the people say. · Lastly, the Prophet SAW confirms the continuity of this group “until the hour is established”. Meaning when these people disappear, Tawheed will disappear. When Tawheed of Allah disappears from this earth, indeed that is the moment when every soul will be brought to its account. Therefore the Prophet SAW described this faction from amongst the Ummah with different names and different qualities. Some times they are mentioned to be the ‘Ghurabaa`’, sometimes they were mentioned to be ‘al-Firqatun-Naajiyah’ and sometimes they were mentioned to be ‘at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah’. All these names point towards one faction out of those 73 factions, which has been promised Paradise. This is why Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah begins his Aqeedatul-Waasitiyah by saying: ‘As for what follows: This is the belief of al-Firqatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah (The saved and the victorious sect)...’. Likewise we find al-‘Allaama Haafidh bin Ahmad al-Hakamee authoring a book under the title: ‘A’laam as-Sunnatil-Manshoorah li I’tiqaadit-Taafi`fatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah’. So who are the Ghurabaa`? This question is raised when one looks at the various factions of the Ummah and finds each one of them claiming to be the saved and the victorious group. Nowadays, particularly when the Muslims have been divided even more by partisanship, we find people pointing at particular groups or parties and claiming them to be the saved and the victorious group. One should understand that claiming a particular individual or a party to be the saved and the victorious group means testifying for them Paradise and nullifying from them the Hellfire. This goes against one of the principles of Ahlus-Sunnah, which states that we do not testify Paradise or Hellfire for anyone. Therefore it is incorrect to say that a particular individual is from the Firqatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah or a particular group of people with certain name for that matter. However, it could be said that such and such people or a group is more deserving to be from Firqatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah or by describing a group of people in general, who posses one of the qualities of Firqatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah. For example Imaam al-Bukhaari said in his “Saheeh” concerning the saved sect that, “They are the people of knowledge”. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “If they are not Ahlul-Hadeeth, then I do not know who they are”. This statement was further clarified by al-Qaadhi ‘Ayaadh when he said “Ahmad meant Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah and those who believe in the madhhab of Ahlul-Hadeeth”. Similarly it has been reported from Ahmad Ibn Hanbal that when he was asked about this group he replied: “They are the people of west (Syria). For verily they are the ones who are fighting against the Romans. Anyone who fights against the Mushrikeen is upon the truth.” Likewise Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah opined that the Mujaahideen are the most deserving of people to be including in the victorious group when he said: "As for the group in Syria and Egypt and their likes, then they are in this time fighting for the Deen of Islaam. So they are the most deserving of the people to enter the victorious group, which was mentioned by the Prophet SAW with his statement in the beneficial authentic aHadeeth: ‘There will never seize to exist a group in my Ummah, apparent upon the truth. They will not be harmed by those who oppose them, nor those who forsake them, until the hour is established’, and in the narration of Muslim, ‘The people of the west (Syria) will never seize...’" (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa v.28 p.531) Therefore, it should be concluded that those belonging to the madhhab of Ahlus-Sunnah in statements and actions, inwardly and outwardly, as well as those who are engaged in Jihaad in our time, are indeed from the saved and the victorious group, be they from different groups and parties, from different geographical places at different times. From this we know that this group is not necessarily an organised group of people operating in a certain part of the world, rather they are individuals spread out across the globe. Amongst them are the ‘Ulamaa`, the Mujaahideen, the Du’aat (callers to Islaam), those who command the good and forbid the evil, wherever they may be. This is why Imaam an-Nawawi said in his Sharh of Saheeh Muslim pv.13 p.67: "It is possible that this group is divided amongst the different categories of the believers. So from amongst them are the brave ones who are fighting. From amongst them are the Fuqahaa` (Islaamic Jurists). From amongst them are the Muhaddithoon (specialists in Hadeeth). From amongst them are the Zuhhaad (those who abstain from extravagance), and those who command the good and forbid the evil, and from them are people belonging to other categories from good. And it is not necessary that they should be all together, rather they can be separated over different regions of the earth". Is ‘Aqeedah alone the criterion for one to be from the saved sect? Some people unfortunately, who emphasise on ‘Aqeedah too much and leave out actions, morals and manners assuming that belief is the only criterion for one to be from the saved sect. Therefore according to their argument, anyone with the correct beliefs is automatically from the saved sect regardless of his deeds, and likewise anyone with the incorrect creed is doomed to the Hellfire and there is no chance of that person being from the saved sect even if his good actions were numerous. This is just a false assumption and is nothing but merely a reflection of a disease in their own beliefs called al-Irjaa` (to separate actions from Imaan). Rather the true picture is that some Muslims are more deserving of being from the saved sect than others are, due to their beliefs or/and actions. So if a Muslim doesn’t have many righteous deeds but has the correct creed, the latter might over weight the former and thus he may become from the saved sect. Likewise, if a person carries some bid’ah (which does not amount to Kufr) in his beliefs but has numerous good deeds to out weight his corrupt creed then this person may also become from the saved sect. This is because the criterion for one to be from the saved sect is not belief alone. Rather it is Imaan, which according to the Qur`aan, the Sunnah and the Ijmaa’ of the Salaf is, statements and actions, inwardly and outwardly. This is why Sheikh Ibn Baaz – Raheemahullah – said in ‘Words of Advice Regarding Da’wah’ p.50, concerning the saved sect: “All of these aHadeeth teach us that the saved sect from this Ummah are those who adhere to the ‘aqeedah, speech and actions (i.e. Imaan) of the Messenger of Allah SAW and his Companions, radiyallaahu ‘anhum” Since the Muslims differ from each other in their level of Imaan, so the one with the highest Imaan (which is belief, speech and action) is more deserving of being from the saved sect. Similarly the Du’aat and those who command the good and forbid the evil may be more deserving to be from the saved sect than the average Muslim. The scholars and the Mujaahideen might be more deserving than the previous category and similarly the scholars who are Mujaahideen might be more deserving than the former. And Allah knows best.   |