“Be in this life as if you were a stranger…”
Written by/Said by Al-Haafidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee
Taken from Jaami’ al-U’loom wal-Hikam (1)
Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison
Edited by Editorial Staff at tazkiyah.org
Hadeeth #40:
Ibn Umar (Radhiallahu 'Anhum) said: Allaah’s Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) took me by my shoulder and said:
“Be in this life as if you were a stranger or a traveler on a path.”
Ibn Umar used to say, “If you reach the evening then do not expect to reach the morning, and if you reach the morning then do not expect to reach the evening. Take from your health before your sickness, and from your life before your death.” - [Reported by al-Bukhaaree]
This hadeeth is the foundation for limiting one’s hope in this life. So a believer must not take this life as a homeland or permanent residence, his heart being tranquil and resting assured within it. Rather, he must be in it as if he were on a journey, preparing himself to depart. The advice of the Prophets and their followers confirmed this.
Allaah said, narrating upon a believer at the time of Fir’awn that he said:
“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]
Alee ibn Abi Taalib used to say, “Certainly this life has begun traveling away, and the hereafter has begun traveling forward, and each has its children. So be from the children of the hereafter, and don’t be from the children of this life. For indeed today there is action with no account, and tomorrow there will be account with no action.”
Umar ibn Abdul Azeez said in his khutbah, “This life is not your permanent abode. Allaah has prescribed for it to come to an end and He has prescribed for its people to depart from it. How often has a thriving population been ruined for something insignificant, and how often has a joyful resident been made to depart for something insignificant. So prepare well, may Allaah have mercy on you, for the journey with the best of what you have of preparations, and take provisions, for the best of provisions is Taqwaa.”
So if this life is not a permanent residence nor homeland for the believer, then the situation of the believer in it must be either one of two conditions: Either as if he were a stranger residing in a strange land with his main concern being to take provisions for his return to his real homeland; or as if he were a traveler, in no way residing in it, rather his every night and day is spent going to his land of residence.
For this, the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) advised Ibn Umar to be in this life in one of these two conditions:
The first condition: That the believer abandons himself as if he were a stranger in this life, appearing to be a resident, yet really in a strange land. So his heart is not attached to this strange land. Rather, his heart is attached to his homeland that he is returning to. He is only staying in this life to fulfill his objective - preparing for the return to his homeland.
Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyaadh said, “A believer in this life is worried and sad. His worry is the objective of preparing himself. So whoever’s condition in this life is such, then he has no concern other than taking provisions from what will benefit him during the return to his homeland. So he does not compete with the people of the land, among whom he is merely a stranger, in what they consider honorable. And he does not become worried if he seems insignificant among them.” Al-Hasan (al-Basree) said, “The believer is like a stranger. He does not become worried due to being insignificant in it (this life), and he does not compete for honor in it. His condition is one and the people are in another condition. Whenever Allaah created Aadam ('Alayhis Salaam), He made him and his wife reside in Paradise. Then he was put out of it, yet was promised to return to it, he and the righteous ones among his offspring. So the believer is always longing for his first homeland…” (2)
The second condition: That the believer lowers himself in this life as if he were a traveler, in no way residing in it. He is only moving along in one of the points of his journey until he finishes his journey to its end, which is death. Whoever’s condition in this life is such, then his main concern is obtaining the provision for the journey. He is not concerned with an abundance of the enjoyment of this life. For this reason, the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) advised a group of his Companions for their main concern in this life to be like the provision of a traveler.
One of the Salaf wrote to one of his brothers:
“Oh my brother, it appears to you as if you are a resident. However, you are really only persistently traveling, and you are moving rapidly. Death is heading towards you, and this life is passing behind you. What has passed of your life will not return to you (to rectify it) on the Day of Taghaabun (The Day of Resurrection).”
Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyaadh said to a man, “How many (years) have come upon you?” He replied, “Sixty years.” He said, “Therefore, for sixty years you have been going to your Lord and you are about to reach (Him).” So the man said, “To Allaah we belong and to Him we are returning!” So al-Fudhayl asked, “Do you know the meaning of that (statement)? You are saying, ‘I belong to Allaah as a servant and I am going to return to Him.’ So whoever knows that he belongs to Allaah as a servant and that he will return to him, then he should know that he will be stopped. And whoever knows that he will be stopped, then he should know that he will be questioned. And whoever knows that he will be questioned, then let him prepare an answer for the question.” The man asked, “So what should I do?” He said, “It is easy.” The man again asked, “What is it?” al-Fudhayl said, “Do good in what remains, then what has passed shall be forgiven. Yet, if you do evil in what remains, then you will be taken to account for what has passed as well as for what remains.”
Some of the wise people said, “Whoever made the days and nights his riding animal, then they will take him (to his destination) even if he doesn’t move.”
al-Awzaa’ee wrote to one of his brothers, “As to what follows: You have been encompassed from every side. Know that you are moving forward with each day and night. So beware of Allaah and of the standing between His hands. And your final promise will be with Him. Was-Salaam.”
As for the advice of Ibn Umar, then it is based upon this Hadeeth that he himself has narrated. It (his advice) includes an end to prolonged hope. And that if a person happens to reach the evening, then he should not wait for, or expect to reach the morning. And if he happens to reach the morning, then he should not wait for, or expect to reach the evening. Rather, he should assume that his end will reach him before that. With this same meaning, more than one of the scholars have explained the concept of having Zuhd in this life.
Al-Marwathee said: It was said to Abu Abdullaah - meaning Ahmad (ibn Hanbal), “What is the meaning of having Zuhd in this life?” He said, “Not prolonging hope too much - He who says when he wakes up, ‘I will not reach the evening.’” He said, “And Sufyaan (ath-Thawree) said likewise.” It was then said to Abu Abdullaah, “With what do we seek help in not prolonging our hope?” He replied, “We don’t know. It is only by Tawfeeq (Success exclusively granted by Allaah).”
As for his (Ibn Umar’s) statement: “Take from your health before your sickness, and from your life before your death.” Meaning: Take advantage of being able to do righteous deeds with what remains of your health before sickness prevents you from them, and from your life before death prevents you from them.
And in another narration: “…For surely, oh servant of Allaah, you don’t even know what your own name will be tomorrow.” Meaning: Perhaps tomorrow you will be among the dead, not the living.
