Who are the Ghurabaa' - The Strangers?

Who are the Ghurabaa' - The Strangers?

Besides the Hadeeth mentioned in the previous part of the article about the strangers, the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam made mention of these people in various other narrations that help us complete the picture of 'The Strangers'.

al-Firqatun-Naajiyah:

The Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam 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)”
(hadeeth is authentic, see al-Amru bil-Ittibaa’ with the Tahqeeq of Mashhoor Hasan p.47)

In another narration he - SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam - said:

“They are those who are upon what I am upon today and my companions”
(The Hadeeth is Hasan due to many witness, see A’laam as-Sunnah al-Manshoorah by Ta’leeq of ash-Shalabi p.195)

So the Prophet SAW taught us that the group, which will be the 'saved sect' is upon what he SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam is upon and his companions, in belief, speech and actions. Therefore, this must be the first criterion for those who aspire to be from the saved sect, that they should be upon what the first generation was upon in belief and actions, in morals and manners, outwardly and inwardly, in public and private.

Some people claim that since the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam 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 SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam 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.”
(Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan and others. Hasan, see "The Friday Prayer" by Jamalud-Deen Zarabozo)

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 point in time. As is the case with the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam at the end of his life, followed by the four righteous Khulafa`. The adherents to Ahlus-Sunnah back then were in the majority. However, 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 SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam said:

“They are those who are upon what I am upon today and my companions”
(The Hadeeth is Hasan due to many witness, see A’laam as-Sunnah al-Manshoorah by Ta’leeq of ash-Shalabi p.195)

Therefore the “Jamaa’ah” is, what is in accordance with the Qur`aan and the Sunnah, and not necessarily the trend of some community at some point in time. This is why Ibn Mas’ood said:

“al-Jamaa’ah (the group) is what is in accordance with the truth, even if you were alone!”
(See A’lam as-Sunnah al-Manshoorah p.195)

at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah:

In many other narrations, he SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam described them as “at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah”, meaning – The Victorious Group, as in the Hadeeth of the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam:

“There will never cease to exist a group from my Ummah being apparent on the truth, those who forsake them will not be able to harm them.”
(Muslim).

“There will never cease to exist a group from my Ummah being apparent (and over-powering), until the decree of Allah comes to them while they are apparent”
(Bukhaari & Muslim).

In another narration the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam describes them as those who establish the order of Allah when he said:

“There will never cease 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”
(Bukhaari and Muslim).

In a different narration he SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam 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.”
(Muslim).

“There will never cease to exist a group from my Ummah fighting upon the truth, over-powering until the day of resurrection.”
(Muslim).

“There will never cease 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)”
(Muslim).

“There will never cease to exist a group from my Ummah fighting upon the truth, over-powering those hostile to them, until the last of them fights al-Maseeh ad-Dajjaal (the false christ)”
(al-Haakim called it Saheeh (4/450), and adh-Dhahabi agreed).

In one narration the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam indicated where this group would be found when he SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam said:

“There will never cease 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.”
(Ahmad).

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 cease 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 cease 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 (and not necessarily them condemning everyone else), speaking ill of them, backbiting and slandering them, and manufacturing propogandas and lies against them. But none of this will be able to harm them, hinder them from the path, nor shake their determination 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 Jihad in His path regardless of whatever blames are thrown at them.
  
• Lastly, the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam 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 SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam described this faction from amongst the Ummah with different qualities and names, such as ‘Ghurabaa`’, or ‘al-Firqatun-Naajiyah’ or ‘at-Taa`ifatul-Mansoorah’. However, all these names refer to one and the same group. Indeed, this is the one group, that will be saved on the Day of Judgement, out of 73 sects of the Muslim Ummah, as foretold in authentic narrations.

What further consolidates this is what Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah says in al-Aqeedatul-Waasitiyah by saying: ‘As for what follows: This is the belief of al-Firqatin-Naajiyatil-Mansoorah (The saved and the victorious sect)...’, without differentiating between the 'Saved Sect' and the 'Victorious Group'. 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’.

There is another opinion, supported by some of the scholars that the Victorious Group is a sub-group within the Saved Sect. Hence, according to this opinion, every member of the Victorious Group is a member of the Saved Sect, but not vice versa.

However, the former opinion seems to be closer to the truth and well supported by majority of the scholars from the past and present, although, the latter opinion is also a result of a valid Ijtihad.

So who are the Ghurabaa`?

This question is raised when one looks at the various factions of the Ummah, each one of them claiming to be the saved and the victorious group. Nowadays, particularly when the Muslims have been divided even more by groupism and 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 Saved and the Victorious Group 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 the Saved and the Victorious Group, just as it is possible to attribute a very general group of people to the Saved Sect or the Victorious Group.

Such as the statement of Imam al-Bukhari in his “Saheeh” concerning the saved sect that, “They are the people of knowledge”.

Or the statement of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, when he 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-Islam 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 Islam. So they are the most deserving of the people to enter the victorious group, which was mentioned by the Prophet SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam with his statement in the beneficial authentic Ahadeeth: ‘There will never cease 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 cease...’"
(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa v.28 p.531)

Therefore, it should be concluded that those belonging to the path of Ahlus-Sunnah in statements and actions, inwardly and outwardly, as well as those who are engaged in Jihad 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 Imam an-Nawawi said in his Explanation of Saheeh Muslim v.13 p.67: "It is possible that this group is composed of different categories of the believers. So from amongst them are the brave men that are fighting. From amongst them are the Fuqahaa` (Islamic Jurists). From amongst them are the Muhaddithoon (specialists in Hadeeth). From amongst them are the Zuhhad (those who abstain from extravagance in life), 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, unfortunately, over-emphasise the importance of ‘Aqeedah and forget actions, morals and manners assuming that belief is the only criterion for one to be from the Saved Sect. Hence, 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-Irja`, whether they realise it or not. In general, al-Irja' is to believe, that actions have no impact on a person's belief, nor do actions play any part in Saving a person from the Fire of Hell.

Rather, the truth 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 one wrongs his soul by committing many sins, yet has the correct creed, the latter might over weight the former, and therefore, he may be from the Saved Sect. Similarly, if a person wrongs himself by deviating in his beliefs, yet he has numerous good deeds to out weight his corrupt creed, then this person may also be from the Saved Sect.

This is because the criterion for one to be from the Saved Sect is not belief alone. Rather it is Iman, which according to the Qur`aan, the Sunnah and the Ijmaa’ of the Salaf is, statements and actions, inwardly and outwardly.

Therefore, Sheikh Ibn Baaz – Raheemahullah – says in ‘Words of Advice Regarding Da’wah’ p.50, concerning the Saved Sect: “All of these Ahaadeeth teach us that the Saved Sect from this Ummah are those who adhere to the ‘aqeedah, speech and actions (i.e. Iman) of the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'Alai wa Sallam and his Companions, radiyallaahu ‘anhum”

Since the Muslims differ from each other in their level of Imaan, so the one with the highest Iman (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.