Islam returns a stranger; holding faith like holding embers
Appeared
In brief
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange as it began, so glad tidings to the strangers.' A time will come when holding firmly to the religion is as hard as holding a burning ember in your hand, and the one who holds on will get the reward of many.
When he was asked who the strangers are, he said: those who set things right when people have become corrupt. Scholars note that 'strange' does not mean few in number. It means that real practice of the religion becomes unfamiliar, even among many Muslims.
Patience is the key. Keep good company that helps you hold on.
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ مَرْوَانَ الْفَزَارِيِّ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ كَيْسَانَ - عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " بَدَأَ الإِسْلاَمُ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ " .
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Islam initiated as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange. so good tidings for the stranger
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ الأَعْرَجُ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعُمَرِيُّ - عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الإِسْلاَمَ بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا كَمَا بَدَأَ وَهُوَ يَأْرِزُ بَيْنَ الْمَسْجِدَيْنِ كَمَا تَأْرِزُ الْحَيَّةُ فِي جُحْرِهَا " .
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar ('Abdullah b. 'Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:Verily Islam started as something strange and it would again revert (to its old position) of being strange just as it started, and it would recede between the two mosques just as the serpent crawls back into its hole
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْفَزَارِيُّ ابْنُ بِنْتِ السُّدِّيِّ الْكُوفِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ شَاكِرٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ الصَّابِرُ فِيهِمْ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ . وَعُمَرُ بْنُ شَاكِرٍ شَيْخٌ بَصْرِيٌّ قَدْ رَوَى عَنْهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ .
Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said:"There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is patient upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الإِسْلاَمَ بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا كَمَا بَدَأَ فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ " . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ سَعْدٍ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَجَابِرٍ وَأَنَسٍ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ إِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ وَأَبُو الأَحْوَصِ اسْمُهُ عَوْفُ بْنُ مَالِكِ بْنِ نَضْلَةَ الْجُشَمِيُّ تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ حَفْصٌ .
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange as it began. So Tuba is for the strangers
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَيَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ كَاسِبٍ، وَسُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْفَزَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " بَدَأَ الإِسْلاَمُ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ " .
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.’”
حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَابْنُ، لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ سِنَانِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " إِنَّ الإِسْلاَمَ بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ " .
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.”
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
4
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا يحيى بن إسحاق، قال: حدثنا ابن لهيعة، حدثنا أبو يونس، عن أبي هريرة، وحسن قال: حدثنا ابن لهيعة قال: حدثنا أبو يونس، عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " ويل للعرب من شر قد اقترب، فتنا كقطع الليل المظلم، يصبح الرجل مؤمنا، ويمسي كافرا، يبيع قوم دينهم بعرض من الدنيا قليل، المتمسك يومئذ بدينه كالقابض على الجمر - أو قال: على الشوك - "، قال حسن في حديثه: " خبط الشوك "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عَدِيٍّ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ ، عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق ، عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :" إِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا أَظُنُّ حَفْصًا، قَالَ : فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ "، قِيلَ : وَمَنِ الْغُرَبَاءُ؟، قَالَ : " النُّزَّاعُ مِنَ الْقَبَائِلِ "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
إن الإسلام بدأ غريبا وسيعود غريبا، فطوبى للغرباء بين يدي الساعة
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.”
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
Traced to Ka'b al-Ahbar (automatic guess): a report of earlier scriptures, not a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
يكون بعد المهدي خليفة من أهل اليمن من قحطان أخو المهدي في دينه، يعمل بعمله، وهو الذي يفتح مدينة الروم، ويصيب غنائمها قال كعب: ويلي الناس رجل من بني هاشم ببيت المقدس، يطفئ سننا كانت معروفة، ويبتدع سننا لم تكن، حتى لا تجد عالما يحدث بحديث واحد، وفي زمانه الخسف والمسخ، ويعود الإسلام غريبا كما بدأ غريبا، فالمتمسك يومئذ بدينه كالقابض على الجمر، وكخارط القتاد في ليلة مظلمة، ويرسل ابنته تخطر في الأسواق معها الشرط، عليها بطيطان من ذهب، لا توارى مقبلة ولا مدبرة، فلو تكلم في ذلك رجل ضربت عنقه
After the Mahdi, there will be a caliph from the people of Yemen, from Qahtan, the Mahdi’s brother in religion, who will do his work, and he will conquer the city of Byzantium and seize its spoils. The people will be succeeded by a man from Banu Hashim in Jerusalem, who will extinguish traditions that were known and invent traditions that were not, until you will not find a scholar who narrates a single hadith. Al-Qatadad on a dark night, and he sends his daughter to go to the markets with her, wearing a blanket of gold. She cannot hide, coming or going. If a man spoke about that, his neck would be struck.
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it as having appeared
Qadi Iyad al-Yahsubi (quoted by Imam An-Nawawi)d. 544 AH (476-544 AH)
Islam began among a few people, then spread and prevailed; then loss and decline will reach it until it remains among a few again, as it began.
Sharh Sahih Muslim, on 145
Allamah Muhammad Al-Barzanjid. 1103 AH (1040-1103 AH)
Lists 'Islam becomes a stranger' (from a report of Ibn Mas'ud in Ibn Abi Shaybah) among these signs. He closes the chapter: these signs 'all exist, and increase day by day'.
al-Isha'a li-Ashrat al-Sa'a, ch. 2: signs that have appeared and not ended
Present-day data
These numbers show the world today beside the narration. They do not decide whether the sign has appeared; that is shown only through named scholars, in the Scholars' views tab.
'Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers' (Sahih Muslim 145). Qadi Iyad explains: it began among a few, spread and prevailed, then decline will reach it until it remains among a few again. The number of Muslims has grown; the narration speaks of how few hold firmly to the religion, which no census measures.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih Muslim 145
What the commentators said it means
- Few at the start, spread and prevailing, then few again: Qadi Iyad, quoted by al-Nawawi.
- The strangers are those who left their homelands for Allah: al-Harawi, quoted by Qadi Iyad.
- Belief will withdraw to Madinah as a snake withdraws to its hole (the same chapter, Sahih Muslim 147).
Read with care
- Being many is not the opposite of being strange: Thawban's narration (Sunan Abi Dawud 4297) says 'you will be many then, but froth'.
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.