Be In This World As If You Are A Stranger Or A Traveller

“If you survive till the evening, do not expect to live till the morning, and if you survive till the morning do not expect to live till the evening…” 

AND TAKE (ADVANTAGE) FROM YOUR HEALTH BEFORE YOUR SICKNESS

AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR LIFE BEFORE YOUR DEATH

DO EVERY POSSIBLE GOOD DEED YOU CAN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

“Stranger” is a term that is well-known – it is a person who is not from the land which he is visiting. And he desires to return to his own land. He is not comfortable in this strange place, and he does not wish to settle there – he awaits the time he can return to his own country. So likewise, a believer in this world is a stranger because this world is not his land. He aims to go to his land and his abode in the Hereafter because that is his real home, everlasting. So, therefore, he is in this world just like a stranger visiting a foreign land.

As for an unbeliever, his abode is this world because he has no home in the Jannah of the Hereafter. So, for this reason, he becomes attached to this world, and likewise the hypocrite and the weak, negligent Muslim who is deceived by the pomp and glitter of this world. These people do not remind themselves of the Hereafter, and they do not care about it. If you want to know who a person of this world is and who is a person of the Hereafter, then consider his outlook and his stance towards this world. You will find that a believer is not infatuated with this world and he spends that which Allah gives him, on himself, his family, his children, his parents and in charity because all this has within it reward from Allah. He does not revel in his wealth nor boast and show-off. He pays the zakāh willingly and happily, he feeds the poor, he builds Masājid for Allah, spends his wealth to spread useful knowledge, and he remains humble. The unbeliever is the opposite to this, and likewise those weak and feckless Muslims; their concern is the world and staying in it, and do not care about the Hereafter. Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

 الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ

This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the unbeliever.” (Muslim, no. 2956)

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) added in our original narration:

أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ

“…or a passing traveller.” A traveller who is passing by may stop and rest under a tree, but he would not take that tree as his home rather he returns to his journey and he aims to reach his true destination. This is the same for the person who seeks the Hereafter. He treats this world as a staging post or resting station for a limited time only, so it is no more than a path that takes him to the next life. Abdullah said that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was sleeping on a mat, then he stood, and the mat had left marks on his side. We said: “O Messenger of Allah! We could get a bed for you.” He replied:

مَا لِي وَمَا لِلدُّنْيَا مَا أَنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ كَرَاكِبٍ اسْتَظَلَّ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ ثُمَّ رَاحَ وَتَرَكَهَا

“What do I have to do with this world. I am not in this world, but as a rider seeking shade under a tree, then he departs and leaves it behind.” (Tirmidhi, no. 2377) And in a narration, he said, “…like a rider travelling on a scorching day, so he takes shade under a tree for an hour, then he departs and leaves it behind.” (Saheeh, Ahmad, no. 2744, Ibn Hibbān, no. 6352)

Then Ibn ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) added a beautiful comment from himself starting with: “If you survive till the evening, do not expect to live till the morning, and if you survive till the morning do not expect to live till the evening…” Meaning that your time in this world is not long so do not delay in performing righteous deeds, rather make haste because you have nothing more than the short time before you. In fact, you should consider that you have nothing more than the time or the hours in which you live just as the poet said: “What has passed has gone, and the future is unknown… And for you is the hour in which you live now.” As for the future, you do not know whether you will reach it or not.

  إِنَّا ِلِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ, 

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un"

 "Verily we belong to Allah and verily to him do we return.