Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer

On the authority of Ibn 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhuma, who said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, took me by the shoulder and said:

"Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer."

Ibn 'Umar used to say: "When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death."

The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, tells the believers how to deal with this life, and as usual he offers his audience with more than one choice. In this hadith, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, is giving two choices or levels with regards to living in this world:

1) TO BE AS A STRANGER

This is usually the easier choice. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, used the analogy 'to be as a stranger' because:
Ibn Rajab points out, the stranger is usually prepared to eventually go back to his original place or home town. His heart will always long for his home. His main concern will be to be in preparation to do whatever possible and beneficial for returning. A stranger does not look like the other people in his current environment - he is different. Similarly, the believer should be different from those who only care about this life and worldly matters. He should rid himself of the yearning for this materialistic world, a world where some people do not care about the spiritual aspects and the Hereafter. As believers, we should be different from the 'people of this world'.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, a famous Muslim scholar, says that a Muslim is a stranger amongst the disbelievers and the Mu'min is a stranger amongst the Muslims, and the Muhsin is a stranger amongst the Mu'mins. This means that there are different levels of being a stranger: the lowest level is Islam, the second level is Iman and the third level is Ihsan.

2) TO BE A TRAVELER OR WAYFARER, TRAVELING ALONG A PATH
This is a higher level than the stranger. The traveler is always traveling day and night without stopping, he is heeding towards his final destination. Even if he stops for a while, this is to provide himself with the needed power to continue his journey and to go farther until he achieves his main objective. A stranger might obtain and keep more things than he actually needs but the traveler takes as little as possible in terms of luggage or other things. Similarly, the believer who is in such a situation has a main objective or concern - and that is not to take more than what he needs (i.e. he should not be weighed down with materialistic things ;wealth). Another thing is the traveler needs to know that he is traveling on the right path, the straight path. For this, he needs to obtain the right knowledge (ilm). He also needs good, helpful companions to help him on his way.Some scholars ask how would a person be contented with this life where the day distorts the month and the month distorts the year and the year will distort the age? That is how this person will be satisfied with this life if his age will lead him to his final destination and his life will lead him to death. One scholar said when a person looks back at his life since his awareness of this life until this moment; it will seem like a blink of an eye. What remains for the rest of his life is also like that 'blink of an eye'. If that is the case, the person should be careful and wise up.

The Impact of This Hadith on the Life Of Muslims

1.To increase the sense of responsibility in terms of our duties towards Allah, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, relatives, and the community members.
2.To motivate the Muslims to enjoin what is good and to forbid what is evil.
3.To be closer to Allah at all times.
4.To minimise weaknesses, shortcomings and sinful acts.
5.To maximise self-accountability and self-reckoning.
7.To be safeguarded from being misled or enslaved by self-interests, desires and worldly temptations.

Challenges That Threaten the Above Mentioned Concept of Dealing with This Life in a Good Way

1. The promotion of the materialistic aspects of life, especially by the media.
2. The complexity of contemporary life where there are more problems, and the engagement in life activities without proper balance.
3. The challenges of modernity and the challenges of globalisation and promotion of imposed corrupted western values.
4. Rapid life changes due to technology advancement and progress which in turn creates other problems, such as:

• Adjustment between the old lifestyle and the new lifestyle.
• The emergence of new values which lead to conflicts between sets of values.
• The increase of social ills.
• The weak religious awareness and education or spiritual training in the Islamic world (i.e. tazkiyyah).
• Technology misuse.