Islam Will Return Strange: Hadith on the End Times
The Prophet ﷺ prophesied that Islam would return to being strange as it began — appearing weak and besieged by nations, yet destined to triumph over all opposition exactly as it did at its inception. This post explains the hadith of the strangers, its meaning, and its fulfillment in our era.
The Hadith of the Strangers
The Prophet ﷺ foretold the cyclical nature of Islam’s strength: its beginning as something strange, its eventual dominance, and its return to strangeness before the final triumph.
“Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers.”
Grade: Sahih · Sahih Muslim
Does This Hadith Mean the End of Islam?
The hadith does not predict the end of Islam — it predicts its return to the conditions of its beginning, which means its eventual triumph is guaranteed. A question to every Christian: How will Islam return to the way it began? The answer is simply to know how it began, and we have learned about it above, and therefore it is exactly what Islam will return to, with the same beginning.
So when Islam returns as a stranger as it began, it means bringing back the good news once again: that at the end of time the whole world, all nations, will look at Muslims as:
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A strange group in the eyes of nations.
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Everyone will think that it is weak and will end and their religion will not shine.
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All tribes and nations will try to eliminate it.
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Islam will eliminate them, will triumph, and will rule the world once again as it began.
So the meaning of “strange” is: it will return weak in the eyes of everyone, a stranger to them, and the nations will gang up on it, but it will triumph over everyone. So its beginning at the beginning of time is the same as its return at the end of time.
At first and at last, Islam seems strange. At first and at the end, it appears to the observer as if it is weak. At first and at last, nations try to eliminate it. In the beginning and in the end, Islam triumphs over all.
The prophecy has been fulfilled these days and we are waiting for its completion.
The Four Stages of Return
Here is Islam appearing once again in the same pattern as its beginning: strange, weak, besieged, and finally triumphant.
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A stranger in your eyes as it was in the beginning.
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And weak in your eyes as it was in the beginning.
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Nations will conspire to eliminate it as it was in the beginning.
What remains? It remains for it to triumph over you all as happened in the beginning.
Who Are the Strangers?
The strangers are not outsiders or rebels — they are the righteous few who remain steadfast on truth when corruption surrounds them. The meaning is that the strangers are the people of righteousness, and that Paradise and happiness are for the strangers who are righteous when people are corrupt. If conditions change, matters become confused, and the people of goodness become few, they will remain steadfast on the truth and remain steadfast in the religion of Allah, and they will worship Allah alone and be sincere to Him in worship, and remain steadfast in prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj, and all other matters of religion.
These are the strangers, and they are the ones about whom Allah said and those like them:
“Indeed, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast—the angels will descend upon them, [saying], ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. We are your allies in this world’s life and in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request — as accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful.’”
How Islam Began: The Pattern of Strangeness and Triumph
Islam began as a small and persecuted movement in Mecca, then triumphed over all opposition — and this same pattern will repeat at the end of time. Islam began as a small and strange religion in Mecca. Only a few believed in it, and most of the people opposed it and opposed the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and harmed him and his companions who had converted to Islam. Then it moved to Medina as a migrant and a number of his companions moved with him. It was also a stranger until its people increased in Medina and in the rest of the cities. Then people entered the religion of Allah in droves after Allah opened Mecca to His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
At first it was a stranger among the people, and most of the people disbelieved in Allah and associated partners with Allah and worshipped idols, prophets, righteous people, trees, stones, and the like. Then Allah guided those whom He guided through His Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and through his companions, so they entered the religion of Allah and devoted worship to Allah and abandoned the worship of idols, statues, prophets and righteous people, and devoted worship to Allah.
They worshipped none but Allah alone, prayed to none but Him, prostrated to none but Him, and turned to none but Him in supplication, seeking aid and healing, glory be to Him. They did not ask the occupants of the graves, nor did they seek help from them, nor did they seek help from idols, trees and stones, nor from the planets, jinn and angels. Rather, they worship none but Allah alone, glory be to Him.
These are the strangers. And so it is at the end of time that they are those who adhere to the religion of Allah. When people fall behind in the religion of Allah, when people disbelieve, and when their sins and evils increase, these strangers adhere to the obedience of Allah and His religion, so they will have Paradise and happiness, and they will have a good outcome in this world and in the Hereafter.
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.