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.

Al-Sindi said in Hashiyat Ibn Majah: Strange refers to the small number of its adherents. The basic meaning of ghareeb (a stranger) is being far from one's homeland. “And will revert to being strange” refers to the small number of those who will adhere to its teachings even though its followers are many. “So give glad tidings to the strangers” means those who follow its commands. “Tooba (glad tidings)” has been interpreted as meaning Paradise or a great tree in Paradise. This shows that supporting Islam and following its commands may require leaving one's homeland and being patient in bearing the difficulties of being a stranger, as was the case in the beginning.

In Sharh Saheeh Muslim, Al-Nawawi quoted al-Qadi ‘Iyad as saying concerning the meaning of this hadeeth: Islam began among a few individuals, then it spread and prevailed, then it will reduce in numbers until there are only a few left, as it was in the beginning.

A number of scholars – including Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Rida – thought that this hadeeth gives glad tidings of a second victory of Islam after it becomes something strange again.

They base this on the metaphor used by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he said, … will revert to being strange as it began. So just as following the initial strangeness and alienation the Muslims were victorious and Islam spread, this will happen again after the second period of strangeness and alienation.