كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ

Hadith 40: be in this world like a stranger From Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took me by the shoulder and said: كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ "Be in this world as though you were a stranger, or a traveller passing through." Ibn 'Umar used to say: "When you reach the evening, do not wait for the morning; when you reach the morning, do not wait for the evening. Take from your health for your illness, and from your life for your death." Source: Bukhari 6416.

The commentary • The gesture: the Prophet ﷺ takes Ibn 'Umar by the shoulder to catch his attention; a good teacher touches the heart before speaking. • The stranger and the traveller: Ibn Rajab explains that the stranger lives in a country without attaching himself to it, and that the traveller does not even settle there; the second level is higher. The believer works, builds and starts a family, but his heart knows that his true home is elsewhere. • Ibn 'Umar's advice: not putting off good until later, making use of health and life to prepare for what is coming.

In daily life • Do today the good you keep postponing: call a relative, pay a debt, write your will.

Hadith 41: let your desire follow what I have brought From Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aaṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both): the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يَكُونَ هَوَاهُ تَبَعًا لِمَا جِئْتُ بِهِ "None of you truly believes until his desire follows what I have brought." Source: An-Nawawi cites it from Kitaab al-Ḥujja and grades it "ḥasan ṣaḥiiḥ"; Ibn Rajab strongly disputes its authenticity [À VÉRIFIER : degré et source].

The commentary • Even if the chain is disputed, Ibn Rajab shows that the meaning is established by the Qur'an, notably verse 4:65 (below): faith requires accepting the Prophet's ﷺ judgement without unease in the heart. • "Desire" (al-hawaa): the inclination of the soul. It is not bad in itself; the hadith asks that it be regulated by revelation, instead of revelation being pulled towards it. • The perfect level: loving what Allah loves and hating what He hates, so that obedience becomes a pleasure.

In daily life • When a rule of the religion bothers you, ask yourself: is it the rule that must change, or my desire?

Hadith 42: "O son of Adam" From Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Allah said: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I forgive you what you have done, and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins reached the clouds of the sky, then you asked My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you came to Me with nearly the whole earth of faults, then met Me without associating anything with Me, I would come to you with nearly as much forgiveness." Source: At-Tirmidhi 3540, who grades it "ḥasan" [À VÉRIFIER : degré exact donné par At-Tirmidhî].

The commentary • Three causes of forgiveness, according to Ibn Rajab: supplication with hope, seeking forgiveness (al-istighfaar), and oneness (at-tawḥiid), which is the greatest. • "I do not mind": nothing is too great for Allah's forgiveness. • It is not a permission to sin: sincere istighfaar includes regret and the will not to do it again. • The collection ends with hope, as it began with intention: sincerity at the start, forgiveness at the end.

Review of the 42 hadiths • The foundations (1-8): intention, the religion in three levels, the pillars, destiny, the Sunna, the heart, sincere counsel, protection. • The heart and conduct (9-20): obeying as one can, the lawful, doubt, the tongue, brotherhood, life, anger, excellence, taqwaa, "be mindful of Allah", modesty. • Deeds (21-31): uprightness, obligations, purity, justice, charities, good character, the Sunna, the tongue, limits, detachment. • Society and the hereafter (32-42): no harm, proof, changing evil, brotherhood, mutual help, Allah's generosity, His allies, excuse, the stranger, desire submitted, forgiveness. Exercise: reread the sentence and the question written at the start of the course. Choose three hadiths you want to live this month, learn their Arabic sentence, and write one concrete action for each.

The text: Surah An-Nisaa' (4), verse 65 فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٦٥﴾

The text: Surah Az-Zumar (39), verse 53 ۞ قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣﴾

Meaning: "No, by your Lord! They will not believe until they make you judge in their disputes, then find in themselves no unease over what you have decided, and submit completely." (4:65, linked to hadith 41); "Say: O My servants who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins: He is the Forgiving, the Most Merciful." (39:53, linked to hadith 42).

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The last three hadiths speak of the journey. Hadith 40 gives the posture: a stranger, a traveller, who does not put off good until tomorrow. Hadith 41 gives the direction: let desire follow revelation, not the reverse. Hadith 42 gives the provision that never runs out: hope in Allah's forgiveness, through supplication, istighfaar and oneness. An-Nawawi's collection thus forms a complete circle: it begins with intention, which turns the heart towards Allah, and ends with forgiveness, which brings back to Him whoever has strayed. Between the two, forty rules for faith, worship, character, society and one's relationship with the world. An adult can return to these hadiths all his life: at every age, they reveal a new meaning.

Lessons to draw from it • Live in this world without attachment to it: work, love, build, keeping the hereafter before one's eyes. • Do not postpone good: health and life are limited opportunities. • Regulate one's desires by revelation, and accept the judgement of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ without unease. • Never despair: supplicate, seek forgiveness, keep oneness. • Choose three hadiths to live this month, with one concrete action for each.

Key points to remember • Hadith 40 (Bukhari 6416): كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ. • Hadith 41: desire that follows revelation; verse 4:65. • Hadith 42 (At-Tirmidhi 3540): يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ; three causes of forgiveness; verse 39:53. • The collection goes from intention (1) to forgiveness (42).

The main message Pass through this world as a traveller, guided by revelation and carried by hope: Allah forgives whoever calls upon Him, asks His forgiveness and associates nothing with Him.