Kashf al-Kurba fi Wasf Hal Ahl al-Ghurba
- Author died
- 795 AH
- Editions
- Al-Fārūq al-Ḥadīthah lil-Ṭibāʿah wa-al-Nashr
Kashf al-Kurba fi Wasf Hal Ahl al-Ghurba (The Removal of Distress in Describing the State of the Strangers) is a concise treatise by the Damascene traditionist and jurist Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (736–795 AH / 1335–1393 CE), dedicated to the exposition of the prophetic hadith regarding the estrangement of Islam and its adherents .
Subject and Content
The treatise serves as an extended commentary on the hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim and other compilations: بدأ الإسلام غريبًا، وسيعود غريبًا كما بدأ، فطوبى للغرباء ("Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange just as it began, so glad tidings to the strangers") . Ibn Rajab opens the work by documenting various transmissions and variant wordings that elaborate on the identity of the "strangers" (al-ghuraba'), such as those described as individuals who break away from tribes ( النزاع من القبائل ), those who rectify themselves or rectify matters when people become corrupt ( الذين يصلحون إذا فسد الناس ), and those who flee with their religion from tribulations .
Ibn Rajab delineates the historical trajectory of Islam from its initial phase in Mecca—when early Muslims were isolated individuals enduring hardship and migration—to its subsequent triumph and widespread strength during the Prophetic era and the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar . He then analyzes the onset of later divisions resulting from two principal forms of discord:
- Tribulation of doubts and desires: The proliferation of theological schisms (shubuhat) and worldly temptations (shahawat), contrasting these deviations with the steadfastness of the Saved Sect (al-firqa al-najiya), whom he identifies as the true strangers in later times .
- The comprehensive meaning of the Sunnah: He explains that while later traditionists often restricted the term Sunnah to doctrinal orthodoxy regarding belief, earlier generations used it broadly to encompass complete adherence to the prophetic lifestyle, free from both speculative misconceptions and base inclinations .
Levels of Estrangement
Ibn Rajab classifies estrangement (al-ghurba) into two major dimensions :
- Apparent estrangement (ghurba zahira): The condition of the righteous amidst the corrupt, truthful individuals amidst hypocrites, scholars amidst the ignorant, and ascetics amidst those consumed by worldly accumulation .
- Spiritual estrangement (ghurba batina): The state of spiritual aspirants and knowers (al-'arifin) whose hearts remain devoted purely to God. Though physically living among creation, their spiritual aspiration transcends mundane pursuits and superficial status, often rendering them hidden and unrecognized by people .
Throughout the work, Ibn Rajab draws upon sayings from early authorities such as al-Hasan al-Basri, Sufyan al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, and al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, and incorporates poetic verses—including adapted verses by al-Buhturi reframed toward divine devotion—to underscore the virtues of intimate remembrance of God and patience during periods of widespread corruption .
Publication History
The treatise has been edited and published multiple times, including editions prepared by Badr al-Badr (Kuwait, 1404 AH) and Muhammad Ahmad 'Abd al-'Aziz (al-Maktaba al-Qayyima, 1402 AH / 1982 CE), as well as being included within modern compilations of Ibn Rajab's collected treatises (Majmu' Rasa'il Ibn Rajab) edited by Tal'at ibn Fu'ad al-Hulwani .
Answer updated