Part 4: An Important Foundation of the Religion - The People of Truth Are Few in Number

The Shaykh went on to explain the fourth important foundation which is that the people of truth are few in number and are strangers (ghurabaa'). The hadeeth, "Islaam began as something strange and shall return as something strainge, so glad tidings to the strangers." The Salaf used to consider themselves - in the 2nd and 3rd centuries - as strangers and as being few in number. And we in the 21st century are even more so (strangers and few in number). The Shaykh explained (as occurs in the hadeeth he cited), "There will come a time when a person holding onto his deen will be like a person holding onto hot coals, the patient one amongst them will have the reward of fifty..." - these evidences show that the people of the truth are few. There are a number of issues here, the Shaykh went on to explain:

1) The people of truth are few in number and people might say, you are only small in number, two, three, four of you etc. and is all the Ummah, therefore upon falsehood? The truth is not connected to numbers, it is connected to the Qur'an, the Sunnah upon the understanding and implementation of the Sahaabah. If you are one person and upon the truth, you are the jamaa'ah (united body). Allaah says, "Verily, Ibraaheem was an ummah..." (16:120), Ibraaheem is just one person, he is described as an Ummah.

2) The opposers will be many. Do not be deceived by their great number. Because you are on the truth and you are a stranger, those many (who are astray) will try to misguide you from that truth.

3) That a person must aid the people of the truth and not desert them in their strangeness (being strangers and being few in number).

Hence, knowing that they (people of falsehood) are large in number, there are two issues of benefit as indicated a) their large number is a sign, proof of their not being upon the truth and b) beware of them attempting to misguide you. The callers to falsehood will be many.

End of Part 4.