Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler
7-9-2013 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalamu'alaykum Narrated Mujahid: 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle took hold of my shoulder and said, 'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler." ... Sahih Bukhari- Chapter -76-“To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)” - Hadeeth 425 Could you please explain in detail the above hadeeth on the basis of Qur'an, Sunnah and the rightly guided Salaf of this Ummah. Jazakallahukhayran
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Explaining this Hadeeth entails lengthy details; however, we will quote some of what Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali 
stated in his book Jaami’ Al-‘Uloom wal Hikam. If you seek more details, kindly refer to the stated book.
Ibn Rajab said: "This Hadeeth is a basic principle in not hoping for a long life and that the believer should not take the worldly life as an eternal abode or feel reassured about it. Rather, one should be like a traveler who is preparing his luggage for departure."
All Prophets and their followers advised us to be likewise. Allah, The Almighty, says on behalf of the believing man from the family of Pharaoh (what means): {O my people, this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement.}[Quran 40:39]
The Prophet 
used to say: "What do I have to do with this world. My relationship with this world is like that of a traveler who sought shade under a tree, then went away and left it."
Once a man visited Abu Tharr 
and looked around at the contents of his house (but found it quite bare). He asked Abu Tharr: "Where are your belongings?" "We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter) to which we send (the best of our possessions)." said Abu Tharr. The man again said: "But you must have some belongings so long as you are in this abode." Abu Tharr replied, "The owner of this abode would not leave us in it."
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib used to say: "Verily, this worldly life is departing and the Hereafter is approaching and each of them has its children. So be children of the Hereafter, not children of this world, for today there are (opportunities to do) deeds and there is no reckoning, but tomorrow there will be reckoning and no deeds."
Allah Knows best.