SubhanAllah! What a profound parable given to us by our Prophet ﷺ
Was wondering about these two examples, stranger and traveller (wayfarer). Isn’t the case that strangers notice things more clearly. When you’re not attached, you see reality without filters.
And Travellers don’t get fooled by the journey, they see what actually matters. When you stop treating life like forever, then pointless drama, ego battles, and material competition suddenly look pretty ridiculous.
A wayfarer (traveller) doesn’t just “exist.” They move. This parable quietly pushes one to make progress. We’re not here to burn time, we’re here to grow. If we’re in the same place spiritually, mentally as last year, we’re standing still on the road, not travelling. A traveller travels light, and carries only the essentials. The more one carry grudges, envy, debts, pride then the slower and heavier life becomes. A traveller keeps the essentials like faith, and clarity (baseerah).
As a traveller, you know every moment is temporary, you you stop demanding perfection in life. You appreciate the good and bear the hard with patience, because both are temporary. That makes gratitude easier and suffering lighter.