All Innovations In The Deen Strictly Forbidden

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

All Innovations In The Deen Strictly Forbidden
Abu Muntasir Ibn Mohar Ali



The forbiddance of innovations can clearly be found in the following aayah where Allah has ordered the Muslims to follow and accept as Deen only that which has been revealed to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in the Qur’an and the Sunnah and where all forms of worship needed and approved of have been sanctioned and any other procedure or norm has been outlawed. "Follow that which has been revealed to you from", your Lord and do not follow as awliyaa other than Him," (Surah AI-A'raaf, 7:3) This aayah is categorical in forbidding taking into consideration anyone who originates new matters in the field of worshipping Allah because the right and the privilege to inform how to worship Allah belongs to no one but Himself. Someone who comes along and institutes a new matter in the Deen assumes for himself the prerogative that belongs solely to Allah and claims by his behaviour as if Allah includes that act in His revelation. The innovators thus attribute lies to Allah and instead of facilitating the Deen for the people on the contrary turn them away from Allah.
Aa'isha reported that the Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: "Whoever Introduces Into this affair of ours something that we have not commanded it is to be rejected" (Saheeh - narrated by al-Buhkari and Muslim). Rejected by whom, one may ask. Quite obviously rejected by Allah. His Messenger (Peace be upon him) and the Muslim when he becomes aware that it cannot be backed up by the Qur’an or the Sunnah.
It is very strange and the price we are paying for it is very high in terms of confusion contention and obscuring of the clear way that one become knowledgeable of the correct practice but still insist on carrying on in the unjustified way - stop and ask them, since when did they think they could play pretender-prophets for the people? The innovators not only squander away their own time and resources in their futile sinful innovation but drag others into doing, the same and richly deserve our censure and contempt. If we had faith in the Almighty and trusted what we have been asked to do, we could have never tolerated the presence of innovations in the society, There is no way that an innovation will suddenly become sanctified and admissible to Allah. The Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that We have not commanded, it will be rejected.” (Sahih-natrated by lmam Muslim) Imam Nawawi, as mentioned by ash-Shaukanee in Nayl-uI-Awtaar, exhorts that this Hadeeth be memorised and used in counteracting the evils (munkarat) and making them baatil (obsolete).
Jabir reported that the Messenger (Peace be upon him) said: "with: The best Hadeeth (speech) is the, Book of Allah and the best guidance, and example is that of Muhammad. And the worst of all things are the newly invented things, for every Innovation is error and misguidance.” (Saheeh - narrated by Muslim), and in another narration, “every newly invented matter is Bid’ah and every bid’ah is dalaalah (going astray) and every dalaalah is in the fire,” (Sahih - narrated by at-Timidhi).
So the proof that there is no such thing as a good bid'ah, the popularity known bid'ah Hasanah. Bid'ah in itself is an error which leads to the Fire and is defined by the Messenger (Peace be upon him) to be the worst thing that one can do, how can that be good in any form or place? Unless these vile innovators want to seduce the people by making the ridiculous distinction between a good way and a bad way of entering Hell, as if there were any such matter as a good error in the practice of the Deen in reality.
The Companions and the great scholars of the past from among our pious predecessors never come near to innovation with knowledge and have un*****ocally advised against taking this destructive loathsome route. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan said: "Every act of worship that the Companions of Messenger (Peace be upon him) did not do, do not do them." (Saheeh - narrated by Aboo Daawood) Ibn Mas'ood said: "Make 'ittibaa (imitate and follow) and do not do bid'ah for what you have been commanded is enough for you." (Saheeh - narrated by ad-Daarimee) This was the attitude of the Companions but now look at the Muslims of today. Naturally we have less knowledge than the first generations and none of us can ever compete with any one of them in piety and devotional works. In this situation is it not reasonable to say that if they chose to be so careful in sticking to what they had been taught by the Messenger (Peace be upon him) we should be even more so? After all if with their knowledge they did not feel secure in innovating, by virtue of what special knowledge do the Muslims of today so freely pander to novelties in the Deen? If the faith of the early generation could not permit innovations isn't that the sort of faith we need to cultivate? But there will always be the few who would think they are wiser than the Companions and they are the meanest of the dregs of mankind.
Ibn al-Jawzee quotes in his book Talbees Iblees the Imam al-Awzaa'ee who said, "Patiently restrict yourself to the Sunnah and do not go beyond the positions held by the Sahaabah (the Companions); hold their position and avoid what they avoided. Take the path of the Salaf us-Saaliheen (the Companions and the pious predecessors in the way of the Companions), for verily what was sufficient for them is sufficient for you." Let no one step into the shoes of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as it were and change the Deen that was established through him by Allah. The innovators dismantle the Deen piece by piece until the hearts and minds of the people are left corrupted and polluted so they are no longer able to recognise the Truth apart from falsehood. They are like a cancer which slowly eats up the body from within.
We know this from the statement of the famous taabi'ee (successor) Hassan Ibn Atiyyah who said that "No people introduced an innovation into their religion except that an *****alent Sunnah is taken away from them." (reported by ad-Daarimee with Saheeh isnaad) the innovators and those who encourage them by participating in their foul deeds are guilty of attempting to annihilate the Deen because they arc the demolishers of the religion. They are the demolishers because they seek to pervert the Deen by making it a way of misguidance. Ibn Umar said, "Every innovation is misguidance even if the people regard it to be something good." (Reported by ad-Daarimee with Saheeh isnaad) You have to be sick to say Islam is self-destructive, rather Islam does not permit anything which is not conducive to it. How can we respect these people who steep themselves in innovatory practices in the name of Islam and loudly profess to be the standard-bearers of the Faith? Would you seek to destroy Islam with your own tongue and hands if you were a Muslim and feared Allah and the Day of Judgement? Would you not fight against them who seek to distort the clear evidence and hamper the practices of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the virtuous Companions? All Innovations no matter what technical terms are applied to them are forbidden in Islam and must be uprooted Inshah’ Allah.
Imam Malik said: “Whatever was not Deen at the time of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) cannot be considered to be a part of the Deen today." All that has preceded In this section totally refutes the idea of bid'ah Hasanah and may the Muslims not seek excuses on behalf of Shaitan in favour of shirk (associating anything with Allah), ameen.