Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: In that era, houses were of one type or of one style and form. Therefore, when the permission for a bequest of one-third was given, it should have been regarding one house, so that the heirs would not have to bear the trouble and difficulty of giving one-third from every house. Because in identical houses, giving from one does not cause any trouble for either the giver or the receiver, and there is no hardship or constriction in the religion. Therefore, they narrated the hadith so that the practice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam should be observed. This hadith clarifies the aforementioned hadith that any act which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not do, even though its cause was present and there was no obstacle, to declare it as part of the religion is an innovation (bid‘ah).

Therefore, all the innovations of today, which are being done in the name of religion, have no basis in the religion. Because their causes were present and there were no preventions, yet you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not do them. In your time, people used to die and they were in need of reward being gifted to them, but even then, you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not perform Fatiha, Chehlum, or Urs, nor did you recite salat and salam in this manner, nor did you kiss the thumbs at the time of the adhan, nor did you stand for salat and salam, nor did you organize gatherings of Mawlid, nor were these acts done in the best generations (khayr al-quroon), nor did Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu make Thursday’s admonition a part of the religion. That is, he fixed this day for his and his companions’ convenience, but he did not invite anyone to do this act specifically on Thursday.

It only becomes religion if it is made collective and general instead of personal and individual, and everyone is invited to it, and this specification is considered an act of reward. Therefore, inviting people to the third day (soem), eleventh, twelfth, and fortieth (chehlum), and giving it a general and collective form is an innovation (bid‘ah). If this specification is not considered obligatory and necessary, then why is it adhered to, why are invitations given for it, and why has it been given a specific form?

Hadith Commentary:
The narration of Abdullah bin Ja'far has been connected (mawsul) by Imam Muslim rahimahullah, and the narration of Abdulwahid has been connected by Dar Qutni rahimahullah.
From this hadith, it is derived that any reconciliation (sulh) which is contrary to the principles of the Shari'ah is invalid and null. And when the reconciliation agreement is deemed invalid, then any compensation received by any party becomes obligatory to return.
This hadith is a fundamental principle of the Shari'ah.
It completely refutes all those innovations (bid'ah) which people have introduced into the religion.
For example: the third-day (tijah), recitation gatherings (fatiha), fortieth-day (chehlum), the halwa of Shab-e-Barat, the khichra of Muharram, taziya, invented mawlid, urs (death anniversaries), covering graves with cloths and flowers, holding fairs at graves, and so on—these are all matters that are considered innovations (bid'ah sayyi'ah) because there is no trace of them in the time of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), nor in the time of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) and the Followers (tabi'in), as is evident in the books of history and biography.
However, in any authentic book, there will be no proof of these evil innovations.
Even if all the people of innovation (ahl al-bid'ah) join forces and exert themselves, they will remain unsuccessful.
In any case, it is extremely necessary to avoid innovation (bid'ah) and to make the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) a regular practice.
Someone has rightly said:
O traveler, walk fearlessly upon the path of the Sunnah;
This road leads straight to Jannat al-Firdaws.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, while explaining this hadith, writes:
Whoever introduces into the religion of Islam any custom for which there is no basis, then no attention will be paid to that custom.
Such a custom should be thrown against the wall.
(Sahih Muslim, al-Aqdiyah, Hadith: 4492(1718), and Sunan al-Daraqutni: 160/4)
(2)
This hadith is the summary and essence of the Shariah.
From it, all innovations (bid‘ah) that people have introduced into the religion are refuted, such as the third-day, seventh-day, recitation gatherings (qol khwani), fortieth-day, birthdays, taziya, urs, and fairs, etc.
(3)
It should be noted that the narration of Abdullah ibn Ja‘far was mentioned by Imam Muslim rahimahullah, and the narration of Abdulwahid was mentioned by Imam Daraqutni rahimahullah with a connected chain.
(Fath al-Bari: 372/5)
From this hadith, it is understood that any reconciliation (sulh) that is contrary to the Shariah is invalid and null.

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
Hafiz Ibn Hajar has written that this hadith is counted among the principles and foundations of Islam, because its meaning is that whoever invents an act in the religion for which there is no evidence in the fundamentals of the religion, it is not acceptable. And Allamah ‘Ayni writes that whatever is not found in the Book and the Sunnah, inventing it in the religion is innovation (bid‘ah).

Benefits and Issues:
In this hadith, the word (umirna – "we have been commanded") is used for the religion, because the source of guidance is solely the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Therefore, without his instruction, no action can attain the status of worship or nearness to Allah in His sight.

2.
(fahuwa radd – "it is rejected") has two meanings: that the action itself is invalid and rejected, and also that the person who commits it is rejected and worthy of condemnation.

Commentary: (1) (فِيْ أَمْرِنَا)
By this is meant religious and legal matters, or the commands of Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; therefore, we have translated it as “religion.”
In those religious matters which pertain to acts of worship (ibadat) or beliefs (‘aqidah), making additions or omissions based on one’s own opinion is called “innovation” (bid‘ah).
Regarding this, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Every innovation is misguidance.” (Sahih Muslim, al-Jumu‘ah, Chapter: Lightening the Prayer and the Sermon, Hadith: 867)
Worldly matters, such as different styles of clothing, regional methods of cooking, or the use of modern agricultural tools, are not related to the legal concept of “innovation” (bid‘ah).
However, those actions among them will certainly be prohibited which go against the general principles stated by the Shari‘ah, for example, such clothing that does not fulfill the basic purpose of covering (‘awrah), or is considered the dress of non-Muslims, etc.

(2) (فَهُوَ رَدٌّ)
“It is rejected.”
This means that Muslims should not accept such an action; rather, they should refute it and prohibit it.
Or it means that it will not be accepted by Allah, and instead of reward, there will be sin for it.

(3)
An action from which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam refrained for a specific reason, while he himself desired to do it, is fundamentally permissible; when that impediment is removed, performing it will not be included among innovations (bid‘ah).
For example, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam refrained from leading the Tarawih prayer throughout the month of Ramadan, lest it become obligatory; or the Companions radi Allahu anhum not compiling the Qur’an into a single manuscript during the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because there was always the possibility of new verses being revealed or a previous verse being abrogated.
When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, this possibility no longer remained, so the Companions radi Allahu anhum prepared an authentic manuscript of the Qur’an.
And ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu ordered the congregational arrangement of the Tarawih prayer.

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[صحيح بخاري 2697],
[صحيح مسلم 4493]

Jurisprudence of the Hadith (Fiqh al-Hadith)
➊ Every new matter in the religion that is not established from the Qur’an, Hadith, consensus (ijma‘), and the traditions of the righteous predecessors (salaf salihin) is called an innovation (bid‘ah) and is misguidance.
➋ The summary of a lengthy narration is that some people were sitting in circles in the mosque, reciting one hundred times «الله أكبر», one hundred times «لا إلٰه إلا الله», and one hundred times «سبحان الله» on pebbles, so Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu forbade them from this action. See: [سنن الدارمي ج1 ص286، 287 ح210 وسندہ صحیح]
↰ This narration has been declared authentic by Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Deobandi. See: [راه سنت ص 123]
➌ In another narration from Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«من أحدث فى ديننا ما ليس منه فهو رد»
“Whoever introduces into our religion something that is not from it, it is rejected.” [جزء من حديث لوين : 69 وسنده صحيح، شرح السنة للبغوي : 103، وسنده حسن]

Note (Tanbih):
The reference for Hadith «لُوَيْن» has been taken from al-Maktabah al-Shamilah. Also see: [جزء فيه من حديث لوين/مطبوع ح71 وسنده صحيح]
➍ Whoever holds firmly to the Book and the Sunnah and stays away from all kinds of innovations is upon the straight path and is successful.
➎ The famous Tabi‘i Imam al-Zuhri rahimahullah said:
“The scholars who came before us used to say that salvation lies in holding firmly to the Sunnah.” [سنن الدارمي : 97 و سنده صحيح]
➏ The Tabi‘i Abdullah ibn Firoz al-Daylami rahimahullah said:
“I have come to know that the beginning of the end of the religion will be the abandonment of the Sunnah.” [سنن الدارمي : 98 وسنده صحيح]
↰ It should be remembered that, in terms of being a proof, Hadith and Sunnah are two names for the same thing, as established from the righteous predecessors and the principles of Hadith. Therefore, whoever abandons an authentic Hadith is also an abandoner of the Sunnah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has cursed the one who abandons the Sunnah. See: [سنن الترمذي 2154، وسنده حسن]
➐ The eminent Tabi‘i Imam Hassan ibn Atiyyah rahimahullah said:
“Whenever a people introduce an innovation into their religion, Allah removes from them a Sunnah of equal measure, and that Sunnah will never return to them until the Day of Judgment.” [سنن الدارمي : 99 وسندہ صحیح]
➑ The famous and eminent Tabi‘i Imam and jurist Abu Qilabah Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Jurmi rahimahullah said:
“People of innovation are misguided, and I believe that they will enter Hell.” [سنن الدارمي : 101، وسنده صحيح]
➒ It should be noted that, in the Shari‘ah, innovations (bid‘ah) pertain to those inventions that are added to the religion without any Shari‘ah evidence. As for worldly inventions, they have no connection to the religion. Rather, according to the Hadith «أنتم أعلم بأمر دنياكم» “You are more knowledgeable about your worldly affairs.” [صحيح مسلم : 2363، دارالسلام : 6128], all worldly inventions are permissible as long as they do not harm the Shari‘ah in any way.
➓ Among the trustworthy successors of the successors (taba‘ tabi‘in) of Hims, Syria, Imam Abu Zur‘ah Yahya ibn Abi ‘Amr al-Saybani rahimahullah (d. 148 AH) said:
“It used to be said that Allah does not accept the repentance of an innovator, and (another thing is that) an innovator, after leaving one innovation, enters into another innovation that is even worse.” [كتاب البدع والنهي عنها : 144، وسنده حسن]
◄ It is understood from this that if an innovator repents from his innovation in front of people, then he should be kept under observation for a considerable period, because it is the general habit of the people of innovation that after leaving one innovation, they fall into another dangerous innovation.