The Linguistic Meaning of Bid’ah
The root of the word bid’ah in Arabic derives from abda’a, tabada’a, badi’, mubdi’ and mubtadi’, and in lexical usage it has two meanings.
➊ To create and invent something without any prior example. In this sense is the noble verse:
بديع السموات والارض
Meaning: “Allah is the Originator of the heavens and the earth without any prior example.”
In another verse it says:
قل ماكنت بدعا من الرسل
Meaning: “Say: I am not a new messenger.”
And from the same root is:
و رهبانية ابتدعوها ما كتبناها عليهم
Meaning: “And monasticism, which they invented themselves; We did not prescribe it for them.”
➋ Fatigue and weariness: In Arabic it is said, “abda’at al-rahilah,” meaning the she-camel sat down out of fatigue and weariness, which she did not used to do before.
The Technical (Idiomatic) Meaning of Bid’ah
Scholars have given various definitions of bid’ah, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Allamah al-Suyuti, Allamah al-Shatibi and many other scholars and jurists, but the most comprehensive definition among them is that of Allamah al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him), who writes:
البدعة اذن طريقة فى الدين مخترعة تضاهي الشريعة يقصد بالسلوك عليها المبالغة فى التعبد لله سبحانه
Meaning: “Bid’ah is a path that has been invented in the religion, contradicts the Shariah, and whose purpose in following it is to excessively worship Allah.”
The Shar’i Status of Bid’ah
In the light of the Qur’an, Hadith and the statements of the Companions and imams, inventing bid’ah, acting upon it and promoting it is haram. The Islamic Shariah has commanded following the Prophet ﷺ and has forbidden innovation, the summary of which is as follows:
➊ Monasticism is a bid’ah which Allah did not command:
رهبانية ابتدعوها ما كتبناها عليهم
Meaning: “And monasticism, which they invented; We did not make it obligatory upon them.”
➋ Avoiding bid’ah is necessary because it is a path of misguidance and deviation.
The hadith of ‘Irbad ibn Sariyah, in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
واياكم ومحدثات الأمور فان كل محدثة بدعة
Meaning: “And beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is a bid’ah.”
And in the narration of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah:
وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل محدثة بدعة
Meaning: “The worst of matters are newly invented ones, and every newly invented matter (that is in the religion) is a bid’ah.”
And in another narration:
وكل ضلالة فى النار
In this hadith, the word “kull” (every) includes every bid’ah; no bid’ah is excluded from it as a “good bid’ah.”
Al-Shatibi writes that the word “kull” according to scholars is to be taken in its general sense, nothing is excluded from it, and in fact there is no bid’ah in it that is good.
Every bid’ah and every muhdath (newly invented thing) is rejected; it is not acceptable under any circumstance.
The saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is:
من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ماليس منه فهو رد
And in another narration:
من صنع أمرا على غير أمرنا فهورد
Meaning: “Whoever invents something in our religion that is not part of it, it is rejected; or whoever does an action that is contrary to our command, it is rejected.”
➌ Opposing the Sunnah and acting upon bid’ahs is a cause of destruction.
The hadith of the Messenger is:
لكل عمل شرة ولكل شرة فترة فمن كانت فترته الى سنتي فقد اهتدى ومن كانت فترته الى غير ذلك هلك
Meaning: “For every deed there is a zeal, and for every zeal there is a lull. So whoever’s lull is towards my Sunnah has been guided, and whoever’s lull is towards other than that has perished.”
➍ The person who innovates is cursed and his repentance is not accepted.
The saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is:
ان الله صحبا التوبة عن كل صاحب بدعة حتى يدع بدعته
Meaning: “Allah has prevented the repentance of every person of bid’ah until he abandons his bid’ah.”
The Position of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) on Refuting and Condemning Bid’ah
It is known to every person of knowledge that the Companions devoted their precious time and dear wealth to following the Sunnah, and to the same extent they stayed far away from bid’ahs, and against the people of bid’ah they were a drawn sword. History bears witness that countless examples and instances of this kind are present in the books of hadith and on the pages of biography and history, from which the true position and exemplary conduct of the Companions regarding bid’ah and its destructive effects is entirely clear. Below, as far as we are able, we are writing the statements of some eminent Companions, which express their stance regarding bid’ahs, innovations and un-Islamic actions and practices. Although there are countless such statements, and if they were all recorded a separate volume could be prepared, nevertheless a few statements of the Companions are written here as a sample from a large heap.
The Statement of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him):
Following the Sunnah is obligatory and following bid’ahs is deviation:
After being elected caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he was one man among them, and he thought that perhaps they were burdening him with what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had the strength for.
Allah had protected him (the Messenger ﷺ) from calamities and trials and had chosen him for the people of the world. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
يا ايها الناس انما انا متبع وسلت بمبتدع فان احسنت فاعينوني وان زغت فقوموني
Meaning: “O people! I am one who follows the Sunnah and not one who follows bid’ahs. If I remain upon the Sunnah in my affairs and do good, then help me; and if I go astray, then set me right.”
The Statement of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
The innovator’s and the desire-follower’s repentance is not accepted, and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are free of them:
Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ان لكل صاحب ذنب توبة غير اصحاب الاهواء والبدع ليس لهم توبة أنا برئی منهم وهم مني براء That every possessor of sin will have repentance accepted, except the people of desires and innovations; for them there is no repentance. I am free of them and they are free of me.
The statement of Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Following is obligatory and innovating is forbidden:
عن عثمان الازدي قال: دخلت على ابن عباس فقلت: أوصني فقال: نعم، عليك بتقوى الله والاستقامة اتبع والا تبتدع
Uthman al-Azdi says: I went to Ibn Abbas and said: Advise me. He said: Yes, hold fast to the fear of Allah and steadfastness (in the religion), follow (the Sunnah) and do not innovate.
Innovation is the most hated and most disliked matter to Allah:
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says:
ان ابغض الامور الى الله البدع وان من البدع الاعتكاف فى المساجد التى فى الدور
That the most hated and most disliked matters to Allah are innovations, and among innovations is also to perform i’tikaf in those mosques which are in houses.
The statement of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):
There is no good innovation in the religion:
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says:
كل بدعة ضلالة وان رآها الناس حسنة
That every innovation is misguidance, even if people consider it good.
Adding durood or the like to “al-Hamdu lillah” in reply to a sneeze, or to other Sunnah supplications, is an innovation:
Nafi’ narrates that a man, beside Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), sneezed and said: الحمدلله والسلام على رسول الله Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) declared this addition to the supplication an innovation and said: وليس هكذا علمنا رسول الله علمنا ان نقول: الحمدلله على كل حال — meaning, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not teach us in this way; he taught us to say, when one sneezes, “al-Hamdu lillah ‘ala kulli hal” (الحمد لله على كل حال).
Severing ties with an innovator is necessary:
Nafi’ says that a friend of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the land of Sham used to correspond with him. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) wrote a letter to him saying:
انه بلغنی انك تكلمت فى شئی من القدر فاياك ان تكتب الى
And in the narration of Ibn Majah, that man sent greetings to him, and he replied:
بلغني انه قد احدث فلا تقرئه مني السلام فاني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: يكون فى امتي مسخ وخسف وقذف وذلك فى اهل القدر
That I have been informed you speak about something of qadar, so beware, do not write to me again. In the narration of Ibn Majah, he replied that he had been informed that the man had adopted an innovation, so do not convey my greetings to him, for the Prophet ﷺ said: “In my ummah there will be disfigurement, sinking into the earth, and hurling (punishment), and that will be among the deniers of qadar.”
Performing Salat al-Duha in congregation in the mosque as a regular practice is an innovation, while the prayer itself is a Sunnah.
Imam Mujahid says: I and Urwah ibn al-Zubayr entered the mosque; Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was sitting near the room of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), and people were praying Salat al-Duha in the mosque. We asked him about the prayer of these people, and he said: “Bid’ah” — “This is an innovation.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
قال عياض وغيره، انما انكر ابن عمر ملازمتها واظهارها فى المساجد وصلاتها جماعة لا انها اي اصل الصلاة، مخالفة للسنة، ويؤيده مارواه ابن أبى شيبة عن ابن مسعود انه رأى قوما يصلونها فانكر عليهم وقال: ان كان ولا بد ففي بيوتكم
That Qadi Iyad said that Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) forbade Duha prayer in the mosque as a regular practice and in congregation, displaying it to people, not because the basic prayer itself is contrary to the Sunnah. This is supported by the narration of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in Ibn Abi Shaybah, where he objected on seeing some people praying Duha, and said: if it is necessary, then pray in your houses.
The statement of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him)
➊ Follow and avoid innovation:
قال رضى الله عنه: اتبعوا ولا تبتدعوا فقد كفيتم وكل بدعة ضلالة
Follow, and avoid innovating, for following is sufficient for you, and every innovation is misguidance.
➋ Exhortation to stay away from innovations and newly invented matters:
قال: تعلموا العلم قبل أن يقبض وقبضه ان يذهب اهله الا واياكم التنطع والتعمق والبدع وعليكم بالعتيق
Acquire knowledge before it is taken away. Its being taken away means that its scholars will pass away. Beware of exaggeration, excessive strictness and probing, and of innovations, and hold fast to the ancient (path), that is, the straight way of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah.
➌ Moderation in following the Sunnah is better than striving in innovations.
قال: ”الاقتصاد فى السنة احسن من الاجتهاد فى البدعة“
Moderation in the Sunnah is far better than striving and effort in innovations.
➍ It is necessary to rebuke innovators.
Amr ibn Zurarah says that Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) stood by me while I was telling stories, and rebuked me sharply, saying:
یا عمر ولقد ابتدعت بدعة ضلالة او انك لاهدي من محمد واصحابه فلقد رأيتهم تفرقوا عني حتى رأيت مكاني مافيه أحد
O Amr! You have adopted misguidance and innovation, or you are more guided than Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions. Then I saw people leave (me) after hearing this, until I did not see anyone at my place.
➎ The misguidance and the dreadful end of innovation of those who sit in circles and recite tasbih with pebbles:
Amr bin Salamah al-Hamdani narrates that we used to gather at the door of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) before the Fajr prayer. When he came out of the house, we would go to the mosque with him. One day Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us and said: “Abu Abdur Rahman (Ibn Mas’ud) has not come out yet.” We said: “No.” He sat with us and waited for him to come out. When he came out, we gathered around him. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Abu Abdur Rahman, I have just seen a strange thing in the mosque, and I have seen nothing but good.” He asked: “What is the matter?” Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If you reach there safely, you will see it yourself. I saw in the mosque some people sitting in circles, waiting for the prayer. In each circle there was a man who was their leader, and the rest of the people had pebbles in their hands. The man would say: ‘Say Allahu Akbar one hundred times,’ and they would all say Allahu Akbar. Then he would say: ‘Say subhanallah one hundred times,’ and they would say subhanallah one hundred times.” Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “What did you say to them?” Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said: “I did not think it appropriate to say anything to them before learning your opinion and receiving your instruction.” Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Why did you not tell them to count their sins? I guarantee that if they did so, none of their good deeds would be lost.” Then all the people came to the mosque. Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) came and stood by one of the circles and said: “What are you doing?” They replied: “These are pebbles. We are counting takbir, tahlil and tasbih with them.” He said: “Count your sins, and I guarantee that none of your good deeds will be wasted.” Then, rebuking them, he said:
ويحكم يا امة محمد ما اسرع هلكتكم ! هولاء صحابة نبيكم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم متوافرون وهذه ثيابه لم تبل و آنيته لم تكسر، والذي نفسي بيده انكم لعلى ملة أهدى من ملة محمد أو مفتتحوا باب الضلالة
That is: “Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad! How quickly you are rushing toward destruction! Look, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are still alive, his garments have not yet worn out, and his vessels have not yet broken. By the One in whose hand is my soul, either you are upon a path more guided than the path of Muhammad ﷺ, or you are opening the door of misguidance.” They said: “O Abu Abdur Rahman! By Allah, our aim in this is nothing but goodness and virtue.” He (Ibn Mas’ud) said: وكم من مريد للخير لن يصبيبه (How many are there who seek good but do not attain it). The saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is that there will be people who recite the Qur’an, but it will not go down past their throats. By Allah, perhaps most of you are the fulfilment of that hadith.” Then Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) left from there. Amr bin Salamah says: At the time of the Battle of Nahrawan, I saw most of the people of that circle, and I found them with the Kharijites, who were shooting arrows at us.
Most fitnahs occur because of innovations and superstitions. A slight change in the Sunnah of the Messenger is a cause of fitnah.
Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “What will your condition be when a fitnah surrounds you in which the young will grow old and the child will grow into youth? People will consider it Sunnah. If there is a slight change in it, people will say that the Sunnah has been changed.” He was asked: “O Abu Abdur Rahman, when will this happen?” He said: “When there is a multitude of reciters and a scarcity of jurists, a multitude of rulers and a scarcity of trustworthy people, and worldly gain will be sought through deeds of the Hereafter.”
The saying of Hadrat Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him):
➊ The widespread appearance of innovations and their dominance over the Sunnahs will be such that people will take innovation to be Sunnah.
Hadrat Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he took two stones, placed one upon the other, and asked his companions: “Do you see any light between these two?” They said: “O Abu Abdur Rahman, nothing is visible between these two stones except a faint light.” He said:
”والذي نفسي بيده لتظهرن البدع حتى لايرى من الحق الا قدر مابين هذين الحجرين من النور والله لتفشون البدع حتى اذا ترك منها شئي قالوا تركت السنة“
That is: “By the One in whose hand is my soul! Innovation will soon dominate to such an extent that the truth will appear only as faint a light as you see between these two stones. By Allah! Innovation will be so widespread that if some innovation is abandoned, people will say that a Sunnah has been abandoned.”
➋ Every act of worship that is not established from the Companions of the Messenger ﷺ is an innovation.
Hadrat Hudhayfah said:
كل عبادة لم يتعبدها اصحاب رسول الله فلا تعبدوها
That is: “Every act of worship that the Companions of the Messenger did not perform, do not perform it.” He then said: “Because they left nothing for those who came after them. O seekers of the knowledge of the Shariah! Fear Allah and follow the footsteps of the predecessors.”
The saying of Hadrat Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him):
Every new thing is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance:
Hadrat Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) says: There will come after you trials in which wealth will be abundant, and the Qur’an will be recited by everyone—believer and hypocrite, man and woman, young and old, free and slave. Soon someone will say, “Why do people not follow me, when I have recited the Qur’an?”
ماهم بمتبعي حتي ابتدع لهم غيره فاياكم وما ابتدع فان ما ابتدع ضلالة
They will not follow me until I bring them something new beyond the Qur’an. Beware! Protect yourselves from that new thing, for every new thing introduced into the religion is pure misguidance. And listen, I warn you against the deviation of the scholar (ḥakīm), for Satan sometimes causes words of misguidance to come from the tongue of a scholar, while the hypocrite too sometimes speaks a word of truth.
These were a few points from the golden sayings of the Companions that we have written for you. Through them it becomes clear that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were extremely vigilant in rejecting innovation and denouncing innovators. They strove to close all the back doors through which innovation and its various forms could enter the Sunnah and try to blemish its beautiful face. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) eradicated it through their sayings and actions, admonished the Ummah to be wary of and avoid it, thoroughly dissected innovation, condemned and refuted it in harsh words, and even cut off speech, greetings and all relations with the people of innovation and those who follow desires. They severed all means of correspondence and social contact with them, and when necessary waged a jihad with tongue and speech to end the innovative circles of the people of innovation. For the sake of Allah, without fear of any blame, they stood as the standard-bearers of the Sunnah, fought against innovations and superstitions, and always kept the Ummah informed about the people of innovation and desires and their opinions and ideas. They declared the division into “good innovation” and “bad innovation” to be false, explained the realities of relative innovations and other newly emerged innovations, and, describing them as deviation, misguidance, errancy, foolishness and fomenting of strife, warned the Muslims about their ruinous effects and their evil consequences and dreadful end.
Today, in this trial-filled environment of innovations, the only means for the Ummah to be acquainted with the authentic Book and Sunnah is for us to strengthen our bond with the blessed Seerah and the life of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and to take the footprints of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) as our own example and model.
Sayings of the Successors and Narrations of the Righteous Predecessors Condemning and Refuting Innovation
Countless sayings and narrations from the eminent Successors and the righteous predecessors have been transmitted concerning the condemnation of innovation and the prohibition of sitting and associating with the people of innovation. Below we briefly mention them so that the realities become clear and false claims are exposed:
The saying of Hadrat Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him):
Avoiding innovations is necessary.
He says: I advise you to adopt the fear of Allah, to act upon His commands, to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger, and to beware of the innovation of innovators.
The saying of Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him):
Innovations are the cause of distance from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ.
He says: Whoever introduces an innovation will not be able to return to the Sunnah.
The saying of Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him):
Following the footsteps of the predecessors and avoiding innovations is essential.
He says: Leave what is wrong; if you do not do so, you are not upon the truth. Act upon the Sunnah, keep away from innovations. I consider the correct position to be that one follows the footsteps of the predecessors, and he said that you should make binding upon yourself the profession (of faith) and practice that laborers, veiled women and students of the maktabs (schools) adhere to.
Innovation is a favourite action of Iblis:
Imam Sufyan says that Iblis prefers innovation over sin, because repentance from sin is possible, but repentance from innovation is not possible.
The saying of Muhammad ibn Aslam (may Allah have mercy on him):
Honouring and respecting the people of innovation is not permissible.
He says: Whoever honours an innovator has helped in demolishing the fortress of Islam.
The saying of Yahya ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him):
One should keep away from the people of innovation and their ways and methods.
He says: When you encounter an innovator somewhere, take another path.
The saying of Fudayl ibn Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him):
Between an innovator and a Sunni there should be a refuge stronger than an iron wall.
He says: Whoever sits with an innovator, keep away from him; and whoever sits with an innovator will be deprived of wisdom. And to me it is more beloved that there be a strong iron fortress between me and an innovator.
The saying of Imam al-Awza’i (may Allah have mercy on him):
Debating at length with an innovator gives rise to doubts.
He says: Do not make much effort to debate with an innovator, lest doubts (fitnah) arise in your hearts.
The status of the Sunnah-follower and the People of Hadith is very high.
He says: I was asked, “A man says: I sit with the People of Hadith and I also sit with the People of Innovation.” I replied: Does this man want to make equal between truth and falsehood?
The statement of Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him)
Good deeds performed in worship and sincere intention, if they go against the Sunnah, become a cause of punishment: Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib saw a man praying more than two rak’ahs after the dawn had risen, performing many bowings and prostrations. The man said, “O Abu Muhammad! Will Allah punish me for praying?” He replied, “No, He will not punish you for praying, but He will punish you for opposing the Sunnah.”
The statement of Qatadah al-Sadusi (may Allah have mercy on him)
It is necessary to warn people about innovation and innovators and to protect them from it. He says: When a person adopts an innovation, it is appropriate that his innovations be mentioned so that people may avoid them.
The statement of Sa’id ibn Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him)
The company of a non-innovator sinner is better than the company of an innovator worshipper. He says: My son keeping company with a cunning sinner who follows the Sunnah is far better for me than his keeping company with a worshipper who is an innovator.
The statement of ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him)
The innovator has little knowledge. He says: As in the hadith, among the signs of the Hour is that knowledge will be sought from the “asaghir” (the young/lesser ones); he says that in this hadith, “asaghir” refers to the People of Innovation.
Better than the company of the People of Innovation is the company and fellowship of the poor and needy. He says: Sit with the needy, but never sit with innovators.
The statement of Abu Qilabah (may Allah have mercy on him)
Sitting with the People of Innovation is the back door to misguidance.
He says: Do not keep company with the People of Innovation, nor debate with them, for there is a fear that they may lead you into their misguidance or cast you into doubts.
The statement of Abu Ayyub (may Allah have mercy on him)
Keep away from sitting and companionship with innovators.
He says: Sa’id ibn Jubayr saw me sitting with Talq ibn Habib and said, “Do you sit with Talq ibn Habib? Do not take Talq ibn Habib as a companion.”
The statement of Qadi Abu Ya’la (may Allah have mercy on him)
There is consensus of the Companions and Successors on boycotting the People of Innovation.
He says: There is consensus among the Companions and Successors on boycotting the People of Innovation and cutting off relations with them.
The statement of Hassan ibn ‘Atiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
Innovation is a means of erasing the Sunnah.
He says: When a people adopt an innovation, Allah removes a similar Sunnah from the hearts of people, and it does not return until the Day of Resurrection.
The statement of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him)
Turning to innovations contrary to the Sunnah leads to destruction.
He says: Whoever abandons and rejects the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ (and is driven toward innovations) has reached the brink of destruction.
Keeping away from innovation is the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah:
He says: Our principles of the Sunnah are to hold firmly to the Sunnah of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to follow them, and to abandon innovations, for every innovation is misguidance.
The statement of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him)
Considering some innovation to be a good innovation in religion is an admission of betrayal in the Muhammadan message.
He says:
➊ Whoever invents an innovation and considers it a good innovation has, in effect, affirmed that there was betrayal in the message of Muhammad ﷺ.
Allah the Exalted says:
اليوم اكملت لكم دينكم واتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الاسلام دينا
Therefore, what was not part of the religion at the time of the Prophetic mission cannot be part of the religion today.
➋ Deviation from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the back door to innovation:
Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) says that a man came to him and said, “O Abu ‘Abdullah! Where should I enter into ihram from?” I said: From Dhul-Hulayfah, from where the Prophet ﷺ entered into ihram. The man said, “I want to enter into ihram from the grave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Prophet’s Mosque.” I replied: Do not do that, for there is a fear of falling into fitnah. The man said, “What fitnah is there in it? It is only a few miles’ difference.” I said: What greater fitnah could there be than that you think you have done a virtuous act which the Prophet ﷺ did not do? Allah the Exalted says: Let those who oppose his command beware lest a trial befall them or a punishment strike them.
The statement of Imam al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him)
The wonders and strange claims of the people of innovation are unacceptable.
He says: Imam Layth was lenient; if I were to see the people of innovation flying in the air, I would not accept it.
The statement of Imam Izz ibn Abd al-Salam (may Allah have mercy on him):
Eradicating innovations is a deed that earns reward.
He says: Glad tidings for the person who is entrusted with any matter of the Muslims, and who then strives and makes efforts to eliminate innovations and to promote the Sunnah.
The statement of Imam al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him):
Boycotting the people of innovation remains in place until they repent.
He says: The Prophet ﷺ had already given the news about the division of the Ummah, so the boycott of the people of innovation and of the people of desires will remain in place until they repent.
These precious statements of the Tabi’un and the Imams regarding the refutation of innovations, the condemnation of the people of innovation, and keeping away from their company are clear evidence that innovation holds no importance in the religion of Islam, and that innovations are the back door to misguidance. For the sake of protecting and upholding the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, every member of the Ummah should avoid innovations and keep away from the people of innovation.
فليتدبر اولوا الابصار
