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The innovation (bidah) is something new in the religion. There is a lot of debate on what is
innovation and what is not. Holy Prophet (pbuh) has warned us against the innovation (bidah)
repeatedly. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“if anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, will be rejected”
“He who does an act which we have not authenticated, will be rejected”:
The above sayings clarify that by innovation prophet (pbuh) meant innovation in religion. The
following ahadith (sayings of Prophet (pbuh)) further emphasie the dangers of innovation in
Isalm
Abdullah b. Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) observed: Never a Prophet had
been sent before me by Allah towards his nation who had not among his people (his) disciples
and companions who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then there came after them
their successors who said whatever they did not practice, and practiced whatever they were not
commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove
against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was
a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed. (Sahih
Muslim)
The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: It (Kauthar) is a canal which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious has
promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people would come
to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would be equal to the number of stars. A
servant would be turned away from (among the people gathered there). Upon this I would say:
My Lord, he is one of my people, and He (the Lord) would say: You do not know that he
innovated new things (in Islam) after you. (Sahih Muslim » The Book of Prayers )
The Prophet ( )ﷺsaid, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men
amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be
pulled away from me by force whereupon I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' Then the Almighty
will say, 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the
religion after you.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari , book of fitan)
"I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from
it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me
some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and
them." Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri added that the Prophet ( )ﷺfurther said:"I will say those people
are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.'
Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the
religion) after me!"
Stance of companions of Prophet (PBUH)
Once a man sneezed in the presence of Ibn Umar and said, "Praise be to Allah and peace be
upon the Messenger.’ Ibn Umar chastised the man and said, "The Prophet has only taught us to
say Alhumdu’lillah." (Tirmidhi)
'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people regard it as
good."[Ad-Darimi]
'Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "Do not sit with the people of innovation, for surely their sittings are a
sickness for the hearts." [Ash-Shari'ah of Al-Ajuri, p.65]
Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman said, "Every act of worship which the Companions did not do, do not
do it." [Abu Dawud]
It is related in an athar in al-Daarimi on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Salamah who said:
"We used to sit by the door of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud before the morning prayer, so that when he
came out we would walk with him to the masjid. One day Abu Musa al-Ash'ari came to us and
said, 'Has Abu 'Abdur-Rahman come out yet?' We replied, 'No.' So he sat down with us until he
came out. When he came out we all stood along with him, so Abu Musa said to him, 'O Abu
Abdur-Rahman! I have just seen something in the masjid which I deemed to be evil, but all
praise is for Allah, I did not see anything except good.' He enquired, 'Then what is it?' Abu Musa
replied, 'If you live you will see it. I saw in the masjid people sitting in circles awaiting the prayer.
In each circle they had pebbles in their hands and a man would say, 'Repeat Allahu Akbar a
hundred times.' So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'Say la ilaha
illallah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times. Then he would say,
'Say subhanallah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times.' Ibn Mas'ud asked,
'What did you say to them?' Abu Musa said, 'I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to
hear your view or what you declared.' Ibn Mas'ud replied, 'If only you had ordered them to count
up the evil deeds they acquired and assured them that their good deeds would not be lost!'
Then we went along with him until they came to one of these circles and stood and said, 'What
is this which I see you doing?' They replied, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! These are pebbles upon
which we are counting takbir, tahlil and tasbih.' He said, 'Count up your evil deeds. I assure you
that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon
him! How quickly you go to destruction! These are the Companions of your Prophet, upon whom
be peace, and who are widespread. There are his clothes which have not yet decayed and his
bowl which is unbroken. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! Either you are upon a religion better
guided than the religion of Muhammad, peace be upon him, or you are opening the door of
misguidance.' They said, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! By Allah, we only intended good.' He said,
'How many there are who intend good but do not achieve it. Related by Ad-Daremie (204) and Abu Na`eim
with an authentic chain. Authenticated by Al-Haithamee (Al-Majma, 1/181, 189), Al-Haitamee (Az-Zawaajir, Al-Kabeerah #51 ), Al-
Albaanee (As-Saheehah, 2005; Ar-Radd alal-Habashee, p.45-47), Abdul-Muhsin Al-Abbaad (Al-Hathth alat-tibaa-is-Sunnah, p.49),
Bakr Aboo Zaid (Tas-heeh-ud-Duaa’, p.149, 153, 154), Husayn Asad (Musnad-ud-Daarimee, 210), Amr Saleem (Al-Bida libn
Waddaah, 27), Al-Hilaalee (Al-Bidah, p.44-47), Al-Halabee (Ihkaam-ul-Mabaanee, p.55-58), Al-Huwainee (Al-Bidah wa Aathaaruhaa
(1), 03:45), Mashhoor Salmaan (Al-Amr bil-Ittibaa, p.83-84), Zakariyyaa Al-Baakistaanee (Taudeeh-ul-Usool ) and others.