What is the ruling on repeating the phrase: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on repeating the phrase: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, we ask You for Paradise and we seek refuge in You from the Fire. What is the ruling on repeating this in a collective and loud voice after the obligatory prayers?
The Shaykh : The ruling on this is that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the worst of matters are those that are newly invented, and every newly invented matter is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and every religious innovation (bid'ah) is misguidance.
And matters of worship are not taken from opinion or from the practice of people, but only from the Book and the Sunnah, because the original ruling in acts of worship is prohibition, until evidence is established that it is a prescribed (mashru') act of worship, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):[Al-Jathiyah 45:18-19].
And because of the saying of Allah the Exalted, rebuking the polytheists:[Ash-Shuraa 42:21], and because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): Sahih Muslim 1718b.
So it is obligatory to refrain from this religious innovation (bid'ah), and the worshippers should occupy themselves with the dhikr (remembrance of Allah) reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and each of them should remember Allah alone.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O esteemed Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit Islam and the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : The ruling on this is that it is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the worst of matters are those that are newly invented, and every newly invented matter is a religious innovation (bid'ah), and every religious innovation (bid'ah) is misguidance.
And matters of worship are not taken from opinion or from the practice of people, but only from the Book and the Sunnah, because the original ruling in acts of worship is prohibition, until evidence is established that it is a prescribed (mashru') act of worship, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
(18) Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know. (19) Indeed, they will never avail you against Allah at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allah is the protector of the righteous.
ثم جعلناك على شريعة من الأمر فاتبعها ولا تتبع أهواء الذين لا يعلمون ، إنهم لن يغنوا عنك من الله شيئا وإن الظالمين بعضهم أولياء بعض والله ولي المتقينAnd because of the saying of Allah the Exalted, rebuking the polytheists:
Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?
أم لهم شركاء شرعوا هم من الدين ما لم يأذن به اللهHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردSo it is obligatory to refrain from this religious innovation (bid'ah), and the worshippers should occupy themselves with the dhikr (remembrance of Allah) reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and each of them should remember Allah alone.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O esteemed Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit Islam and the Muslims through you.