What are the guidelines or principles that, if a man commits them, cause him to exit the circle of the people of the Sunnah and become an innovator?

The questioner:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: What are the guidelines or principles that, if a man commits them, cause him to exit the circle of the people of the Sunnah and become an innovator?

The Shaykh:
What is it?

The questioner:
The guidelines or principles that, if a man commits them, cause him to exit the circle of the people of the Sunnah and become an innovator?

The Shaykh:
Not every innovator exits the circle of the people of the Sunnah; one may be an innovator and still be from the people of the Sunnah and the community. So not every innovator exits. If the religious innovation (bid'ah) is in the creed, yes, he exits. But if the religious innovation is in something other than the creed, a practical religious innovation, then it is forbidden, but it does not cause him to exit the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community. Yes.