The ruling on designating the last day of the year for fasting and seeking forgiveness

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This is a collection of questions, and I ask your permission to present them. This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, it has become widespread in these days for some brothers to advise one another to fast on the last day of the year and the first day of the coming year, and to advise one another to seek forgiveness frequently so that they may conclude their past year. They seek to begin their new year with the remembrance of Allah and His obedience. Is this designation of this specific time permissible? And is advising one another to do so permissible, especially since it has spread through mobile phones and messages and the like?

Answer:
This is what we are speaking about now, regarding bid'ah (religious innovation). This is a bid'ah. This prevents one from drinking from the Pool on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever introduces into our matter something that does not belong to it is rejected. This is an innovated bid'ah. Allah did not command us with this act, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not command us with this act. We are required to be diligent, always and forever, in voluntary fasting. As for designating a specific day for fasting or for seeking forgiveness, this is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is misguidance. So you must advise these people and disapprove of them, and [know] that this is something that distances them from Allah and distances them from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes, yes.