The Meaning of the Hadith: Whoever Introduces a Good Practice in Islam
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Question:
The questioner, 'Adil, says: Honorable Shaykh, what is included in the hadithSahih Muslim 1017a until the Day of Resurrection? What are the righteous deeds that fall under this Sunnah?
Answer:
It is not permissible for a person to invent something in worship that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not bring, and say that this is a good practice. Rather, the meaning of "whoever introduces a good practice in Islam" is that he revives a practice that people had abandoned and neglected. This is what it means to introduce a good practice in Islam; that is, to revive a practice that people had neglected and left behind.
The occasion of the hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged giving charity to the needy. Some needy people came to him, so he encouraged the Companions to give them charity. The Companions rushed to give whatever they could. A man came with a piece of gold that his hand had failed to handle, or nearly failed to handle? It was that his hand had failed to handle it. He placed it before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with it. The Companions followed suit in giving charity when they saw this, and he became an example for them. So he said (peace and blessings be upon him) . As for the one who innovates in worship what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not legislate, and argues with this hadith, he is mistaken, and this is defective reasoning. Why? Because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade innovations and bid'ah (religious innovations). He said (peace and blessings be upon him): "The worst of matters are their innovations, every bid'ah Sunan Abi Dawud 4607Sahih (Al-Albani) every misguidance ." So it is not permissible for a person to invent a form of worship, or for someone else to invent it for him, and say that this is a good Sunnah or a good bid'ah. Now they say this is a good bid'ah, and they divide bid'ah into good bid'ah or bad bid'ah. This is contrary to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, for he said Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam). So it is not permissible to introduce into Islam what is not part of it, claiming that this is worship and that it brings one closer to Allah. He said (peace and blessings be upon him) Sahih Muslim 1718b.
So whoever acts upon a bid'ah, even if he did not invent it himself but someone else did, his deed is rejected, just like the one who invented it, as in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)Sahih Muslim 1718a. That is, it is rejected and not accepted by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
The questioner, 'Adil, says: Honorable Shaykh, what is included in the hadith
He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بهاAnswer:
It is not permissible for a person to invent something in worship that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not bring, and say that this is a good practice. Rather, the meaning of "whoever introduces a good practice in Islam" is that he revives a practice that people had abandoned and neglected. This is what it means to introduce a good practice in Islam; that is, to revive a practice that people had neglected and left behind.
The occasion of the hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged giving charity to the needy. Some needy people came to him, so he encouraged the Companions to give them charity. The Companions rushed to give whatever they could. A man came with a piece of gold that his hand had failed to handle, or nearly failed to handle? It was that his hand had failed to handle it. He placed it before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with it. The Companions followed suit in giving charity when they saw this, and he became an example for them. So he said (peace and blessings be upon him)
Whoever establishes a good Sunnah in Islam, he will have the reward of it and the reward of whoever acts upon it. Just as whoever establishes a bad Sunnah in Islam, he will bear its sin and the sin of
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها، وأجر من عمل بها، كما أن من سن في الإسلام سنة سيئة فعليه وزرها، ووزرwhoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection
من عمل بها الى يوم القيامهevery novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error
كل محدثه بدعه وكل بدعه ضلالهis in the Fire,
في النار،every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire
كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلاَلَةٍ فِي النَّارِHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردSo whoever acts upon a bid'ah, even if he did not invent it himself but someone else did, his deed is rejected, just like the one who invented it, as in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردThe presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 02/183 — archive.org (5:26)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.