The Ruling on Innovating a Good or Bad Sunnah
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Question:
Is it true that it was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) followed it, and it was also reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) his saying: "Beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation (bid'ah), every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire." Please clarify this for us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Yes, the two hadiths are authentic. Whoever initiates a good sunnah in Islam has the reward of it and the reward of whoever works by it, and whoever initiates a bad sunnah in Islam has the sin of it and the sin of whoever works by it. In the hadithSahih Muslim 2674 and both hadiths are established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Meaning, he revives a sunnah, and the people follow him in reviving it and act upon it, if it was a forgotten sunnah, for example, or one that had been neglected. Then a Muslim comes and revives it and explains it to the people, and they act upon it. He has the reward of reviving the sunnah and the reward of the followers, because he has become a good example in good. And the opposite is the case with initiating a bad sunnah. So whoever innovates a bid'ah that has no basis in the Shari'ah, and the people act upon it, then he has upon him a sin like their sins, because this is a bid'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said Sahih Muslim 1718b, meaning it is rejected. And whoever calls to misguidance has upon him the sins of those who followed him, from the one who heard it until the Day of Resurrection.
The hadith has a cause, and it is that a group of poor people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a state of severe need and poverty. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged giving charity to them. A man came with a bag of gold, and his hand almost failed to carry it, or it did fail. The people followed and came with their charities. The face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brightened with joy and happiness, and he saidSahih Muslim 1017a, because this man had become a good example in good, and the people followed him in that.
The conclusion is that this hadith is a great hadith. It indicates the encouragement to revive the sunnah and its good aspects, and it indicates the warning from bid'ah and newly invented matters, which is reviving misguidance. And the matter does not stop with the misguiding person himself, but the sins of the followers who were deceived, who were deceived and led astray, attach to him. He bears a share of their burdens, as Allah the Exalted said[An-Nahl 16:25].
So let these followers and the heads of misguidance beware, and let them beware of these dire consequences. They will bear the burdens of the people who imitated them in bid'ah and misguidance. And let the callers to truth and callers to the Sunnah be active, because they will obtain great rewards. The more their followers and those who benefit from them increase, the more their rewards increase. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Is it true that it was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Whoever initiates a good sunnah, he has the reward of it and the reward of whoever followed him. And whoever initiates a bad sunnah, he has the burden of it and the burden of whoever
من سن سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من اتبعه، ومن سن سنة سيئة فله وزرها ووزر منAnswer:
Yes, the two hadiths are authentic. Whoever initiates a good sunnah in Islam has the reward of it and the reward of whoever works by it, and whoever initiates a bad sunnah in Islam has the sin of it and the sin of whoever works by it. In the hadith
He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect.
من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه إلى يوم القيامة لا ينقص من أجوره شيئا، ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الأجر مثل آثام من تبعه لا ينقص من آثامه شيئا.And the meaning of initiating a good sunnah
ومعنى سن سنة حسنةHe 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 ردThe hadith has a cause, and it is that a group of poor people came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a state of severe need and poverty. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged giving charity to them. A man came with a bag of gold, and his hand almost failed to carry it, or it did fail. The people followed and came with their charities. The face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brightened with joy and happiness, and he said
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 بهاThe conclusion is that this hadith is a great hadith. It indicates the encouragement to revive the sunnah and its good aspects, and it indicates the warning from bid'ah and newly invented matters, which is reviving misguidance. And the matter does not stop with the misguiding person himself, but the sins of the followers who were deceived, who were deceived and led astray, attach to him. He bears a share of their burdens, as Allah the Exalted said
That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection and some of the burdens of those whom they misguide without knowledge. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
لِيَحْمِلُوا أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَSo let these followers and the heads of misguidance beware, and let them beware of these dire consequences. They will bear the burdens of the people who imitated them in bid'ah and misguidance. And let the callers to truth and callers to the Sunnah be active, because they will obtain great rewards. The more their followers and those who benefit from them increase, the more their rewards increase. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، كيف نوفق بين حديث (من سن سنة حسنة...) وحديث (إياكم ومحدثات الأمور...)؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.