Advice on the Issue of Declaring Individuals Innovators

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: It is difficult for us, or rather for many of the young people in this time, the issue of declaring some individuals as innovators. The people and the youth have divided into two groups: one group takes the position of declaring a scholar an innovator if it is true, and they oblige others to do so, because that falls under the category of accepting the report of a trustworthy person. The other group says that the issue of declaring someone an innovator is a matter of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), so in this case, one looks to whoever has the ability in that, and then takes what his independent reasoning has clarified for him. This matter has become difficult for us, may Allah preserve you. So what is your advice to us?

Answer:
Allah has not tasked you with declaring people innovators and ruling that they are innovators. Allah has not tasked you with this. Seek knowledge now. If you seek knowledge, you will know the religious innovation (bid'ah) and the innovator. But you are letting your tongues run loose against everyone who differs and everyone who does something you criticize in them. You say, "This is an innovator." The sin of this returns to you. The sin of this returns to you. So it is obligatory for a person to restrain his tongue from these matters, and to seek knowledge, to occupy himself with seeking knowledge.