The first question of Fatwa No. ( 2139 ):
Q1: What are the innovated matters, and what is their meaning? A1: The intended meaning in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Beware of newly invented matters
إياكم ومحدثات الأمور
is everything that people have introduced into the religion of Islam from religious innovations in matters of creed and worship, and the like, which has not come from the Book or from an established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and which they have adopted as a religion, believing in it and worshipping Allah with it, claiming that it is prescribed, whereas it is not; rather, it is an innovation that is prohibited. This includes calling upon the dead among the righteous or those absent from them, making graves into mosques, circumambulating around graves, and seeking aid from their inhabitants, claiming that they are intercessors for them with Allah and mediators in fulfilling needs and relieving distress. It also includes making the birthdays of the prophets and the righteous into festivals, celebrating them, and doing what they claim are acts of nearness specific to the night of the birthday, or its day, or its month, up to the like of that, which is almost incalculable in terms of religious innovations and superstitions for which Allah has not sent down any authority, and nothing of which is established in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It becomes clear from what we have mentioned that some of the innovations amount to shirk (associating partners with Allah), such as calling for aid from the dead and making vows to them, while some are merely religious innovations and do not reach the level of shirk, such as building on graves and making mosques on them, provided that one does not exaggerate in this to the point where it becomes shirk. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions. 