The Categories of Religious Innovation
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 7721 ):
Q2: Into how many categories is religious innovation divided? Is every religious innovation misguidance? If so, I see that placing the vowel marks in the Noble Qur'an, such as the dammah, fathah, kasrah, sukun, dot, and tone, are all innovations; because the Noble Qur'an in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was not written except on sheets of parchment and did not have vowel marks as we see them today. Is placing the vowel marks in it an innovation? Is this innovation misguidance?
A2: Religious innovation is divided into: religious innovation and customary innovation. Customary innovation is like: every new industry or invention, and the original ruling for them is permissibility, except for what evidence from the Shari'ah indicates is prohibited. As for religious innovation, it is: anything newly introduced in the religion in imitation of
the legislation of Allah; such as collective dhikr with one voice, and the innovations of Mawlid celebrations, and the innovations of celebrating the middle of the month of Sha'ban and the twenty-seventh of Rajab, and the night of the fortieth day after a person's death, and reciting the Qur'an for the dead over the graves... to the like of that which is too numerous to count. There are no categories for religious innovation in the religion in terms of its ruling, rather every religious innovation is misguidance; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 1718a narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in a narration Sahih Muslim 1718b narrated by Muslim, and because of what was narrated by al-'Arba' ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah . As for the dotting of the letters of the Qur'an and its regulation with vowel marks, it is not from the innovations, even though it was not present in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); because it is from the undisputed public interests, as the evidence of the Shari'ah commanding its preservation indicates this in general,
and I advise you to read the book [Al-I'tisam] by al-Shatibi, for it has given the subject its due. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q2: Into how many categories is religious innovation divided? Is every religious innovation misguidance? If so, I see that placing the vowel marks in the Noble Qur'an, such as the dammah, fathah, kasrah, sukun, dot, and tone, are all innovations; because the Noble Qur'an in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was not written except on sheets of parchment and did not have vowel marks as we see them today. Is placing the vowel marks in it an innovation? Is this innovation misguidance?
A2: Religious innovation is divided into: religious innovation and customary innovation. Customary innovation is like: every new industry or invention, and the original ruling for them is permissibility, except for what evidence from the Shari'ah indicates is prohibited. As for religious innovation, it is: anything newly introduced in the religion in imitation of
the legislation of Allah; such as collective dhikr with one voice, and the innovations of Mawlid celebrations, and the innovations of celebrating the middle of the month of Sha'ban and the twenty-seventh of Rajab, and the night of the fortieth day after a person's death, and reciting the Qur'an for the dead over the graves... to the like of that which is too numerous to count. There are no categories for religious innovation in the religion in terms of its ruling, rather every religious innovation is misguidance; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
'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 ردHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردThe Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us a forceful sermon, and our hearts were moved by it and our eyes shed tears, so we said: O Messenger of Allah, it is as if it is the sermon of one who is taking his leave, so advise us. He said: I advise you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey, even if a black slave is appointed over you. And whoever lives among you will see much disagreement, so hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and grip it with your teeth. And beware of newly invented matters, for every religious innovation is misguidance
وعظنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم موعظة بليغة، وجلت منها القلوب وذرفت منها العيون، فقلنا: يا رسول الله، كأنها موعظة مودع فأوصنا، قال: أوصيكم بتقوى الله والسمع والطاعة وإن تأمر عليكم عبد حبشي وإنه من يعش منكم فسيرى اختلافًا كثيرًا، فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين عضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور، فإن كل بدعة ضلالةand I advise you to read the book [Al-I'tisam] by al-Shatibi, for it has given the subject its due. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.