Is it permissible to pray for the people of innovation?

Question : Shaykh, may Allah expand your chest, increase your knowledge, grant you success, and guide your steps. The questioner asks: Is it permissible to pray for the people of innovation?

Answer : The people of innovation are divided into two categories. The first is those whose innovation is a cause of disbelief; for these, it is not permissible to pray for them, nor is it permissible for us to say, "O Allah, have mercy on them," due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: .
This repeats what was said before. Pay attention: You must ascertain that this innovator’s innovation is one that entails disbelief, and you must also ascertain that this innovator has become a disbeliever, because not every innovation that entails disbelief makes the one who commits it a disbeliever. The person committing it might be one who interprets the text and is ignorant of the truth, and if the truth were presented to him, he would follow it. For this reason, scholars distinguish between the statement of disbelief and the one who makes the statement. They say, for example, that the statement may be disbelief, but the one who made it is not a disbeliever because he has obstacles preventing him from being a disbeliever. Similarly, the act may be disbelief, but the one who did it is not a disbeliever because he has obstacles preventing him from being a disbeliever. Does not Allah say: A man spoke the explicit word of disbelief, but he was coerced; the sword was at his throat, and they said, “Either you say this, or we will kill you,” so he said it. Is he a disbeliever? The statement is disbelief, but the one who made it is not a disbeliever. In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) related to us the story of a man who was in the desert with his camel, on which was his food and drink, and it was lost from him. It was lost; he searched for it but did not find it, so he slept under a tree, waiting for death, pure in his intention. While he was thus, he saw the camel’s bridle hanging from the tree. He grabbed the bridle and said, “O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord.” He made a mistake out of extreme joy. Is this disbelief? If someone were to say this intentionally to Allah the Exalted, “O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord,” what would be the ruling? He would be a disbeliever. But this man, because he made a mistake out of extreme joy, was not a disbeliever. So there is a difference between the statement and the one who makes it. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said in the verse: ascertain. Now, Ibrahim sought forgiveness for his father; he sought forgiveness for his father. He said, “What?” And before that, he said, “I will seek forgiveness for you from my Lord,” so he promised him and fulfilled it. Allah responded to this by saying: Now, so the first category of the people of innovation is the one whose innovation entails disbelief; for him, one does not seek mercy, nor does one ask for pardon or forgiveness. The second category is the one whose innovation does not entail disbelief; for him, one seeks mercy and asks Allah for pardon and forgiveness. There are some scholars of sound understanding whom we love and testify to their sincerity and advice, who have some innovations. Do we say that we do not seek mercy for them? No, we seek mercy for them, because we know their advice and sincerity, and that they were not guided to the truth in what they adopted of this innovation. What? What? Now, there is no objection.