The Shaykh’s clarification of the categories of religious innovation mentioned by Imam al-Shatibi in his book al-I’tisam, along with some examples.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Imam al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) has that great book known as *al-I’tisam*, in which he divided religious innovation into two categories:
The first category is true religious innovation, and the other is relative religious innovation.
In his terminology, true religious innovation is that which has no basis whatsoever in the Sunnah or in the Noble Qur'an, such as deviant beliefs that depart from the Book and the Sunnah, like the doctrines of the Mu'tazilah and the Jabriyyah, and the like.
As for the second category, which is relative religious innovation: it is that which, when viewed from one angle, appears prescribed, but when viewed from another angle, appears not prescribed. He cites some examples to clarify this important issue, because in reality, we know that most of the innovations prevalent today and in the past in the Muslim world belong to this category. Therefore, those with weak knowledge are deceived by it, and it is relative religious innovation.
Among the examples of this is his statement (may Allah have mercy on him): "Seeking forgiveness after the prayers with a single voice". When viewed in terms of its origin, it is a recommended practice, because it is established in *Sahih Muslim* It was said to its narrator, Sufyan al-Thawri, when he narrated this hadith Mishkat al-Masabih 960, this is how the hadith came: It was said to Sufyan: How is the seeking of forgiveness? He mentioned what I mentioned earlier, "I seek the forgiveness of Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah".
Among the relative innovations today is saying: "I seek the forgiveness of Allah, the Great, who has no god but Him," and so on. This complete form was not transmitted for this place; rather, it came in a shortened form as we mentioned earlier. So al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Thus, the gathering of the worshippers with a single voice after the prayer is from the category of relative innovation", because additions were made to this prescribed seeking of forgiveness that were not there, including: that they lengthened the seeking of forgiveness, whereas it is short, and that they gathered upon it with a single voice, whereas the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek forgiveness to himself, and likewise the Companions when they prayed behind him.
He gives another example, which is called in some countries "the supplication at the end of the prayer". We all know that from the Sunnah after the closing salam are: seeking forgiveness, "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace," the two refuges (al-Mu'awwidhatayn), and the glorification, praise, and magnification, and so on. All these things are done by the worshippers, each one individually. The supplication after the prayer did not come in a lengthened form, but rather with short supplications, such as what was mentioned before: "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, Blessed and Exalted is He, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor," and like the advice of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to Mu'adh:Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2:423 For these are only few, short words. As for this long supplication after the dhikr we referred to, then the imam's supplication for the worshippers and their saying "Ameen" to his supplication, al-Shatibi says: "This form is an innovation that did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him), even though its origin is established". The dhikr, and supplication in general, is prescribed, but when what was not prescribed was added to this prescribed matter, the issue entered into what he calls: "relative innovations".
The truth is that most of the innovations, which cannot be counted, are of this type, namely: relative innovations. Some people do not pay attention to this precision and think there is no harm in becoming accustomed to some supplications or some dhikr, even though they know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not do so.
The first category is true religious innovation, and the other is relative religious innovation.
In his terminology, true religious innovation is that which has no basis whatsoever in the Sunnah or in the Noble Qur'an, such as deviant beliefs that depart from the Book and the Sunnah, like the doctrines of the Mu'tazilah and the Jabriyyah, and the like.
As for the second category, which is relative religious innovation: it is that which, when viewed from one angle, appears prescribed, but when viewed from another angle, appears not prescribed. He cites some examples to clarify this important issue, because in reality, we know that most of the innovations prevalent today and in the past in the Muslim world belong to this category. Therefore, those with weak knowledge are deceived by it, and it is relative religious innovation.
Among the examples of this is his statement (may Allah have mercy on him): "Seeking forgiveness after the prayers with a single voice". When viewed in terms of its origin, it is a recommended practice, because it is established in *Sahih Muslim*
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to say when he finished the prayer: "I seek the forgiveness of Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah."
أنَّ النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم كان إذا سلَّم قال: -أستغفر الله، أستغفر الله، أستغفر الله-‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger uttered the salutation he sat no longer than it took to say, “O God, Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of glory and honour.” Muslim transmitted it.
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا سلَّم استغفر ثلاثًاAmong the relative innovations today is saying: "I seek the forgiveness of Allah, the Great, who has no god but Him," and so on. This complete form was not transmitted for this place; rather, it came in a shortened form as we mentioned earlier. So al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Thus, the gathering of the worshippers with a single voice after the prayer is from the category of relative innovation", because additions were made to this prescribed seeking of forgiveness that were not there, including: that they lengthened the seeking of forgiveness, whereas it is short, and that they gathered upon it with a single voice, whereas the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek forgiveness to himself, and likewise the Companions when they prayed behind him.
He gives another example, which is called in some countries "the supplication at the end of the prayer". We all know that from the Sunnah after the closing salam are: seeking forgiveness, "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace," the two refuges (al-Mu'awwidhatayn), and the glorification, praise, and magnification, and so on. All these things are done by the worshippers, each one individually. The supplication after the prayer did not come in a lengthened form, but rather with short supplications, such as what was mentioned before: "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, Blessed and Exalted is He, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor," and like the advice of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to Mu'adh:
Do not cease to say after every prayer: "O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in an excellent manner."
لا تدعنَّ أن تقول دبر كل صلاة اللهم أَعني على ذكرك وشكرك وحسن عبادتكThe truth is that most of the innovations, which cannot be counted, are of this type, namely: relative innovations. Some people do not pay attention to this precision and think there is no harm in becoming accustomed to some supplications or some dhikr, even though they know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not do so.