The Shaykh’s clarification of the criterion for considering new matters as religious innovations, his transmission of the words of the Shaykh al-Islam on this matter, and his giving of examples such as the prayer of tarawih.

The Shaykh : So he will say that every new matter is a religious innovation, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and so on. And this thing, whatever it is, if it is newly introduced, then we reject it. He denies this principle, which is a very important principle, according to the details I will mention, quoting from Ibn Taymiyyah. He says: "New matters after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) are either in religion or in worldly affairs. If they are in worldly affairs, the matter is broad as long as they do not contradict an explicit text of the Shari'ah. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith about pollinating the date palms:

You know best the affairs of your worldly life.

أنتم أعلم بأمور دنياكم

. But if this new matter has a connection to religion and to some of the rulings of the Shari'ah, such as what is obligatory or what is recommended, or the like, then it is looked into—and here is his precise detail: If this new matter occurred and there was no text from him (peace and blessings be upon him) indicating the lawfulness of doing it, then it is looked into—as follows. But if there is a text indicating the permissibility of doing it, then even if it occurred afterwards, it is in no way a new matter in religion." He mentions on this occasion the prayer of Ubayy ibn Ka'b of tarawih in congregation by the order of 'Umar in the Prophet's Mosque, and he lengthens the discussion on this. You do not need more than a brief and quick indication that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) did not introduce the congregational prayer of tarawih, but all he did was revive it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established the prayer of standing in tarawih in Ramadan in congregation by his saying and his doing. As for his saying, it is as in the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him): that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said, meaning: . So in this hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) encouraged the one who prays the 'Isha' prayer with the imam to stand with him for the prayer of standing, for if he does that, Allah will write for him the reward of standing the whole night. So this is a legislation, indeed a recommendation, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) for the congregational prayer in the prayer of tarawih. As for his doing, it is known to you that he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed those three nights and then did not come out until his door was pelted with pebbles. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) came out angry and said to them: . So here we see that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) established the prayer of standing in Ramadan in congregation, but for a conflicting matter, he stated in this same hadith: , he left this congregation. So Ubayy ibn Ka'b prayed it by the order of 'Umar to revive this Sunnah. So what 'Umar did was not a new, unlawful matter. It is true that it was new, meaning: after those three nights, the people were not praying the prayer of tarawih in congregation behind one imam. So 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) revived this Sunnah which had been left for reasons. Some scholars say that they (may Allah be pleased with them) were occupied with fighting the people of apostasy and putting an end to the fitnah, until 'Umar came and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) inspired him to revive this Sunnah, so he did. So this is, on one hand, a new matter, and on the other hand, an act of worship, because its origin is prescribed, as we mentioned, by his (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) doing and his saying. On this basis, his saying, the saying of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "What a good religious innovation this is", is understood as a linguistic innovation and not as a religious innovation, because the religious innovation is condemned absolutely . And he called it an innovation considering what preceded it, first: where he did not revive this Sunnah, and from the fact of the caliphate of Abu Bakr, which was two and a half years, because this Sunnah was not being revived, so he revived it and called it an innovation, meaning: it occurred after it had not been in this time that followed the leaving of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of it until the revival of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) of it.