The Shaykh’s statement that it is better for Muslims to be moderate in the Sunnah than to innovate, and his mention of the athar of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)
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The Shaykh : And what points to this—as I hinted at earlier—is the statement of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), which is also mawquf: "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in it that leads to innovation". The reason for this is very clear to the people of knowledge, because the one who is moderate in the Sunnah by performing some of it is rewarded if he is sincere to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), without doubt or hesitation. It is not so for the one who exerts himself in innovating in the religion; that is returned to its owner, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1718a. Therefore, the statement of Ibn Mas'ud is at the peak of wisdom and at the peak of good admonition, where he said: "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in innovation". This means that the Muslim is sufficient without needing to occupy his mind and thought with inventing in the religion what was not part of it, and then exerting himself to see if it is good to act upon it. No, there is no need for that, because the acts of worship brought by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) are sufficient for the best of people, even if it were Dawud (peace be upon him), about whom Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his *Sahih* from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): . So if Dawud (peace be upon him) had been from the Ummah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he would not have been able to carry out all the acts of worship that he (peace be upon him) brought, in confirmation of what came in two hadiths:
The first hadith: What Imam Muslim narrated in his *Sahih* from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he said:.
The second hadith relates to the person of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) himself, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as Imam al-Shafi'i narrated in his *Sunan* and others from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he said:. Therefore, it is authentically reported from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed. Hold fast to the old matter". "You have been sufficed" means: It has been legislated for you from acts of worship what suffices you and is more than enough for you, so it is only upon you to follow.
"Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed. Hold fast to the old matter". And therefore, there also came from Ibn Mas'ud a wonderful story in which he applied what preceded from the authentic hadiths and athars. That is what Imam al-Darimi narrated in his *Sunan* with his authentic chain: "That Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Ibn Mas'ud at his house one morning and found the people waiting for him. So he asked them: Has Abu Abd al-Rahman come out?—the kunya of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud is Abu Abd al-Rahman—Has Abu Abd al-Rahman come out? They said: No. So he sat and waited for him until he came out. Then Abu Musa said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, I saw something in the mosque just now that I disliked, and praise be to Allah, I did not see anything but good":
I hope you pay attention to the combination of his saying: "And praise be to Allah, I did not see anything but good," but he said: "I disliked it." How does one dislike good? Because it is from what was innovated, as the explanation will come to you in the completion of the story, if Allah wills.
"Ibn Mas'ud said: What did you see? He said: If you live, you will see it! I saw circles in the mosque, and in the middle of each circle was a man saying to those around him: Say Subhan Allah so much—meaning a number—and Alhamdulillah so much, and Allahu Akbar so much. And in front of each of them were pebbles with which they counted the tasbih, takbir, and tahmid. Ibn Mas'ud said: Did you not disapprove of them? He said: No, I was waiting for your command or your opinion. So Ibn Mas'ud returned to his house and went out veiled—unrecognized—until he stood by the circles that were described to him. When he saw them as he was told, he removed the veil and covering from his face and said: Woe to you, what is this that you are doing? I am a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, these are pebbles with which we count the tasbih, takbir, and tahmid. He said: Count your sins, and I guarantee for you that nothing of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, how quickly you will be destroyed! These are the garments of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and they have not worn out, and these are his vessels and they have not been broken. By Him in whose hand is my soul, are you more guided than the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or are you holding fast to a rope of misguidance?". There is no doubt that the first issue is impossible, that they are more guided than the group of the Messenger (peace be upon him), so what remains is that they are holding fast to a rope of misguidance. "They said: By Allah, O Abu Abd al-Rahman, we did not intend anything but good": And this is the tongue of all the innovators; they do not intend anything but good. But their affair is as you will hear from the words of Ibn Mas'ud, which are at the peak of wisdom, where he said: "And how many are those who intend good but do not attain it", as the poet said:
"You hope for salvation but have not taken its paths *** For the ship does not run on the dry land".
'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.
مَن أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردٌّDawud was the most worshipful of mankind
كان داود أعبدَ البشرThe first hadith: What Imam Muslim narrated in his *Sahih* from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he said:
No prophet was sent by Allah but it was obligatory upon him to command his Ummah with the best of what he knew for them
ما بَعث الله مِن نبي إلا كان حقًّا عليه أن يأمر أمته بخير ما يعلمه لهمThe second hadith relates to the person of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) himself, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as Imam al-Shafi'i narrated in his *Sunan* and others from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he said:
I have not left anything that brings you closer to Allah but I have commanded you with it, and I have not left anything that distances you from Allah and brings you closer to the Fire but I have forbidden you from it
ما تركت شيًئا يقربكم إلى الله إلّا وأمرتكم به، وما تركت شيئًا يبعدكم عن الله ويقربكم إلى النار إلا ونهيتكم عنه"Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed. Hold fast to the old matter". And therefore, there also came from Ibn Mas'ud a wonderful story in which he applied what preceded from the authentic hadiths and athars. That is what Imam al-Darimi narrated in his *Sunan* with his authentic chain: "That Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Ibn Mas'ud at his house one morning and found the people waiting for him. So he asked them: Has Abu Abd al-Rahman come out?—the kunya of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud is Abu Abd al-Rahman—Has Abu Abd al-Rahman come out? They said: No. So he sat and waited for him until he came out. Then Abu Musa said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, I saw something in the mosque just now that I disliked, and praise be to Allah, I did not see anything but good":
I hope you pay attention to the combination of his saying: "And praise be to Allah, I did not see anything but good," but he said: "I disliked it." How does one dislike good? Because it is from what was innovated, as the explanation will come to you in the completion of the story, if Allah wills.
"Ibn Mas'ud said: What did you see? He said: If you live, you will see it! I saw circles in the mosque, and in the middle of each circle was a man saying to those around him: Say Subhan Allah so much—meaning a number—and Alhamdulillah so much, and Allahu Akbar so much. And in front of each of them were pebbles with which they counted the tasbih, takbir, and tahmid. Ibn Mas'ud said: Did you not disapprove of them? He said: No, I was waiting for your command or your opinion. So Ibn Mas'ud returned to his house and went out veiled—unrecognized—until he stood by the circles that were described to him. When he saw them as he was told, he removed the veil and covering from his face and said: Woe to you, what is this that you are doing? I am a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, these are pebbles with which we count the tasbih, takbir, and tahmid. He said: Count your sins, and I guarantee for you that nothing of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, how quickly you will be destroyed! These are the garments of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and they have not worn out, and these are his vessels and they have not been broken. By Him in whose hand is my soul, are you more guided than the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or are you holding fast to a rope of misguidance?". There is no doubt that the first issue is impossible, that they are more guided than the group of the Messenger (peace be upon him), so what remains is that they are holding fast to a rope of misguidance. "They said: By Allah, O Abu Abd al-Rahman, we did not intend anything but good": And this is the tongue of all the innovators; they do not intend anything but good. But their affair is as you will hear from the words of Ibn Mas'ud, which are at the peak of wisdom, where he said: "And how many are those who intend good but do not attain it", as the poet said:
"You hope for salvation but have not taken its paths *** For the ship does not run on the dry land".