Explaining the exhortation to follow the Sunnah and the warning against religious innovation

The Shaykh : And if the intention behind an action is good, but the action itself is not prescribed, then the good intention benefits him nothing as long as his action is contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). As came in the hadith of al-Bukhari and Muslim from the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proceeded to condemn all newly invented matters, even if people considered them good. As it is authentically narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: "Every religious innovation is misguidance, even if people see it as good" "Every religious innovation is misguidance, even if people see it as good" This is what 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said. "Every religious innovation is misguidance, even if people see it as good" So newly invented matters are among the things that destroy people, because they are of those paths to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) referred. Therefore, we advise and repeat the advice to return to the Sunnah, for in it is sufficiency, as 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in religious innovation" "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in religious innovation" There is no doubt that those who go out in that manner are exerting themselves, for many of them neglect their duties, neglect their interests, neglect their trade, and leave their wives and children, going out in what they claim is in the path of Allah. This is exertion; if it were according to the Sunnah, how excellent it would be. But as 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in religious innovation"
And finally, here is a story that happened to this noble Companion, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who applied his action to his previous saying: "Moderation in the Sunnah is better than exertion in religious innovation" Imam al-Darimi narrated in his Sunan with his authentic chain that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), who is a noble Companion as you know, came one morning to the house of Ibn Mas'ud and found people with him waiting for him. When he came out, he said: "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, I just saw something in the mosque that I disapproved of, and praise be to Allah, I did not see anything but good" Look how he combined his disapproval of the thing with the fact that he did not see anything but good. That is exertion in religious innovation. "He said: What did you see, O Abu Musa? He said: I saw in the mosque people in circles, and in the middle of each circle was a man saying to those around him: Say Subhan Allah so many times, Alhamdulillah so many times, Allahu Akbar so many times. And in front of each of them were pebbles with which they counted the glorification, praise, and exaltation. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Did you not disapprove of them? Did you not order them to count their sins? And I guarantee to them that nothing of their good deeds will be lost. He said: No, I was waiting for your order or waiting for your opinion" This is a trait of the traits of our righteous predecessors: a scholar acknowledges the virtue of his brother who is more knowledgeable than him and does not act before him without seeking his permission. This is a parenthetical remark so that we may measure ourselves today against the proper conduct of that righteous Salaf, some of them with others. In many gatherings, a questioner hardly raises a question before some short, weakly knowledgeable people rush to answer, while they see there scholars of great stature who do not speak so that the one who has the right to speak may speak. Look at the difference between this time and that time. When Abu Musa saw what he disapproved of, he said: I will consult the one who is more knowledgeable than me, and that is 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud. Therefore, when Ibn Mas'ud said to him: "Did you not disapprove of them? Did you not order them to count their sins? And I guaranteed to them that nothing of their good deeds will be lost. He said to him: No, I was waiting for your order or waiting for your opinion. So Ibn Mas'ud returned to his house and went out veiled, so that nothing of him was seen except his eyes, until he entered the mosque and saw what had been described to him. At that time, he removed the veil and the mask from his face and said: Woe to you! What is this that you are doing? I am 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)" They said, and they were truthful in what they said. And this is the case of many of those who are sincere in their innovation, but they are following without guidance from their Lord. When they heard Ibn Mas'ud's severe disapproval of them, they said: "They said: By Allah, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, we did not intend anything but good" Here is the point of this story: that the mere intention of the one who goes out to follow a path... that it be according to the Book and the Sunnah. For this reason, Ibn Mas'ud responded to them in their saying "By Allah, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman," which is the kunya of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, we did not intend anything but good. He said: How many are there who intend good but do not attain it" A profound wisdom. "How many are there who intend good but do not attain it" This is as it was said in the past:
"You hope for salvation but do not follow its paths *** For the ship does not run on the dry land"
The ship must have flowing water in which it moves and travels. Similarly, the Muslim must have his path be the Sunnah so that it leads him to Paradise. Ibn Mas'ud said: "How many are there who intend good but do not attain it" Why? Because he did not follow the path. Then Ibn Mas'ud affirmed his saying: "Indeed, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us and said:

there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go down beyond their collar bones

إن أقواما يقرؤون القرآن لا يجاوز حناجرهم

Sahih Muslim 822a

" This is an allusion to the fact that they recite the Qur'an with their tongues only, but what they recite does not reach their hearts. "Informed us" means our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The witness of this story said: "Indeed, we" And here is the profound lesson. The witness referred to said: "Indeed, we saw those people fighting us on the Day of al-Nahrawan" The story narrated by al-Darimi in his Sunan with his authentic chain from Ibn Mas'ud ends here. What was the end of those people who sat remembering Allah, but in a manner not brought by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? What was the outcome of their affair? The narrator said: "Indeed, we saw those people fighting us with the Khawarij on the Day of al-Nahrawan" When 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) fought them, he uprooted their roots. And among them were the people of the circles, meaning the people of good intentions, but with righteous deeds. Therefore, Allah the Exalted said in the Noble Qur'an, and with that I conclude this answer, which has been somewhat long, so I ask for your forgiveness. The answer can bear more length, but it is sufficient for us to conclude this answer with His saying, the Exalted: The scholars of exegesis said: on the Sunnah. That is, let him be sincere to Allah in his worship. If one of these two conditions is lacking, the deed is lost like scattered dust. We ask Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to keep us alive upon the Sunnah and to cause us to die upon it.