What is your opinion regarding what has become widespread among preachers at the end of the sermon: “Indeed, Allah commands you to act justly and do good”?

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is your opinion regarding what has become widespread among preachers at the end of the sermon: ?

The Shaykh : This is well known. What I believe, am certain of, and testify to before Allah is that adhering to a specific practice in matters of worship that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) brought is a matter of adhering to what is not required; it is adhering to what is not permissible. This is because it was the noble custom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to begin all his sermons by saying: . It is inconceivable that the sermons of the Messenger (peace be upon him) would all be devoid of reciting a verse like the one we hear at the end of the Friday sermon today from many preachers. I read long ago in some books of jurisprudence or history that this addition was introduced by the Rightly Guided Caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him). He introduced it as a replacement for the practice of some of the Umayyad rulers of insulting and cursing 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He introduced this phrase to erase that bad custom. In my opinion, I say: if this is authentic from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then it is like many other matters that fall under the category of unrestricted public interest (maslahah mursalah). It is a temporary interest; when the circumstance that necessitated it is gone, it is gone with it. I do not believe it should be continued, as it contradicts the practical Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is a broad area of following in the religion; it is attaching to the religion what was not present in the early generations... I see no objection to a person delivering his sermon with any verse. However, to adhere to a specific verse or a specific hadith and make it a regular practice in his sermons; this is the very essence of innovation in the religion, and this is not permissible.

The questioner : ...that adherence to the verse; meaning that a person follows a specific methodology in concluding his sermons with a verse; does this not also fall into what you mentioned?

The Shaykh : That is correct.

Another questioner : Because the statement requires detail today.

The Shaykh : Please, exactly, there is no difference for me between beginning... and concluding. So any adherence that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not adhere to is also a matter of innovation. And this reminds me that most preachers...