The Shaykh’s remarks on dividing religious innovations into categories, and explaining the gravity of this division

The Shaykh : ... They call it a "good religious innovation." You have often heard from those who advocate dividing religious innovation into five categories that there is an obligatory religious innovation. They give as an example the compilation of the Qur'an, which Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab compiled. They say: This is an innovation in Islam, but it is a good innovation, indeed an obligatory innovation. We say: Calling this great matter an "innovation," a term that was originally used for condemnation, as we mentioned in the previous hadith: I believe this is one of the worst usages that has entered the minds of some scholars.
Is the compilation of the Qur'an an innovation? We say: The compilation of the Qur'an is obligatory, not an innovation. And if they say it is an innovation, they must use the term in its linguistic sense and not say: "The innovation in the Shari'ah is divided into five categories, including the obligatory, fard innovation."
The compilation of the Qur'an was done by the Companions for reasons, some of which are apparent to many people, and some of which are apparent to those who reflect deeply on the Qur'an. The first apparent reason is the agreed-upon rule among scholars: "What is necessary for the performance of an obligation is itself obligatory." You know the reason that led the Companions at that time to compile the Qur'an: the arrival of someone who informed them that seventy reciters from among the Companions had been killed in a single day. They feared that the killing would intensify among the reciters, causing the Qur'an, which was preserved in their hearts, to be lost due to their departure and death. Therefore, the Companions of the Messenger - peace be upon him - led by Abu Bakr and 'Umar, hastened to compile the Qur'an. This confirms this well-known rule among scholars of usul al-fiqh: "What is necessary for the performance of an obligation is itself obligatory." Preserving the Qur'an is an obligation; if they had not hastened to compile it as they did, they would have aided in the loss of an obligation and would be accountable. This is the apparent matter.
However, there is a matter that appears to some who reflect on certain texts of the Noble Qur'an. Among these is the saying of the Lord of the Worlds in the beginning of Surat al-Baqarah: . So Allah - Mighty and Majestic - indicated in this verse that the Qur'an is a Book. When it was scattered on sheets, scraps, and bones and the like, it was not called a "Book" at that time. So He indicated that this Qur'an should be preserved and recorded in a Book. This is what the noble Companions did. It is not correct to call the compilation of the Qur'an an innovation, or the first innovation to appear in Islam; this is a serious, very great error.
And I bring this closer to you with an example, which may be clearer than this: It is a matter that occurred after the Messenger - peace be upon him - but it is not correct to call it an innovation at all, because its occurrence was by the permission of the Wise Lawgiver. You know that it is reported in "Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim" from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab - may Allah be pleased with them both - that when the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - conquered Khaybar by force, he gave it to the Jews on the condition that they work in it; half for them and half for the Messenger - peace be upon him. He and they agreed that he would leave them there. He said: This was one of the conditions of the agreement for the Jews to remain in Khaybar and work in its date palms. The Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - passed away while the Jews were in Khaybar. Abu Bakr came and passed away while the Jews were in Khaybar. Then the caliphate of 'Umar came, and as much time as Allah willed passed of his caliphate, and they were in Khaybar. Then 'Umar decided to expel them, so he expelled them, as we say in the Levant: "Your back is in the wind," meaning expulsion. He allowed them to take what was light of their belongings.
This expulsion, as you see, occurred after the Messenger - peace be upon him - and after Abu Bakr. Is this an innovation in the religion? The answer is: No. Why? For two reasons; I mentioned the first of them: His saying - peace be upon him: This will ended when the Rightly Guided Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab saw fit to expel them. The second matter is the saying of the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him: So when 'Umar expelled the Jews from Khaybar, he merely executed a part of this Prophetic command . Does the one who executes a part of the Messenger's command introduce something new in the religion? Far be it from Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! There is no introduction of new things; rather, it is in reality something new that was not in the time of the Messenger - peace be upon him - but this new thing has its evidence from the Sunnah, as you saw in the hadith of al-Bukhari and in the other hadith: And this was something the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - bequeathed to his Ummah while he was in his death sickness. So the expulsion of the Jews from the Arabian Peninsula by 'Umar cannot be called an innovation, even if combined with the concept of a "good innovation" by those who divide innovation into five categories; because he executed a Prophetic command, and this is obligatory, not an innovation.
Of this nature is what is frequently cited by those who divide innovation into good and bad: the prayer of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, or 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's command to Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in the tarawih prayer. And 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's saying on this occasion: "What a good innovation this is." They also argue with this incident that there is a good innovation in Islam. The answer is the same as the answer regarding 'Umar's expulsion of the Jews from the Arabian Peninsula. 'Umar did not introduce anything new in Islam at all; rather, he executed an old command. Likewise, when he prayed or commanded Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people, he did not bring anything new; because this imamate was legislated by the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - himself in the three nights that you read about in "Sahih al-Bukhari." Then he - peace be upon him - left it, perhaps for a reason . Then this reason was removed by the death of the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - where Allah - Mighty and Majestic - completed the religion, so there was no longer room for legislating new rulings. Due to the removal of the reason, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab returned to revive that Sunnah. Especially since there is a hadith from his saying - peace be upon him - which is a response to some people who, despite the removal of that reason, believe that praying tarawih in homes is better than praying it in mosques. This is an error due to these people's negligence of two things. The first thing: that the reason was removed; and therefore 'Umar returned to revive this Sunnah. The second thing: that it is reported in "Sunan Abu Dawud" with a sound chain that the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - said: So this is a legislation from the Messenger's saying, encouraging Muslims to pray tarawih with the imam. So what did 'Umar ibn al-Khattab do? He revived a practical Sunnah and a verbal Sunnah, each of which supports the other. So 'Umar ibn al-Khattab did not introduce anything new in the religion, but rather revived a Sunnah from the Sunnahs of the Master of the Messengers.
But the traditional question arises: So why did 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say: "What a good innovation this is"? Here we say: 'Umar here called this gathering an "innovation" considering the state of affairs between the Messenger's - peace be upon him - leaving the congregational tarawih prayer and his reviving it. So this Sunnah was left, and he called it an innovation because it occurred after it had not been in this specific time period. With this consideration, he said: "What a good innovation this is."
In summary: It is not permissible to attribute to the religion what is not part of it unless there is a legal proof, as you have heard regarding the expulsion of the Jews, and regarding 'Umar gathering the people for the tarawih prayer. It is also not permissible to deny certain innovations as long as the cause of their introduction is not our negligence. At the same time, what has happened supports a legal ruling that is explicitly stated, such as the use of the loudspeaker. If we understand these two matters, we will be saved from excess and deficiency. Excess is wasting such a means on the pretext that it is an innovation, when it is not an innovation in the religion and does not contradict the religion; rather, it supports one of the purposes of the religion and one of the wisdoms of legislation. It is not permissible to introduce into the religion things not intended to increase closeness to Allah, for this addition is prohibited by the many hadiths you know that condemn innovation in the religion. The most serious of these is the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): .
Please proceed.