All Innovations Are Misguidance
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What is a good innovation and what is a bad innovation?
There is no such thing as a good innovation, ever. How could there be a good innovation?And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Every innovation is misguidance).
The questioner: Do they cite the words of 'Umar?The Shaykh: Leave the words of 'Umar alone. Do you find any words more eloquent than the words of the Messenger of Allah? You do not. And do you find anyone more knowledgeable about the Shari'ah than the Messenger? No.
And do you find anyone more sincere in advice than the Messenger? No.
So he says: (Every innovation is misguidance). As for the saying of 'Umar: [What a good innovation this is], when they established the night prayer of Ramadan under a single imam, the meaning is an innovation after it had been abandoned. You know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with his Companions for three nights in Ramadan and then left them,And he said: (I feared it would be made obligatory upon you). So, him establishing it with the people for three nights and then delaying on the fourth out of fear that it would be made obligatory,It is said: The fear that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had ceased with his death. So there was no longer any fear. But during the time of Abu Bakr, the period was short; his caliphate was two years, two months, and a few days. The people remained as they had been during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), with a man praying alone, or with two or three men. And so it was in the early part of 'Umar's caliphate. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered Tamim al-Dari and Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs under a single imam.So he went out one day while they were praying and said: [What a good innovation this is]. It is an innovation in the sense that it was abandoned and then renewed; a renewed innovation.
There is no such thing as a good innovation, ever. How could there be a good innovation?And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Every innovation is misguidance).
The questioner: Do they cite the words of 'Umar?The Shaykh: Leave the words of 'Umar alone. Do you find any words more eloquent than the words of the Messenger of Allah? You do not. And do you find anyone more knowledgeable about the Shari'ah than the Messenger? No.
And do you find anyone more sincere in advice than the Messenger? No.
So he says: (Every innovation is misguidance). As for the saying of 'Umar: [What a good innovation this is], when they established the night prayer of Ramadan under a single imam, the meaning is an innovation after it had been abandoned. You know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with his Companions for three nights in Ramadan and then left them,And he said: (I feared it would be made obligatory upon you). So, him establishing it with the people for three nights and then delaying on the fourth out of fear that it would be made obligatory,It is said: The fear that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had ceased with his death. So there was no longer any fear. But during the time of Abu Bakr, the period was short; his caliphate was two years, two months, and a few days. The people remained as they had been during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), with a man praying alone, or with two or three men. And so it was in the early part of 'Umar's caliphate. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered Tamim al-Dari and Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs under a single imam.So he went out one day while they were praying and said: [What a good innovation this is]. It is an innovation in the sense that it was abandoned and then renewed; a renewed innovation.