What is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam will have the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection"? This is a hadith.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1017a to the end of the hadith?
And how can it be a sunnah (recommended practice) when it was not reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him)? And what is intended by the sunnah (recommended practice) in the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes: His saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1017a.
This is one of the hadiths whose meaning is not fully determined except by knowing the cause. We mentioned in the morning lesson that knowing the cause helps in understanding and defining the meaning.
The intended meaning of the sunnah (recommended practice)Sahih Muslim 1017a is: whoever precedes people in acting upon it, because his introducing it is execution, not legislation, because this is the cause of the hadith. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that when he urged people to give charity to the people who arrived in Madinah and were in the utmost state of need, from the tribe of Mudar. So a man from the Ansar came with a bag of either gold or silver and threw it in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: Sahih Muslim 1017a.
So they said: What is intended by "introducing" here? It is execution, not legislation. That is, whoever precedes in acting upon the sunnah (recommended practice) and people follow him, he has the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
And likewise, if it were assumed that a sunnah (recommended practice) was dead, that people did not know about it, or that they were negligent about it, and a man preceded by announcing it, explaining it, and acting upon it, he would fall under this hadith. And this "introducing" would mean explanation and reviving it after it had been neglected.
And we, in this era, and praise be to Allah, see many sunnahs (recommended practices) that were abandoned and unknown, so people have started to revive them, and praise be to Allah, they introduce them by explanation and revival. So whoever revives this sunnah (recommended practice) and people follow him in it, he has the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
This is one aspect of the hadith.
Another aspect is to say: The intended meaning of "introducing" here is introducing the causes and means. Introducing the causes by which sunnahs (recommended practices) are established, and the means by which sunnahs (recommended practices) are established. For example: If a person introduces a charitable project for printing books, does this exist in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that there is a charitable project for printing books?
No, but if someone steps forward and establishes this project, we say this is a good sunnah (recommended practice). So the hadith is understood to refer to sunnahs (recommended practices) that are means for sunnahs (recommended practices) established by the Shari'ah.
So it is now clear that the hadith has two aspects. What is the first aspect?
The student: Introducing it is execution, not legislation.
The Shaykh : Well done. That introducing it is execution, not legislation.
That is, he is the first to precede in executing it and acting upon it. And what supports this possibility? The cause of the hadith.
Good. What is the second aspect?
The student: That it leads to a primary sunnah (recommended practice).
The Shaykh : Yes, that it is a means to a prescribed sunnah (recommended practice). Yes, fundamentally. For example?
The student: Printing books is a charitable work.
The Shaykh : Good. For example, preceding in doing a charitable work for printing books. Perfect. Rest now.
Establishing schools is also of this type. That is, in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there were no schools built like the schools are now.
So if a person establishes a school in this manner so that people seek knowledge in it, he has introduced a good sunnah (recommended practice).
He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it
من سن سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بهاAnd how can it be a sunnah (recommended practice) when it was not reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him)? And what is intended by the sunnah (recommended practice) in the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes: His saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها إلى يوم القيامةThis is one of the hadiths whose meaning is not fully determined except by knowing the cause. We mentioned in the morning lesson that knowing the cause helps in understanding and defining the meaning.
The intended meaning of the sunnah (recommended practice)
He who sets a good precedent in Islam
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنةHe who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها إلى يوم القيامةSo they said: What is intended by "introducing" here? It is execution, not legislation. That is, whoever precedes in acting upon the sunnah (recommended practice) and people follow him, he has the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
And likewise, if it were assumed that a sunnah (recommended practice) was dead, that people did not know about it, or that they were negligent about it, and a man preceded by announcing it, explaining it, and acting upon it, he would fall under this hadith. And this "introducing" would mean explanation and reviving it after it had been neglected.
And we, in this era, and praise be to Allah, see many sunnahs (recommended practices) that were abandoned and unknown, so people have started to revive them, and praise be to Allah, they introduce them by explanation and revival. So whoever revives this sunnah (recommended practice) and people follow him in it, he has the reward of it and the reward of everyone who acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
This is one aspect of the hadith.
Another aspect is to say: The intended meaning of "introducing" here is introducing the causes and means. Introducing the causes by which sunnahs (recommended practices) are established, and the means by which sunnahs (recommended practices) are established. For example: If a person introduces a charitable project for printing books, does this exist in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that there is a charitable project for printing books?
No, but if someone steps forward and establishes this project, we say this is a good sunnah (recommended practice). So the hadith is understood to refer to sunnahs (recommended practices) that are means for sunnahs (recommended practices) established by the Shari'ah.
So it is now clear that the hadith has two aspects. What is the first aspect?
The student: Introducing it is execution, not legislation.
The Shaykh : Well done. That introducing it is execution, not legislation.
That is, he is the first to precede in executing it and acting upon it. And what supports this possibility? The cause of the hadith.
Good. What is the second aspect?
The student: That it leads to a primary sunnah (recommended practice).
The Shaykh : Yes, that it is a means to a prescribed sunnah (recommended practice). Yes, fundamentally. For example?
The student: Printing books is a charitable work.
The Shaykh : Good. For example, preceding in doing a charitable work for printing books. Perfect. Rest now.
Establishing schools is also of this type. That is, in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there were no schools built like the schools are now.
So if a person establishes a school in this manner so that people seek knowledge in it, he has introduced a good sunnah (recommended practice).