Explaining the meaning of the scholars' statement: "Innovation in Islam is worse than sin."

The Shaykh : From this, the understanding of one of the hadiths of the Messenger (peace be upon him) becomes clear to us, upon which the scholars built their argument. They said: "Innovation in Islam is worse than sin." Why? Because the innovator thinks he is on the right path; therefore, it is not expected that he will repent fully, just as Allah said regarding those to whom their evil deeds were made attractive. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: . Does the one who thinks he is doing well repent? Repent from goodness? That is not conceivable. Therefore, the scholars said: The danger of innovation to its practitioner is greater than the danger of sin; because the sinner knows that he is sinning, so it is hoped that he will repent one day and return to his Lord. As for the innovator, his inner state says: "My Lord, increase me, My Lord, increase me, I am doing good deeds."
From this, we understand the hadith you referred to, which is his (peace be upon him) saying: . "He has fenced off"—this is a natural fencing off, not a legal fencing off. It means that this person who walks the path of innovation and is made to believe that it is good does not repent. Thus, this becomes the fencing off, prevention, and barrier to repentance for the innovator. From this, the scholars said: Innovation in religion is more dangerous than sin, as I explained to you. This is a regrettable and very serious matter. Eight hundred Muslims, most of whom live in innovation in creed and worship.
Today, for example, in Syria, there is a customary phrase for the adhan that must have a conclusion, and sometimes an introduction and a conclusion. They call it a "good innovation." And wherever we stop in the countries, we find in some of them innovations that we do not find in other countries. For example, here you call the adhan for the 'Asr prayer twice. We used to complain about the two adhans for Jumu'ah, and then we were surprised by a new innovation: two adhans for the same time, 'Asr. And perhaps also, what? Zuhr? What is this? They used their minds to deem it good that there is an adhan to announce the entry of the time, and an adhan to announce the practical preparation for prayer. Well, what is the iqamah? And the iqamah is from the second adhan. They were not satisfied with this complete legislation, so they do two adhans and an iqamah. This is innovation in religion! Now try to turn the masses of people back from this error, O zealot of Allah! They changed, altered, and innovated in the religion, and they are the followers.
Some of our brothers in Jordan discovered the error in the adhan for the Fajr prayer; they call the adhan a third of an hour or half an hour before Fajr. This awareness spread among many conscious Muslim youth and reached some officials in the Ministry of Awqaf there. He strongly condemned this rumor, saying it was a new fitnah from the Salafis, meaning there... So some of the close Salafi brothers softened him and said: "Let us go to a place outside Amman and see the matter with our own eyes. If it is so, we will correct and clarify; otherwise, we will take the mouth of those who spread errors among people that are not errors." He said: "So they went to an agreed-upon place, and they were there broadcasting the adhan with a loudspeaker, one adhan. And this is also a new innovation; the adhan is not called in every mosque, but there is a mosque called 'Dawish Mosque' on a very high mountain where the adhan is called from there and broadcast on the radio. So the mu'adhdhin called the adhan. Look, O so-and-so, O official, where is the Fajr? There is no burst of light. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. In about a third of an hour, twenty-five minutes, the light appeared. He saw with his own eyes that they were calling the adhan about half an hour before Fajr. After he saw and was convinced, he returned to say: 'By Allah, now if we want to give a warning, it will cause a commotion. What will it become? Confusion among the people; and therefore, let the old remain as it is!'"
Even though this means here that they are praying the Fajr prayer before its time, meaning they are forbidding food and drink to the fasting person before the time. All this... so that it is not said: So-and-so did such and such. Without a doubt, people talk; this is the nature of a new matter. But some will settle on the truth and people will proceed on the right path... And this is one of the simplest matters that can be implemented. And thus the Muslim world lives in accumulated errors, and yet we seek the victory of Allah, and we want to establish the Muslim state, and we have not yet established a part of the Muslim state specific to each of us. So we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to inspire us with our guidance and to grant us success in understanding the Book of our Lord and the Sunnah of our Prophet (peace be upon him) according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Welcome, welcome. May Allah bless you.