Explaining matters that people have introduced which are acts of worship, and for which they claim they are remembrance and good, such as celebrating the Prophet's birthday and innovating prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
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The Shaykh : Now, there are things that people have innovated in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Among them is that some people invent specific dhikr with specific formulas, numbers, and times, but it is not prescribed in this form, neither in time, nor in number, nor in manner. Some people, for example, say they will glorify Allah a thousand times, or two thousand times, according to what they have set for themselves, and they commit to this number and place it at a specific time, such as the morning. We ask this man: is his action an innovation or a nearness to Allah?
The students: An innovation.
The Shaykh : An innovation. Is he rewarded for it or is it rejected? It is rejected, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1718b.
So if he says: How do you deny me when I am not saying anything but: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)?
We say: We do not deny you saying Subhan Allah. We deny you bringing the saying Subhan Allah in this form, which has not been transmitted. This is what we deny. As for glorifying Allah at night and day with glorification not restricted by number, time, or form, we do not deny you. We deny you bringing it in this form, which has not been transmitted. Now, if a man gathers people in his house on the night of the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, and they come with formulas for praying upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that have not been transmitted from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions, but are filled with exaggeration regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), filled with the exaggeration from which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned his Ummah, and they make these prayers with a specific chant until whatever Allah wills of the night, what is the ruling on their action?
The student: It is a religious innovation.
The Shaykh : An innovation. Is it rejected or accepted? It is rejected.
Now, if they say: We have not done more than praying upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and whoever prays upon him once, Allah prays upon him ten times?
We say to them: But restricting it to a time, committing to a specific number, and using a specific formula that may not have been transmitted, and may even be prohibited if it contains the exaggeration from which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, means that this is an innovation. Therefore, this is rejected from its doer.
And know, my brother, that you will not introduce an innovation in the religion of Allah except that what corresponds to this innovation will be taken from your heart from the Sunnah. Because the heart is a container; if you fill it with good, no place remains for evil, and if you fill it with evil, no place remains for good. And if you fill it with the Sunnah, no place remains for innovation, and if you fill it with innovation, no place remains for the Sunnah. So whatever occupies the heart, or whatever occupies a place in the heart, the heart will be freed from its opposite.
Therefore, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "You will find those who are eager for innovations to have a great slackness in following the Sunnahs; a great slackness such that they hardly perform the Sunnahs in the manner required of them".
The students: An innovation.
The Shaykh : An innovation. Is he rewarded for it or is it rejected? It is rejected, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردSo if he says: How do you deny me when I am not saying anything but: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)?
We say: We do not deny you saying Subhan Allah. We deny you bringing the saying Subhan Allah in this form, which has not been transmitted. This is what we deny. As for glorifying Allah at night and day with glorification not restricted by number, time, or form, we do not deny you. We deny you bringing it in this form, which has not been transmitted. Now, if a man gathers people in his house on the night of the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, and they come with formulas for praying upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that have not been transmitted from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions, but are filled with exaggeration regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), filled with the exaggeration from which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned his Ummah, and they make these prayers with a specific chant until whatever Allah wills of the night, what is the ruling on their action?
The student: It is a religious innovation.
The Shaykh : An innovation. Is it rejected or accepted? It is rejected.
Now, if they say: We have not done more than praying upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and whoever prays upon him once, Allah prays upon him ten times?
We say to them: But restricting it to a time, committing to a specific number, and using a specific formula that may not have been transmitted, and may even be prohibited if it contains the exaggeration from which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, means that this is an innovation. Therefore, this is rejected from its doer.
And know, my brother, that you will not introduce an innovation in the religion of Allah except that what corresponds to this innovation will be taken from your heart from the Sunnah. Because the heart is a container; if you fill it with good, no place remains for evil, and if you fill it with evil, no place remains for good. And if you fill it with the Sunnah, no place remains for innovation, and if you fill it with innovation, no place remains for the Sunnah. So whatever occupies the heart, or whatever occupies a place in the heart, the heart will be freed from its opposite.
Therefore, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "You will find those who are eager for innovations to have a great slackness in following the Sunnahs; a great slackness such that they hardly perform the Sunnahs in the manner required of them".