The Shaykh’s mention of the Shaykh al-Islam’s words in the aforementioned book regarding the criterion for religious innovation, his commentary on them, and the Shaykh’s illustration with what has occurred in the present age.
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The Shaykh : The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) says in the previously mentioned book: “When something new occurs after the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it is examined. If it has no connection to the religion, it is among the permissible matters that a Muslim may do, provided one condition: that it does not contradict an explicit text from the Book or the Sunnah. This is because the Shaykh al-Islam, like the majority of renowned scholars, adheres to the well-known principle: “The original ruling for things is permissibility”. Therefore, any new matter that has no connection to the religion, meaning to worship, meaning the Muslim does not do it with the intention of increasing his nearness to Allah, is among the permissible matters, unless it contradicts an explicit text from the Book or the Sunnah. However, if this new matter that occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has a connection to the religion, it is examined. If the reason for acting upon this new matter existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but he did not act upon it and did not encourage people to do it, then acting upon this new matter is a misguided innovation. If the reason for legislating this new matter by his action or his statement existed, but he did not legislate it, neither by his action nor his statement, then adopting this new matter is a misguided innovation. This is what the hadiths that warn against innovation in the religion are directed at.”
An example of this is the adhan for the festival prayer and the statement that the prayer is a gathering for other than the festival prayer, such as the prayer for rain and the like. The adhan for the two festival prayers, by the consensus of Muslim scholars, did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So if it were suggested to a scholar to announce the time of the festival with the adhan, this is its ruling in Islam, even though the adhan is a remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a symbol of Islam. The Shaykh al-Islam says that the adhan for the festival prayer is a misguided innovation because every innovation is misguidance, because this adhan is a remembrance and has a connection to the festival prayer, which is one of the greatest acts of worship. So introducing this adhan is a misguided innovation that is not permissible for a Muslim to use to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The reason, he says, is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the two festivals, and the reason for announcing to people with this adhan existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because people needed the announcement. Since we know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), despite the existence of the reason for adopting this adhan, did not adopt it and did not order it, then introducing it and adopting it is a misguided innovation.
As for when the reason for adopting this new matter did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he says: “In that case, we look at the reason that occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and necessitated the creation of a new matter that did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We look at this reason: is its cause due to the Muslims themselves, meaning their negligence in applying the law of their Lord, which necessitated for them to introduce something new because it achieves a legitimate benefit for them? Ibn Taymiyyah says: If the reason for adopting this new matter is the negligence of the Muslims, then it is also not permissible to adopt this new matter, because the cause of its occurrence is the negligence of the Muslims. An example of what Muslims are afflicted with today is the establishment of systems and laws for collecting wealth and increasing the funds of the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury). In terms of objective, this is a beautiful and legitimate goal, because it intends to fill the Bayt al-Mal so that the Muslim ruler can carry out what Allah has obligated upon him of reforms in the Muslim lands. However, adopting this new legislation or new law, if it arises, as is the case in most Islamic countries today to varying degrees, solely because they did not apply the system of Islam—the system of zakah and inheritance—by applying which the goal that these people who established these new laws aimed for would be achieved. The Shaykh al-Islam says: If the reason for the new legislation is the negligence of the Muslims in applying the law of the Lord of the Worlds, and even if this legislation achieves a benefit for the Muslims, it is not permissible to adopt this new matter, because the motive for it is their negligence. However, if this new matter has no connection to the negligence of the Muslims in fulfilling their duty and the law of their Lord, then as long as this new matter achieves an Islamic benefit, there is no harm in adopting it, as long as it achieves a legitimate purpose. The example of this third type is before you: it is the loudspeaker used in lessons and sermons, and in the adhan as well. We do not doubt, and no person doubts at all, that it is a new matter that did not exist in the time of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him). Do we say that it is an innovation and apply to it the well-known text: “Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire,” and thus avoid using this means because it occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Or do we say that this is a valid means... but it helps to achieve a legitimate purpose, which is conveying the message to people and making them hear it, without us being negligent? I give you an example of negligence close to this example, but opposite to it: some imams of mosques, if they raised their voice in the mosque in the middle of the courtyard to make every person in the mosque hear, they do not raise their voice. Why? Because they rely on the one who conveys the message, the mu’adhdhin behind them. The mu’adhdhin conveying the message behind this imam is an innovation, even though Abu Bakr al-Siddiq used to convey the message behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) during his illness (peace and blessings be upon him). But that conveying was out of necessity, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not negligent because he was ill. Before that, we do not know of any conveying behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) because he was the one who made people hear. So Abu Bakr al-Siddiq conveyed behind him because the Messenger was unable to convey the message to people and make them hear his voice. Similarly, it is not permissible to use the loudspeaker when there is no need for a loudspeaker. So the mu’adhdhin does not use a loudspeaker in a small village where the population, for example, is ten houses or so, because they can hear the natural voice. But if there is a large gathering, especially in the seasons of Hajj and the like, then using this device at that time is obligatory, because what is necessary for the fulfillment of an obligation is itself obligatory. It is not among the new matters, because we do not want to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with this thing itself, but we want to achieve a goal that we cannot achieve with the natural means that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has enabled us with since He created humans. So the use of the loudspeaker is among the new matters, but it is not included in “beware of the new matters.” Why must you know this first? Because it is intended to increase nearness to Allah.”
Second, because this reason that occurred is not due to our negligence, as we gave the example of the imam’s negligence in conveying his voice to the followers, relying on the one who conveys the voice or the loudspeaker. These are sensitive and precise examples that protect the Muslim from leaning to the right or the left, from denying a means that has no connection to increasing nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) first, and whose occurrence is not due to our negligence in doing what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has legislated for us. But in many cases, in using this loudspeaker and achieving the legitimate purpose, which is making people hear, we often lose legitimate matters. In this case, it is not permissible to adopt this means. This is what has occurred today and has spread and become widespread in all mosques, except what Allah wills.
It is agreed upon in my view among the scholars that the adhan inside the mosque is also an unlegislated religious innovation. This is because, during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the adhan was not given until the day of Jumu'ah, and even then it was only from the roof of the mosque and above the door of the mosque from above. This is because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) distinguished between the purpose of the adhan and the purpose of the iqamah. The purpose of the adhan is to inform the people who are outside the mosque, while the purpose of the iqamah is to inform those who are inside the mosque so that they stand up for prayer and line up with their Muslim brothers. So when we give the adhan inside the mosque, we have reversed the Sunnah, and at the same time we have reversed the purpose of the adhan. The purpose of the adhan is to inform those who are outside the mosque. Someone might say, "This purpose is now achieved by the loudspeaker." This is the reason why Muslims continued to use the loudspeaker and abandoned the Islamic practice, which is the adhan from the roof of the mosque or something similar to it, such as a modest minaret. This is because they thought that the only purpose of the adhan is to inform people, and this informing is achieved by the loudspeaker on a much wider scale. But we say that the adhan is an act of worship and a great Islamic practice, so it is necessary that the mu'adhdhin appears on the roof of the mosque with his person first. He must appear with his person, and secondly, he must perform the recommended practices related to the adhan, such as turning his head...
An example of this is the adhan for the festival prayer and the statement that the prayer is a gathering for other than the festival prayer, such as the prayer for rain and the like. The adhan for the two festival prayers, by the consensus of Muslim scholars, did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So if it were suggested to a scholar to announce the time of the festival with the adhan, this is its ruling in Islam, even though the adhan is a remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and a symbol of Islam. The Shaykh al-Islam says that the adhan for the festival prayer is a misguided innovation because every innovation is misguidance, because this adhan is a remembrance and has a connection to the festival prayer, which is one of the greatest acts of worship. So introducing this adhan is a misguided innovation that is not permissible for a Muslim to use to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The reason, he says, is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray the two festivals, and the reason for announcing to people with this adhan existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because people needed the announcement. Since we know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), despite the existence of the reason for adopting this adhan, did not adopt it and did not order it, then introducing it and adopting it is a misguided innovation.
As for when the reason for adopting this new matter did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he says: “In that case, we look at the reason that occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and necessitated the creation of a new matter that did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). We look at this reason: is its cause due to the Muslims themselves, meaning their negligence in applying the law of their Lord, which necessitated for them to introduce something new because it achieves a legitimate benefit for them? Ibn Taymiyyah says: If the reason for adopting this new matter is the negligence of the Muslims, then it is also not permissible to adopt this new matter, because the cause of its occurrence is the negligence of the Muslims. An example of what Muslims are afflicted with today is the establishment of systems and laws for collecting wealth and increasing the funds of the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury). In terms of objective, this is a beautiful and legitimate goal, because it intends to fill the Bayt al-Mal so that the Muslim ruler can carry out what Allah has obligated upon him of reforms in the Muslim lands. However, adopting this new legislation or new law, if it arises, as is the case in most Islamic countries today to varying degrees, solely because they did not apply the system of Islam—the system of zakah and inheritance—by applying which the goal that these people who established these new laws aimed for would be achieved. The Shaykh al-Islam says: If the reason for the new legislation is the negligence of the Muslims in applying the law of the Lord of the Worlds, and even if this legislation achieves a benefit for the Muslims, it is not permissible to adopt this new matter, because the motive for it is their negligence. However, if this new matter has no connection to the negligence of the Muslims in fulfilling their duty and the law of their Lord, then as long as this new matter achieves an Islamic benefit, there is no harm in adopting it, as long as it achieves a legitimate purpose. The example of this third type is before you: it is the loudspeaker used in lessons and sermons, and in the adhan as well. We do not doubt, and no person doubts at all, that it is a new matter that did not exist in the time of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him). Do we say that it is an innovation and apply to it the well-known text: “Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire,” and thus avoid using this means because it occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Or do we say that this is a valid means... but it helps to achieve a legitimate purpose, which is conveying the message to people and making them hear it, without us being negligent? I give you an example of negligence close to this example, but opposite to it: some imams of mosques, if they raised their voice in the mosque in the middle of the courtyard to make every person in the mosque hear, they do not raise their voice. Why? Because they rely on the one who conveys the message, the mu’adhdhin behind them. The mu’adhdhin conveying the message behind this imam is an innovation, even though Abu Bakr al-Siddiq used to convey the message behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) during his illness (peace and blessings be upon him). But that conveying was out of necessity, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not negligent because he was ill. Before that, we do not know of any conveying behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) because he was the one who made people hear. So Abu Bakr al-Siddiq conveyed behind him because the Messenger was unable to convey the message to people and make them hear his voice. Similarly, it is not permissible to use the loudspeaker when there is no need for a loudspeaker. So the mu’adhdhin does not use a loudspeaker in a small village where the population, for example, is ten houses or so, because they can hear the natural voice. But if there is a large gathering, especially in the seasons of Hajj and the like, then using this device at that time is obligatory, because what is necessary for the fulfillment of an obligation is itself obligatory. It is not among the new matters, because we do not want to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with this thing itself, but we want to achieve a goal that we cannot achieve with the natural means that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has enabled us with since He created humans. So the use of the loudspeaker is among the new matters, but it is not included in “beware of the new matters.” Why must you know this first? Because it is intended to increase nearness to Allah.”
Second, because this reason that occurred is not due to our negligence, as we gave the example of the imam’s negligence in conveying his voice to the followers, relying on the one who conveys the voice or the loudspeaker. These are sensitive and precise examples that protect the Muslim from leaning to the right or the left, from denying a means that has no connection to increasing nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) first, and whose occurrence is not due to our negligence in doing what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has legislated for us. But in many cases, in using this loudspeaker and achieving the legitimate purpose, which is making people hear, we often lose legitimate matters. In this case, it is not permissible to adopt this means. This is what has occurred today and has spread and become widespread in all mosques, except what Allah wills.
It is agreed upon in my view among the scholars that the adhan inside the mosque is also an unlegislated religious innovation. This is because, during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the adhan was not given until the day of Jumu'ah, and even then it was only from the roof of the mosque and above the door of the mosque from above. This is because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) distinguished between the purpose of the adhan and the purpose of the iqamah. The purpose of the adhan is to inform the people who are outside the mosque, while the purpose of the iqamah is to inform those who are inside the mosque so that they stand up for prayer and line up with their Muslim brothers. So when we give the adhan inside the mosque, we have reversed the Sunnah, and at the same time we have reversed the purpose of the adhan. The purpose of the adhan is to inform those who are outside the mosque. Someone might say, "This purpose is now achieved by the loudspeaker." This is the reason why Muslims continued to use the loudspeaker and abandoned the Islamic practice, which is the adhan from the roof of the mosque or something similar to it, such as a modest minaret. This is because they thought that the only purpose of the adhan is to inform people, and this informing is achieved by the loudspeaker on a much wider scale. But we say that the adhan is an act of worship and a great Islamic practice, so it is necessary that the mu'adhdhin appears on the roof of the mosque with his person first. He must appear with his person, and secondly, he must perform the recommended practices related to the adhan, such as turning his head...