The Shaykh’s reminder that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah has a very beneficial study on distinguishing between the unlegislated public benefit that is acted upon and that which is not acted upon

The Shaykh : On this occasion, I remind you that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) has a very important study on the subject of distinguishing between the unlegislated public benefit that should or must be acted upon—which some people call a good innovation—and the public benefit that is not permissible to act upon. He says, and he says well, that regarding the matters that occur for Muslims and from which benefits result for them, one should look at whether the reason for acting upon this occurrence as a means and cause to achieve an Islamic benefit existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or not. He says: If the reason for acting upon this cause existed in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and necessitated acting upon this cause on the basis that it achieves a benefit, and yet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not act upon this occurrence on the basis that it achieves a benefit, then acting upon it at that time is an innovation. And why?
Because if acting upon this cause were legislated, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have acted upon it, for he is protected from overlooking a cause that contains good for the Muslims, if the Lord of the Worlds had intended to legislate it for the Muslims.