The Shaykh’s explanation of the severity of persisting in approving religious innovations and that it may lead to disbelief.

The Shaykh : But you must remember that persisting in approving this religious innovation, as I mentioned earlier that it is a newly invented matter, is the most frightening thing I fear: that the one who persists in it will be included among the group... And you know that when this verse was revealed and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited it, 'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tai was present in the gathering. He was one of the few Arabs who could read and write, and consequently he had become a Christian. When this verse was revealed, its intended meaning was not clear to him, so he said, "O Messenger of Allah, how is it that our Lord says about us, the Christians of the past..." The Messenger (peace be upon him) clarified to him that this meaning which occurred to his mind is not what is intended by this verse, even though it is a true meaning in the sense that it is not permissible for a Muslim to believe that any person creates or provides sustenance. But the meaning here is more subtle than that, so he said to him... He said"As for this, it used to be the case"He (peace and blessings be upon him) said Therefore, the matter is very serious. When one approves of a religious innovation, knowing that it was not part of the practice of the righteous Salaf, and if it had been good, they would have preceded us to it, he has placed himself in the company of the rabbis and monks who took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and those who also imitate them. It is for them, or for those like them, that this verse was revealed. My point in this is that it is not permissible for a Muslim, as we always hear and as we heard recently, that the difference is not superficial!! The difference is fundamental and very deep, because we look at this religious innovation and others as falling first under the general scope of the previous hadith: every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. And second, we look at the subject of religious innovation as being connected to legislation that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has not authorized. So He said: