It may be objected to the rule that requires the practice of the righteous Salaf to be established regarding the details of a general hadith that has not been restricted, in order for acting upon it to be valid.

The questioner : This question relates to what you mentioned, which is that it may be objected to the rule that requires the practice of the righteous Salaf to be established regarding the details of a general hadith that has not been restricted, in order for acting upon it to be valid. The principle of usul al-fiqh states "the absence of transmission does not indicate the transmission of absence". How is this objection answered? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : We hinted at the answer in the previous response, but it is necessary to provide further clarification for this question now.
We say that the phrase the questioner referred to is from the sayings of the scholars, and it states "the lack of knowledge of a thing does not necessitate knowledge of its absence". This is a correct statement, but it relates to details that may be hidden from the general public, meaning that they are not matters for which the conditions for transmission were met, like the previous example. There are many, and very many, examples of this. Therefore, we say that it is necessary to distinguish between something that is apparent and public, and something that is not apparent and public. It is possible that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or some of his noble Companions did so, but no one became aware of it because it was not a public matter. As we usually illustrate with some examples, such as the two 'Id prayers, for instance, the adhan is not prescribed for them, but rather "the prayer is assembled" is prescribed for them. However, the other prayers, which are recommended or obligatory according to the disagreement among jurists on that matter, are generally considered by the majority of scholars to be among the recommended practices, and it is part of the Sunnah to gather people for them, but they do not have an adhan. So if someone were to say, taking the generality into account, saying, "My brother, what is the obstacle? We call the adhan for the prayer from these prayers for which we know, which we know, that no adhan was reported, we have a text regarding the adhan." But also, as the innovators say regarding all their innovations, "Is there a prohibition on this innovation with you? We do not have a prohibition," as they say, for example, regarding the prayer upon the Messenger after the adhan, where they say it is a good innovation. When we deny it to them, they ask, "Is there a prohibition on it?"

The questioner : ... Your Eminence, the Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : Do you mean the month with it? After the adhan.

The Shaykh : No, I do not mean that. I am referring to something broader than raising the voice. Raising the voice is clear to all people. Perhaps you heard me; some questioners asked me about this issue just now, so I distinguished between the mu'adhdhin saying "Allah is the Lord of this perfect call" and sending blessings upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Because the first matter has a general text etc., whereas sending blessings upon the Messenger has only the specific text directed to the listeners. Therefore, some authors in the present era, from among the supporters of the Sunnah, keep circling around denying the raising of the voice. And this denial is deficient. Because the mu'adhdhin adding the sending of blessings upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to the adhan, even if done secretly, is also not transmitted, and there is no general text that covers it between him and his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He. Therefore, we say that these innovators, in all their innovations, never fail to find a general text under which they include their innovation. And so, due to the precision of Imam al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) in his great book "al-I'tisam", which I advise students of knowledge to focus on studying and understanding well, because it is stuffed with knowledge, filled with knowledge. He distinguishes after generalizing the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as is clear . He divides innovation into two types: true innovation and additional innovation. And it is understood from his words that additional innovation is what the community has suffered from more and more than they have suffered from true innovation. He means by true innovation the innovation that has no basis at all in the Book or in the Sunnah, and it is generally a creedal innovation. As for additional innovation, in his view, looking at one aspect of the evidence, it appears to be prescribed, and looking at another aspect, it appears to be not prescribed. So at that time, it is correct to call it an innovation of misguidance. And he brings good and very clear examples for the issue. He says, for example, seeking forgiveness after the prayer. Seeking forgiveness after the prayer is a Sunnah because it came in Sahih Muslim from the hadith of Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he finished the prayer, would seek forgiveness from Allah three times. He says, but raising the voice in seeking forgiveness and with one voice, this was added to this Sunnah. So by this consideration, it was attached to innovation and is not from the Sunnah. Similarly, he says, the congregational formation that is held after the prayers, especially after 'Asr and after Fajr, where the imam, when he faces the people praying behind him, teaches them the tasbih, tahmid, and takbir, then he supplicates and raises his hands, and then they say "Ameen" to his supplication. He says this has a basis in the Sunnah because tasbih is commanded, and supplication in an absolute sense also has some hadiths regarding it. But this gathering in this manner occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So this gathering is an innovation, but it has a basis in the Shari'ah in that these recitations and dhikr are reported in it. He calls that an additional innovation. So I say, if we do not observe this rule, which is that every Shari'ah text from the Book or the Sunnah contains many parts, and some of these parts have not been acted upon by the Muslims, it would be an innovation if this is not observed. May Allah bless the innovators in their innovations, because as we said just now, they never fail to find a general text that supports their innovation. Therefore, we must arm ourselves with the understanding of this rule against our opponents and those who disagree with us from the innovators, so that we can establish the argument against them and their argument does not stand against us. This is a reminder, and the reminder benefits the believers, if Allah wills.
The summary of the answer is distinguishing between apparent matters for which the motivations for transmission are present, and matters that are not so.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And to you.