Explaining the Origin of Religious Innovations in Islam

The Shaykh : As he (peace be upon him) said regarding many of the reciters, the reciters of the last age. He said this specifically about the Khawarij who rebelled against 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. Then their rebellion became a political ideology; whenever a caliph or king rose to power, they rose against him. Their leader was a man from the Companions. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) distributed some of the war spoils, this wicked man said: "Be just, O Messenger of Allah, be just." He said to him: . Then he (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) turned and said: . In another hadith: ; meaning: it does not reach their hearts, .
Among the narrators of this hadith is Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, our close companion in the story of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari's prayer. He said to him: "What is this Jewish practice?" and so on. Abu Musa was with his brother, Ibn Mas'ud. Ibn Mas'ud was with him when he appointed him and placed him in a position of honor. Abu Musa knew the virtue of Ibn Mas'ud in knowledge, so every morning he would go to his house and set off with him to the mosque for the Fajr prayer. One day, Abu Musa came as was his habit and found the people waiting for him, waiting for Ibn Mas'ud. He said: "Has Abu 'Abd al-Rahman—Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's kunya—come out?" They said: "No." So he sat and waited until he came out. He said: "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, I saw something in the mosque just now that I disapproved of, and yet—praise be to Allah—I saw nothing but good." He said: "What did you see?" He said: "If you live, you will see it. I saw people in the mosque in circles, and in the middle of each circle was a man saying to those around him: 'Glorify Allah thus, praise Allah thus, magnify Allah thus,' meaning a number according to what was revealed to him, whether forty, fifty, a hundred, more or less. And in front of each man were pebbles with which he counted the glorification, magnification, and praise." Ibn Mas'ud said to Abu Musa: "Did you not disapprove of them?" He said: "No, I was waiting for your command or your opinion." This was his acknowledgment of Ibn Mas'ud's knowledge. He said: "Did you not order them to count their sins and guarantee for them that nothing of their good deeds would be lost?" He said: "No, I was waiting for your command or your opinion." Ibn Mas'ud returned to go out veiled so that he would not be seen. He went to the mosque and saw the circles as Abu Musa had described them. So he removed the veil from his face and said: "Woe to you! What is this you are doing? I am Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him)." They said: "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, pebbles—meaning, what are we doing?—pebbles with which we count the glorification, magnification, and praise." He said: "Count your sins, and I am the guarantor for you that nothing of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, how quickly you are perishing! These are his garments (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him), and they have not worn out, and these are his vessels, and they have not been broken. By Him in whose hand is my soul, either you are more guided than the Ummah of Muhammad, the Companions of Muhammad, or you are clinging to the tail of misguidance." Look at the eloquent expression! He did not say: "clinging to misguidance," but "clinging to the tail of misguidance." "Either you are more guided than the Ummah of Muhammad (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him), or you are clinging to the tail of misguidance." They said: "By Allah, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, we did not intend anything but good." And this is a true word for many people from the common people who worship in a manner contrary to the Shari'ah, just as their sheikhs adorned it for them, so they said: "We did not intend anything but good." But the answer was at a very high level. He said: "How many are there who intend good but do not attain it?" Just as that poet said:
"You hope for salvation but do not follow its paths *** For the ship does not run on the dry land"
The one who wants good must follow the path that leads to good. The one who wants to reach the Sacred House of Allah must walk from here, not from here. If he walks from here, he will arrive in Paris, but he will not reach Hajj, even if his intention is what? His intention is Hajj.