Is every detail of a general text that the Salaf did not act upon considered a religious innovation?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : He reminds us of a principle I arrived at after looking into the branches of Islamic jurisprudence and their evidence from the Book and the Sunnah. The principle is one I formulated as follows: "Every general text that contains many details, a part of which we know the righteous Salaf did not perform, indicates that the general text is permissible, but it is not permissible to act upon that part, even if the general text includes it." Is the meaning of this statement clear, or does it need explanation? It needs explanation. We know, for example, the legitimacy of raising the hands in supplication from his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) Bulugh al-Maram 16:117 When we sit for the tashahhud, we make supplication but do not raise our hands. Why? Even though this part is included in the general text. Is this example clear? The general text
The questioner : Clear.
The Shaykh : The general text
The questioner : Authentic
The Shaykh : If he raises his hands, He is shy to return them empty. When we sit for the tashahhud and make supplication, are we not making supplication?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do we raise our hands?
The questioner : No
The Shaykh : Why? And the hadith says that Allah is not shy to return them empty. The answer
The questioner : It is possible that it comes from another path, that this action is restricted to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : No, there is no other path. The answer is that it was not part of the practice of the Salaf regarding this part of the general text. Take an example that may be clearer than this, so you do not say there is another path. We know that the adhan begins with Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar and ends with La ilaha illa Allah. We deny all the mu'adhdhins who send blessings upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after the adhan. Is there another path in denying the sending of blessings upon the Messenger after the adhan? There is no other path. There is only one path, which is: "And all good is in following those who came before *** And all evil is in innovating those who came after." That is, the Salaf did not add to the adhan, neither before nor after. Therefore, the general texts that the people of innovation argue with are due to their negligence and ignorance of this principle. And this principle includes, without exaggeration, hundreds of branches, if not thousands.
and would never turn the hands of a slave without gain when he raises them to Him (in supplication)
إن الله عز وجل يستحيي من عبده إذا رفع إليه يديه أن يردهما خائبتينThe questioner : Clear.
The Shaykh : The general text
The questioner : Authentic
The Shaykh :
Indeed, Allah is not shy to return the hands of the supplicant empty.
إن الله ليستحيي أن يرد يدي الداعي خائبتينThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do we raise our hands?
The questioner : No
The Shaykh : Why? And the hadith says that Allah is not shy to return them empty. The answer
The questioner : It is possible that it comes from another path, that this action is restricted to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : No, there is no other path. The answer is that it was not part of the practice of the Salaf regarding this part of the general text. Take an example that may be clearer than this, so you do not say there is another path. We know that the adhan begins with Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar and ends with La ilaha illa Allah. We deny all the mu'adhdhins who send blessings upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after the adhan. Is there another path in denying the sending of blessings upon the Messenger after the adhan? There is no other path. There is only one path, which is: "And all good is in following those who came before *** And all evil is in innovating those who came after." That is, the Salaf did not add to the adhan, neither before nor after. Therefore, the general texts that the people of innovation argue with are due to their negligence and ignorance of this principle. And this principle includes, without exaggeration, hundreds of branches, if not thousands.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.