Is every innovation misguidance?
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The Shaykh : For this reason, many, and very many, hadiths, as well as athar from the Companions and the righteous Salaf, came, forbidding Muslims from innovating in the religion. They forbid them absolutely, without any specification or restriction entering into this prohibition. Some of these hadiths are well known, but few stop to consider their general implication. Just now, I began this talk with the "Sermon of Need," which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to begin his sermons with. In it is the best of speech, the speech of Allah, and the best of guidance, the guidance of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And the worst of matters are their newly invented ones, and every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. This universal principle—every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire—no Muslim who truly believes in Allah and His Messenger is permitted to contradict this principle and say, "No, not every religious innovation is misguidance," or "Not every religious innovation is misguidance." How can a Muslim who truly believes in Allah and His Messenger contradict it, oppose it, and be stubborn against it? He says, "Every religious innovation is misguidance," and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) says so. Then there are those who say, "No, religious innovation is divided into two categories: good innovation and bad innovation." This is a grossly unjust division. It is obligatory for every Muslim not to believe in it, because it contradicts his faith, due to the saying of our Prophet (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him): Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam) It is astonishing that some Muslims exist who oppose the Messenger in this word. He says, "Every religious innovation is misguidance," and that Muslim says, "Religious innovation is divided into two categories: good and bad." What can be said about the one who says in the hadith of the Messenger (peace be upon him) that contains such a universal principle: He said (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 3390Hasan (Darussalam) Is it conceivable that a Muslim would say this is divided into two categories? Not every intoxicant is khamr; some of it is khamr and some is not? It is not imaginable that this would come from a Muslim except by mistake or error. That is possible. But for it to become a continuous law in the minds of Muslims, and indeed most Muslims, because of a slip committed by a scholar—therein lies the problem. One might say, "It was a mistake or error that contradicted the Qur'an and Sunnah," but it cannot become a continuous law and worship for all these long years. So, the one who says regarding his saying (peace be upon him): "Not every religious innovation is misguidance, but rather it is good innovation and bad innovation," is like the one who says regarding his other saying (peace be upon him): How does a Muslim dare to say this grossly unjust division, while Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: [An-Nisa 4:115] The hadiths that came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) warning against every act of worship that Allah did not prescribe through the tongue of the Messenger of Allah are too numerous to count. I mentioned to you just now the hadith that encompasses every religious innovation as being misguidance, and now I remind you of another hadith. It is the advice of the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) to his Companions in a sermon in which he admonished his Companions (peace and blessings be upon him).
every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire
كل بدعة ضلالة وكل ضلالة في النارEvery intoxicant is Khamr (wine) and every Khamr is unlawful.
كل مسكر خمر وكل خمر حرامEvery innovation is misguidance.
كل بدعة ضلالةEvery intoxicant is khamr (intoxicants)
كل مسكر خمرAnd whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
ومن يشاقق الرسول من بعد ما تبين له الهدى ويتبع غير سبيل المؤمنين نوله ما تولى ونصله جهنم وساءت مصيرا
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
