Following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and abandoning innovations, with evidence

The Shaykh : The second condition: what is necessary is following, following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). You perform the act of worship believing that your leader in it is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, emulating him, hoping to be gathered in his group, to enter into his intercession, and to drink from his pool. O Allah, gather us in the group of Your Prophet. O Allah, gather us in the group of Your Prophet. O Allah, gather us in the group of Your Prophet, and give us to drink from his pool, and admit us into his intercession. You must be a follower of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), not one who worships according to his own desires. Look: if you want to perform an act of worship, did the Messenger do it or not? If it is said he did it, what then? Do it. If it is said he did not do it, do not do it, even if it pleases you and comes easily to you, even if you see in it softness of heart and submission of limbs, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not do it, do not do it. For Satan may beautify something for you, he may beautify something for you in an innovative act of worship, and you say, "This is the best of things; my heart softened for it and my soul was purified for it, so I will do it." We say: Do not do it. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) do it or not? This is the standard. Therefore, our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who was the most sincere of creation to the servants of Allah, the most knowledgeable of creation regarding the Shari'ah of Allah, and the most eloquent of creation in speech, used to say on Friday: "As for what follows, listen: Allahu Akbar! Every newly invented matter is the worst of matters, the worst of matters, even if you think it is good. Every newly invented matter means in religion; as for worldly matters, worldly matters are for the world. But every newly invented matter in religion means every thing a person invents to draw near to Allah, which was not in the Shari'ah of Allah, is a bid'ah (religious innovation). Every bid'ah is misguidance. Every bid'ah is misguidance.