Explaining that we should not follow the opinions of the common people, but rather take the middle path in teaching them and spreading the Sunnah among them.

The Shaykh : And unfortunately, many of the imams know nothing about this, and the one who knows it does not apply it because he fears a revolt from the common people. If he prostrated after the taslim in front of the general public, they would rise up against him, shout at him, and say, "This is a new religion; we did not find our fathers upon it." But is it permissible for students of knowledge to abandon important issues out of fear of a revolt from the common people?
The answer is: No, because if we allowed ourselves this, many of the Sunnahs would die out, and the Shari'ah would become according to the practice of the common people: whatever they rejected, we would leave, and whatever they approved, we would bring. And this is an error. It is true that a person should not surprise people with these matters they do not know. If he surprises them, and it is necessary to surprise them, let him attach an explanation to his action and tell the people, "This is the Sunnah," so that they are reassured. Otherwise, it is well known that the common people reject such things they do not know. And conversely, people are at two extremes and a middle. Conversely, there is the one who brings oddities to the common people while he is in no need of them.
For example, if he comes with a recitation they do not know, a recitation of the Qur'an they do not know, then this is a great danger from two aspects:
The first aspect is that the common person may reject this recitation, which is an established recitation whose rejection is not permissible, but the common person has not heard of it before, so he rejects it. He rejects it greatly, and he is excused because the Qur'an is, in his view, the noblest and greatest speech. If anyone tries to change what he sees in his mushaf, what will he do? If the common person recites with a recitation he does not know in his mushaf, what will he do? He will reject you, and he has the right to reject it because he does not know it and sees that the Qur'an is the noblest speech and no one can change or alter it. So he rejects you, rejecting what is established from the Qur'an. And it is well known that rejecting what is established from the Qur'an, for one who knows it is from the Qur'an, is disbelief. This is one thing. Or another harm: he becomes doubtful about the Qur'an, saying, "How can there be this change in the Qur'an?" So the status of the Qur'an drops in his heart. And this is a great danger. Therefore, I advise my brothers, the students of knowledge who have knowledge of the recitations, not to recite with a recitation that is not in the common people's mushafs, lest people fall into these two dangers or one of them. Did you not know that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), rejected from Hisham ibn al-Hakam a recitation established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but 'Umar had not heard it, so he rejected it, and he was 'Umar! Until they took him to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he recited the recitation, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that this is an established recitation. So what about the common people? If 'Umar rejected a recitation he had not heard, even though it was established, what about the common people among us? So I advise my brothers who know the recitations not to recite with them in front of the common people, lest they lead them into fitnah regarding their religion.
If someone were to say: Is it better for me to recite for myself with these recitations? Or should I stick to one recitation? What is better?
We say: All of it is Sunnah. All of it is Sunnah. The stronger opinion regarding the Sunnahs that come in various forms is that the stronger opinion is to do this once and that once, for two great benefits. Do you understand or not?
I say: The Sunnahs that come in various forms, the stronger opinion regarding them is that a person should do them once in this form and once in that form, for two great benefits:
The first benefit: Acting upon both Sunnahs means acting upon the Sunnah, this one and that one, not taking one and forgetting the other.
The second benefit: Establishing these two Sunnahs, because a Sunnah that is not acted upon, what might happen? It might die out. So I say: Whoever has knowledge of the seven mass-transmitted recitations, it is better for him to recite with this one once and with that one once.
For example: In the saying of the Blessed and Exalted in Surat al-Fatihah: And I am saying this as an example, do not argue with me, saying, "Why do you have common people?" In it, what is the recitation?
I myself recite it sometimes like this and sometimes like this, so that I act upon both recitations, because both recitations are Sunnah. But with the common person, if I recite he says, "Wait, from Malik? Why?"
Because the mushaf in front of him, what is it? Malik, so he responds to him.
Now, suppose I recited in a state of distraction or forgetfulness in front of a common person: He says, "Wait, you made a mistake." I say, "Why?" He says, "You said Malik, but it is Malik."
Do I tell him there is a second recitation, or do I say, "May Allah open for you and reward you with good"? The second or the first?
The second. I say, "May Allah open for you and reward you with good," because he is preserving the book in front of him.
So the important thing is that these are matters a student of knowledge should pay attention to, and look at the dangers that occur if he brings something people do not know. And for this reason, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: .