Some people, after finishing reading the Qur'an, recite al-Fatihah and read al-Fatihah in a collective voice, knowing that this is in the mosque. Is this from
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The questioner : Some people, after finishing reading the Qur'an, recite al-Fatihah and read al-Fatihah in a collective voice, knowing that this is in the mosque. Is this also from religious innovation?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is also from religious innovation. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would conclude his recitation with al-Fatihah. Rather, he would begin his recitation with al-Fatihah in the prayer. The first thing he would recite in the prayer after the opening takbir was al-Fatihah. And as the questioner said, some people conclude their recitation with al-Fatihah. I say that some people also conclude everything with al-Fatihah, even in supplication; if they supplicate, they recite al-Fatihah. Even in every occasion, they say al-Fatihah. And this is from religious innovation.
Someone might say, "You have burdened us with innovations; everything is an innovation." I say, no, not everything is an innovation. Religious innovation is worshipping Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a manner other than what He has prescribed. Accordingly, innovations do not enter into matters other than acts of worship. Rather, what is newly introduced in worldly affairs is examined to see whether it is lawful or forbidden, and it is not called an innovation. The legal innovation is for a person to worship Allah the Exalted in a manner other than what He has prescribed, which is what is called a legal innovation. As for innovations in worldly affairs, even if they are called innovations according to the Arabic language, they are not religious innovations in the sense that they are not ruled as forbidden, lawful, obligatory, or recommended, unless the legal evidence necessitates that.
Accordingly, the things people have introduced today that are close to realizing worship, we do not say are innovations, even if they did not exist before. For example, the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker did not exist in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but it appeared recently. However, it has a religious benefit: it conveys the imam's prayer, the imam's recitation, and the sermon to the people, as well as in gatherings and lectures. So from this aspect, it is good and a benefit for the servants of Allah. It becomes good, and its purchase for the mosque for this purpose is from the prescribed matters for which its doer is rewarded.
And among that is what recently appeared in our mosques: carpets with lines for establishing rows and straightening them. Although this is a new thing, it is a means to a prescribed matter, so it is permissible or prescribed for the sake of another. It is not hidden from people what the imams who were keen on straightening the rows suffered before these lines. They faced problems when someone would move forward, and they would say to him, "Move back, move back more," and then they would say, "Move forward," and he would move forward more, causing fatigue. Now, praise be to Allah, the imam says, "Straighten your rows on the lines, center yourselves on them," and complete order is achieved in establishing the row. This is an innovation in terms of the action and creation, but it is not an innovation in terms of the Shari'ah, because it is a means to a matter required by the Shari'ah.
So the important thing is that it is not befitting for anyone to object to us or to others when we say: "This is an innovation," and it is truly an innovation. Let us return to the criterion we mentioned, which is that the innovation in the Shari'ah, which is subject to blame, is worshipping Allah the Exalted in a manner He has not prescribed, whether in creed, in speech, or in action. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is also from religious innovation. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would conclude his recitation with al-Fatihah. Rather, he would begin his recitation with al-Fatihah in the prayer. The first thing he would recite in the prayer after the opening takbir was al-Fatihah. And as the questioner said, some people conclude their recitation with al-Fatihah. I say that some people also conclude everything with al-Fatihah, even in supplication; if they supplicate, they recite al-Fatihah. Even in every occasion, they say al-Fatihah. And this is from religious innovation.
Someone might say, "You have burdened us with innovations; everything is an innovation." I say, no, not everything is an innovation. Religious innovation is worshipping Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in a manner other than what He has prescribed. Accordingly, innovations do not enter into matters other than acts of worship. Rather, what is newly introduced in worldly affairs is examined to see whether it is lawful or forbidden, and it is not called an innovation. The legal innovation is for a person to worship Allah the Exalted in a manner other than what He has prescribed, which is what is called a legal innovation. As for innovations in worldly affairs, even if they are called innovations according to the Arabic language, they are not religious innovations in the sense that they are not ruled as forbidden, lawful, obligatory, or recommended, unless the legal evidence necessitates that.
Accordingly, the things people have introduced today that are close to realizing worship, we do not say are innovations, even if they did not exist before. For example, the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker did not exist in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but it appeared recently. However, it has a religious benefit: it conveys the imam's prayer, the imam's recitation, and the sermon to the people, as well as in gatherings and lectures. So from this aspect, it is good and a benefit for the servants of Allah. It becomes good, and its purchase for the mosque for this purpose is from the prescribed matters for which its doer is rewarded.
And among that is what recently appeared in our mosques: carpets with lines for establishing rows and straightening them. Although this is a new thing, it is a means to a prescribed matter, so it is permissible or prescribed for the sake of another. It is not hidden from people what the imams who were keen on straightening the rows suffered before these lines. They faced problems when someone would move forward, and they would say to him, "Move back, move back more," and then they would say, "Move forward," and he would move forward more, causing fatigue. Now, praise be to Allah, the imam says, "Straighten your rows on the lines, center yourselves on them," and complete order is achieved in establishing the row. This is an innovation in terms of the action and creation, but it is not an innovation in terms of the Shari'ah, because it is a means to a matter required by the Shari'ah.
So the important thing is that it is not befitting for anyone to object to us or to others when we say: "This is an innovation," and it is truly an innovation. Let us return to the criterion we mentioned, which is that the innovation in the Shari'ah, which is subject to blame, is worshipping Allah the Exalted in a manner He has not prescribed, whether in creed, in speech, or in action. Yes.