When is a person ruled to be an innovator?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. When is a person ruled to be an innovator? Is it when he commits an innovation, or when he calls to an innovation?
The Shaykh : Whoever worships Allah in a manner other than what He has prescribed is an innovator. However, he is not given the rulings of an innovator until the truth is made clear to him. This is because this innovator, who worships Allah in a manner other than what He has prescribed, may think that this is the truth. So we say he is an innovator in his outward state, and we rule that he is an innovator until it becomes clear to us what prevents him from being described as such.
The Shaykh : Whoever worships Allah in a manner other than what He has prescribed is an innovator. However, he is not given the rulings of an innovator until the truth is made clear to him. This is because this innovator, who worships Allah in a manner other than what He has prescribed, may think that this is the truth. So we say he is an innovator in his outward state, and we rule that he is an innovator until it becomes clear to us what prevents him from being described as such.