Reading from the author's text with commentary and collation of manuscripts: "So we point out some of its harms, among which is that whoever innovates an act on a day
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The reader: "So we point out some of its harms, among which is that whoever innovates an act on a day, such as innovating the fasting of the first Thursday of Rajab, and the prayer on the night of that Friday, which the ignorant call the Prayer of Longings, for example, and what follows from that, such as innovating foods and adornments, and increasing in expenditure, and the like, it is necessary that this act be followed by a belief in the heart. And that is because it is necessary that he believes that this day is better than its like, and that fasting on it is recommended with a recommendation that exceeds the Thursday before it and after it, for example, and that this night is better than other Fridays, and that the prayer on it is better than the prayer on other nights of Fridays specifically, and all other nights generally, for if this belief did not exist in his heart, or in the heart of the one he follows, the heart would not be stirred to single out this day and night, for preferring one thing over another without a reason for preference is impossible."
The Shaykh : This is correct. Can a person prefer one day over another, or one night over another, except on the basis of a belief? It is absolutely impossible, or for a known accidental reason. Therefore, one must be cautious of this, even if you see all the people doing it, do not agree with them as long as this matter has no basis in the Book, the Sunnah, and the practice of the Companions, do not do it. And we have now understood from the jurisprudential aspect that the Prayer of Longings is a religious innovation, and that fasting, yes, and that fasting on the first Thursday of Rajab is a religious innovation, and that preparing foods and distributing them on that day is a religious innovation, even though if we looked at fasting in itself, what would it be? It would be prescribed, and likewise standing in night prayer, and likewise feeding people, yes.
The Shaykh : This is correct. Can a person prefer one day over another, or one night over another, except on the basis of a belief? It is absolutely impossible, or for a known accidental reason. Therefore, one must be cautious of this, even if you see all the people doing it, do not agree with them as long as this matter has no basis in the Book, the Sunnah, and the practice of the Companions, do not do it. And we have now understood from the jurisprudential aspect that the Prayer of Longings is a religious innovation, and that fasting, yes, and that fasting on the first Thursday of Rajab is a religious innovation, and that preparing foods and distributing them on that day is a religious innovation, even though if we looked at fasting in itself, what would it be? It would be prescribed, and likewise standing in night prayer, and likewise feeding people, yes.