He asks: How should one deal with the person who departs from the Sunnah and introduces into the religion what is not part of it, claiming fear of causing fitnah among the common people and that this is a means of drawing them in to win their hearts?

The questioner : He asks: How should one deal with the person who departs from the Sunnah and introduces into the religion what is not part of it, claiming fear of causing fitnah among the common people and that this is a means of drawing them in to win their hearts, as he claims?

The Shaykh : The treatment of this innovator who introduces into the religion of Allah what is not part of it in order to please the servants of Allah is that he should be advised to abandon this act, because it is a forbidden act. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: It is not permissible to be lenient with the servants of Allah in a matter that Allah has not prescribed. It is obligatory for him to repent to Allah from this matter and to proceed upon the religion of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and upon the guidance with which Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), whether people are pleased with that or not. However, regarding matters of the Sunnah that are unknown to people, a person should prepare the ground for them in a way that wins people over before he reveals them to them. He should perform them, not abandon them, but if he fears the aversion of people, he should prepare for that and call them with wisdom until they are reassured by it and their hearts open to it. As for abandoning the Sunnah out of consideration for them, this is not permissible. Or introducing something into the religion of Allah out of consideration for them, that is a matter that is not permissible.