The ruling on dividing religious innovation into good and bad

Question:
Our brother refers to what is commonly said among people, namely that there is a good religious innovation and a bad religious innovation.

Answer:
The correct view is that there is no good religious innovation; every religious innovation is misguidance, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said in his Friday sermon: , and this is also found in the hadith of Aisha, the hadith of al-‘Arba’ ibn Sariyah, and others. Thus, all religious innovations are misguidance, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated.
As for the view of some scholars that religious innovation is divided into good and bad, it is a new term and an opinion of some scholars that is not relied upon.
The correct view is that every religious innovation is misguidance. What some scholars consider a good religious innovation is not the case; rather, it is prescribed, and it is not called a religious innovation. Even if it is called an innovation in the linguistic sense, as 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding the tarawih prayers: This is from the linguistic perspective, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not continue with it during his lifetime, fearing it would become obligatory upon them. So he prayed it for nights and then left it, and he said: .
When he (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw and was pleased that establishing it was a good and prescribed matter, because the fear of it becoming obligatory upon the people was removed by his death (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, when he ordered them to do so and saw them praying, he said: meaning: from the linguistic perspective, because an innovation in language is what is done without a prior example. The tarawih prayers were not on a prior example in terms of continuity during the nights of Ramadan. Otherwise, they are a recommended practice. The tarawih prayers are a recommended practice, an act of drawing near to Allah, and obedience to Allah; they are not an innovation from the perspective of the Shari'ah.
This is what is called an innovation in terms of language; because it did not exist, such as organized schools and the like. If it is called an innovation in terms of language, it does no harm, but it is not an innovation in terms of the Shari'ah. For schools were established to teach the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and to explain the rulings of the Shari'ah. Thus, they are an act of drawing near to Allah, just as mosques are built to establish prayer in them and for circles of knowledge. So they are not an innovation. Building up mosques in a manner other than that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), by building them with steel, stones, or wood, is an act of drawing near to Allah, an act of obedience, and something commanded, even if it is not on the same model as in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions expanded the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him) in a manner other than how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) built it. He built it with carved stone and wood, to honor this mosque and give it distinction, when he saw that people had changed and improved their houses by building them up. So he wanted to improve the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) through his own ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) and his companions.
So this is what exists of mosques built with steel or carved stone or the like; it is not called a religious innovation. However, it is recommended for the Muslim when building mosques to keep them free from decorations and things that distract the worshippers. But if they are built with a solid, well-constructed structure, this is something required because of the safety it provides for Muslims. As for decorations in mosques, inside the mosques, this is disliked; because of the distraction and the occupation of the worshipper. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.