What is the meaning of: “Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam”?
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The first message in this episode is a message sent to the program from Jordan, Zarqa, sent by one of the brothers there, Abu Muhammad al-Nasiri. Our brother asks and says: Sahih Muslim 1017a, is this a hadith, and if it is a hadith, did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) leave anything for anyone to follow as a practice in Islam? We ask you to clarify this matter to us in detail. May Allah reward you with good?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: This hadith is valid, and it indicates the legitimacy of reviving the sunnah and calling to it, and warning against religious innovations and evils; because he (peace and blessings be upon him) says:.
This is like the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 4609Sahih (Al-Albani), and likewise the hadith of Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) , the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: Sahih Muslim 1893a.
So the meaning of “introduced in Islam” means: he revived a sunnah and made it apparent and prominent from what may be hidden from people, so he calls to it and makes it apparent and prominent, and he will have from the reward the same as the rewards of his followers in it. It does not mean innovation; it does not mean that he innovates a good religious innovation in Islam. No, every religious innovation is misguidance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) says:.
But the intended meaning is: reviving the sunnah and making it apparent. For example: in a land where they do not have teaching of the Qur'an, they do not have teaching of the sunnah, so he revives this sunnah, he sits with the people to teach them the Qur'an, teach them the sunnah, or he brings them teachers. Or in a land where they shave their beards or cut them short, so he revives this sunnah and this prescribed practice, meaning: he lets his beard grow and nurtures it and leaves it long. So the people followed him in that and imitated him, acting on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):. So when they saw that he had let his beard grow, they followed him, and he revived among them the sunnah, which is an obligatory sunnah, meaning: it is among the obligations, so he will have the same as their rewards.
Or in a land where they are ignorant of the Friday prayer and do not pray the Friday prayer, so he teaches them and prays the Friday prayer with them, or he establishes it among them and prays the Friday prayer with them. Or in a land where they are ignorant of the witr prayer, so he teaches them about it at night; the witr prayer. Or something similar to that of the acts of worship and rulings known from the religion, where ignorance of them may occur in some lands or some tribes. So the one who revives it among them and spreads it and clarifies it is called: “He introduced a good practice in Islam,” meaning: he made apparent in Islam and clarified in Islam a good practice. It is not intended that he innovates what Allah has not permitted; because religious innovation is misguidance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) says in the valid hadith:Sunan Abi Dawud 4607Sahih (Al-Albani).
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) says in the valid hadith also:Sahih Muslim 1718b, and in the other wording: Sahih Muslim 1718a, agreed upon for its validity.
And he says in the Friday sermon, peace and blessings be upon him:Sahih Muslim 867a.
So the religious innovations that Allah does not prescribe, it is not permissible to call to them or to do them. Rather, doing them is reviving religious innovations, and calling to them is calling to religious innovations, so it is not permissible. It is not intended in this hadith this meaning,Sahih Muslim 1017a, meaning: he revived it and made it apparent and clarified it and guided to it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently
من سن سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها إلى يوم القيامةAnswer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: This hadith is valid, and it indicates the legitimacy of reviving the sunnah and calling to it, and warning against religious innovations and evils; because he (peace and blessings be upon him) says:
Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam, he will have its reward and the reward of whoever works by it after him, and that will not decrease from their rewards anything. And whoever introduces a bad practice in Islam, he will have its sin and the sin of whoever works by it after him, and that will not decrease from their sins anything.
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة كان له أجرها وأجر من عمل بها من بعده لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئاً، ومن سن في الإسلام سنة سيئة كان عليه وزرها ووزر من عمل بها من بعده لا ينقص ذلك من أوزارهم شيئاًThis is like the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
If anyone summons other to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error the sin of which sins being diminished in any respect on that account.
من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئاً، ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الإثم مثل آثام من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من آثامهم شيئاًOne who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer.
من دل على خير فله مثل أجر فاعلهSo the meaning of “introduced in Islam” means: he revived a sunnah and made it apparent and prominent from what may be hidden from people, so he calls to it and makes it apparent and prominent, and he will have from the reward the same as the rewards of his followers in it. It does not mean innovation; it does not mean that he innovates a good religious innovation in Islam. No, every religious innovation is misguidance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) says:
Every innovation is misguidance.
كل بدعة ضلالةBut the intended meaning is: reviving the sunnah and making it apparent. For example: in a land where they do not have teaching of the Qur'an, they do not have teaching of the sunnah, so he revives this sunnah, he sits with the people to teach them the Qur'an, teach them the sunnah, or he brings them teachers. Or in a land where they shave their beards or cut them short, so he revives this sunnah and this prescribed practice, meaning: he lets his beard grow and nurtures it and leaves it long. So the people followed him in that and imitated him, acting on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Cut short the moustaches and let the beards grow, and differ from the polytheists.
قصوا الشوارب وأعفوا اللحى خالفوا المشركينOr in a land where they are ignorant of the Friday prayer and do not pray the Friday prayer, so he teaches them and prays the Friday prayer with them, or he establishes it among them and prays the Friday prayer with them. Or in a land where they are ignorant of the witr prayer, so he teaches them about it at night; the witr prayer. Or something similar to that of the acts of worship and rulings known from the religion, where ignorance of them may occur in some lands or some tribes. So the one who revives it among them and spreads it and clarifies it is called: “He introduced a good practice in Islam,” meaning: he made apparent in Islam and clarified in Islam a good practice. It is not intended that he innovates what Allah has not permitted; because religious innovation is misguidance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) says in the valid hadith:
Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.
وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالةAnd he (peace and blessings be upon him) says in the valid hadith also:
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردAnd he says in the Friday sermon, peace and blessings be upon him:
The best of the speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of the guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad. And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error.
أما بعد: فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله، وخير الهدي هدي محمد ﷺ، وشر الأمور محدثاتها، وكل بدعة ضلالةSo the religious innovations that Allah does not prescribe, it is not permissible to call to them or to do them. Rather, doing them is reviving religious innovations, and calling to them is calling to religious innovations, so it is not permissible. It is not intended in this hadith this meaning,
He who sets a good precedent in Islam
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنةThe presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.