Discussion regarding the origin of religious innovations.

The Shaykh : ... The bid'ah (religious innovation) is restricting a general or absolute command to a specific time or manner... The general text should remain general, and the absolute text should remain absolute, but acting upon this jihad sometimes... This does not actually contradict the general text. This is a very important rule, because the foundation of every bid'ah of this type... this knowledge of bid'ah... the foundation of all bid'ah... is adhering to something that has an absolute or general command. This person does not act upon something that has no basis at all; rather, he acts upon a command established by a general text. This text is restricted, but he did not reach this general text, so he restricts it... or... he introduced into the Shari'ah... Likewise, the absolute text is restricted... "Glorify [Allah] a thousand times, recite 'Say: He is Allah, the One' a thousand times." This number restricts the text... its origin... but the restriction did not come... authentic... but it is... the innovated... When he entered the mosque, he found a circle... "Glorify three times, say the takbir three times." When he saw that, he said to them, "Woe to you, what is this that you are doing?" They said... he advised... he said, "Woe to you, how quickly you have perished! These are his garments (peace and blessings be upon him) and they have not worn out, and these are his vessels and they have not broken... Do you think you are more guided than the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)?"... So the answer of Ibn Mas'ud... Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)... He said... And I have certainly seen those people fighting us on the Day of al-Nahrawan, the Khawarij who rebelled against the righteous caliph 'Ali ibn Abi Talib... They took what had an absolute basis and restricted it... So he denied this restriction upon them.