Question Posed To Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen on Noor Ala-Darb.

Question:
Is there good innovation and evil innovation (in the religion)?

Answer:
I seek refuge in Allah (from that)! There is never in the religion good innovation. The most knowledgeable of the creation of the legislation, the most eloquent of the creation in speech and the most sincere of the creation to the creation stated: “Every innovation is misguidance.” The word “Every” is from the wordings which imply generality. Rather it is the strongest wordings (to imply) generality. The Prophet said: “Every innovation is misguidance”, he didn’t make any exceptions. That which the person does thinking that it is a good innovation, either it is not innovation however he named it innovation. Or either it is not good and he thinks it to be good. As for the matter coming together that it is innovation and at the same time good, this is impossible. So for this, we criticize those people who have put together (for themselves) specific words of remembrance that they say in the morning or evening, individually or collectively (as a group). We criticize them being that they put together things (for themselves to be practiced in the religion) that have not come in the Sunnah although they see it to be good and view it as something that it virtuous. Continue reading →