His eminence, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen (رحمه الله) was asked concerning bid’ah (innovations).

Then he answered by saying:

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said regarding innovations:

“Be careful about the invented matters for every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the fire.”

And if this is so, then one has to be warned from following any innovation, whether it is initial or continual, for it is, as the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “in the fire”, meaning that misguidance is the cause of the punishment in the fire and the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) warned his nation from the innovations necessitating that that they are a sheer corruption because the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said generally concerning this: “every innovation is misguidance”.

Therefore, the innovations, in reality are indirect criticisms of the Shari’ah; because they necessicate the implication that the Shar’iah is incomplete and that the innovation is a more perfect form of worship to seek nearness to Allaah as the innovator claims.

Then to the innovator we say: “Every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the fire". And it is a duty to warn about all the innovations and that mankind not worship Allaah except by what Allaah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) have legislated.

In this way, one’s Imaam will truly be the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), for whomsoever follows the path of innovation then he has made the innovator his Imaam in that innovation, instead of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

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