[ Part Six of a series of inspiring articles from a recorded lecture entitled, “Min Ma’een al-Imaam Ahmad” (“Benefits from the Life and Works of Imam Ahmad”) by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allaah preserve him) ]
Identifying Religious Innovations and Staying Away From Them & the Importance of Hadeeth
From Imaam Ahmad’s other noteworthy sayings, may Allaah have Mercy on him, is his statement, “I do not know any people more in need of learning hadeeth than the people in our time.”
They asked him, “And why is that?”
He replied, “Innovation has spread, so whoever does not have the Sunnah, or the narrations, then he will fall into innovation.”
Why would a person ignorant of the narrations of the Sunnah fall into innovation? Because innovation is something beloved to a person’s soul, since the person only does it trying to get close to Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted.
An example of this is what is reported about Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him). He went to a gathering where one of those present would say to the rest, “Glorify Allaah 100 times,” and they would say, “Subhaanallaah,” 100 times. He would say, “Praise Allaah 100 times,” and they would say, “Al-hamdu lillaah,” 100 times. Then he would say, “Declare Allaah’s Greatness 100 times,” and they would say, “Allaahu akbar,” 100 times, all of this with stones in front of them to keep count with.
So Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) came to them when he was informed of this. He rebuked them, saying, “Verily you people are either more rightly guided than the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), or you are upon a branch of misguidance! These are the dishes of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) that are not yet even broken, and his wives have not yet even passed away…” This shows that this event occurred shortly after the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).
They said to him, and they were good people, “O Abaa ‘Abdir-Rahmaan! We only intended good!” They declared that they did not intend except good, to glorify Allaah, to praise Him, and to declare His Greatness. And you all know the hadeeth teaching us to do this every day. They said, “O Abaa ‘Abdir-Rahmaan! We only intended good!”
Ibn Mas’ood said, “How many have intended good, but never accomplish it?” He meant that a person must hold to the Sunnah in his affairs, as innovation is built upon the idea of intending good, just as those people said, “We only intended good!”
People intend good in every type of innovation that you see, like innovations in our belief for example, like denying some of Allaah’s Names and Attributes. You find them saying, “We were denying such and such an attribute to establish towheed.” They were only intending good. They negated an Attribute that Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, is worthy of, something that is part of His Perfection, while they say, “We only intended good!” They only intended to exalt Allaah [1]. The Mu’tazilah considered the negation of Allaah’s Attributes to be from tohweed.
Others named their negation of Allaah’s Attributes “ta’weel” and explained them as something else. What did they intend by this? They intended to exalt Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted. However, the statement of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood applies, “How many have intended good, but never accomplish it?”
Certainly this is an important principle. How can a man be saved from this? How can someone be saved from worshipping with innovation, or admiring the innovative worship of others, or approving of their novelties in worship? These acts can seem outwardly good, they can seem to be ways to get close to Allaah. Perhaps they are acts of humility, the person may even be crying. How can he be saved from this confusion? He must have knowledge of the Sunnah, the narrations, and the statements of the people of knowledge.
One of Imaam Ahmad’s companions used to sit with Al-Haarith Al-Muhaasibee [2] frequently. Imaam Ahmad’s companion said to him, “Al-Haarith is saying this and that, and he has humility in his worship, and he has great acts of worship…”
Ahmad said, “When does he visit you?”
He replied, “He visits me after Maghrib.”
Imaam Ahmad said, “Then I will also come, but allow me to sit in a place where I can hear his talk but I do not see him nor does he see me. I want to hear his talk while he does not see me.”
So Imaam Ahmad went and hid himself. After praying Maghrib, they sat down and their host brought food. Then they prayed ‘Eshaa’, returned to the house, and sat down again. They sat for a long time and Al-Haarith did not speak. Rather he sat in humility, in a way that fear, humbleness, and humility could be felt from him.
One of Al-Haarith’s companions asked him something, and then he began to talk, using good manners and softening their hearts. He continued talking as some of his companions reached states of humility, and others began to weep.
The companion of Imaam Ahmad said, “Then I went to see Imaam Ahmad, and I found him crying. So I said, ‘O Abaa ‘Abdilllaah! What about this talk that you heard?’ He replied, ‘I have not heard any speech finer than this! However, do not sit with him!'”
He said, “I have not heard any speech finer than this! However, do not sit with him!” Why? Because this kind of speech had not been in accordance with the guidance of the people of the Sunnah who preceded them. He was coming with a new manner of speech and a new manner of humility that had not been known to the scholars, a new style that the people before them had not known. So due to this, Imaam Ahmad was afraid that, with these new things, if they would have continued sitting with them, they would have strayed toward some innovation. Imaam Ahmad prohibited the people from befriending Al-Haarith and from sitting with him, due to what reached him about some of his other erroneous statements.
He said, “I have not heard any speech finer than this,” referring to the talk that affected the people’s hearts, “However, do not sit with him!” He said that because Al-Haarith’s style of presenting knowledge was not the way of the people of knowledge.
Let us return to what Imaam Ahmad said about that era, “I do not know any people in more need of learning hadeeth than the people of our time.”
They asked him, “Why is that?”
He replied, “Innovation has spread, so whoever does not have the Sunnah, or the narrations, will fall into innovation.” With regard to our current condition, this is something that everyone should take note of. Because, in our times, everyone loves the Religion, everyone wants to be religious and obedient, everyone wants to have humility in their hearts.
But all of this must be done according to the Sunnah, since any act of worship that is not in accordance to the Sunnah is rejected. Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, says [3]:
( He is the One who created death and life in order to test you, [to show] which of you are best in deeds )
Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyyaadh said, explaining this verse, “The best deeds are the most sincere and correct ones.”
It was said, “We all know about sincerity, but what is the meaning of correctness?”
He replied, “That it is in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).” This is the meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam):
“Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our affair shall have it rejected.”
Imaam Muslim collected this hadeeth in his Saheeh.
Therefore the affairs is not simply about someone softening the people’s hearts, benefiting the people, or reminding the people of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam). “This is a fine thing, it is nothing but good,” the people may say. It is sufficient to reject it that it is not in accordance with the Sunnah. Why is that? Because the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), the one we take as our example, said, “Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our affair shall have it rejected.”
There are some actions that were invented after the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and they are considered innovations, novelties, and misguidance. There are other actions that were introduced after the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), however the scholars do not count them among the blameworthy innovations. So what is the criterion that separates the two cases?
How can a person distinguish between what is considered innovation and what is not? The distinguishing factor is this: Do you see a precedence for it in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), or an incentive for it in the Sunnah? If there was an incentive for it in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and he did not do it, then that action is not legislated. Allaah has said [4]:
( Today I have perfected for you your Religion… )
Imaam Maalik said, “Whoever believes that there is a good innovation in the Religion, then he has accused Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) of betraying the trust of the message.” And the refuge is only with Allaah.
Therefore, as long as there was an incentive to do the action in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and in the time of the Companions, then this proves that performing the action is an innovation. Why is that? Because the incentive was present in his time, in ours, and in the times between.
So this action, if it was something legislated, then it would have been legislated in the time of the Prophethood. So since it was not legislated in the time of the Prophethood, this shows it is a misguided innovation.
As for the second category (of things introduced into the Religion), they are those actions that did not have an incentive for them in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), there was nothing warranting these actions. Let us look at some examples of both the first and second categories.
To mentions something well known, the first category would include the various innovative parties and gatherings, like celebrating the night of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi’raaj, the night of Al-Badr, or the birthday of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and this is the most serious of them.
What is the goal behind all of these celebrations? The intention behind them is to instill a love for the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) in the souls of the people, and to let people hear the history of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), so that they will love him. These intentions are all good.
But weren’t these incentives present in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)? The people in the time of the Companions and the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), all the Companions, all the Bedouins, all the people around Al-Madeenah, weren’t they all in need of reflecting? Didn’t they all need to love Al-Mustafaa (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)? They were in need of that.
Then why was that action not done? No doubt, abandoning certain actions is from the Religion. Just as receiving an order and obeying it is from the Religion, to avoid doing something that had an incentive in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) is also from the Religion. Otherwise, there would exist some things in our Religion that get us closer to Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, that our Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) did not convey to us.
The second category includes actions that have incentives that came after the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and there was no incentive to perform that action in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), or something preventing it from being done.
An example of this is the compilation of the Qur’aan into one book. Another example is Taraaweeh Prayer. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) prayed with them some nights, and then left it off, fearing that it may be taken as an obligation by the people. So when he passed away (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and the time of ‘Umar came (may Allaah be pleased with him), there was no longer anything preventing them from the action.
As for the compilation of the Qur’aan into one book, the Qur’aan was still coming down in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam). So if it had been compiled into one book during his lifetime, then every time a new verse was revealed, they would have had to add it into the sides or bottoms of the pages, thus the mus-haf would be in disarray.
Or they would have had to rewrite the mus-haf every time Allaah revealed a verse, as Allaah orders the affairs however he likes, they would have had to keep rewriting the mus-haf. For this reason, Aboo Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), began the compilation of the Qur’aan into one book after the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).
Therefore, what a great piece of advice Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah be pleased with him) left for us! From his advice about sticking to the Sunnah, he said, “I do not know any people more in need of learning hadeeth than the people of our time.” When they asked him why, he said, “Because innovation has spread.”
So if that was just about innovation in teaching styles and manners, then what about those that are related to affairs of belief? For example, what about issues of leadership, issues of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, issues of obeying the rulers and not opposing the leaders, and the likes?
Many people have contradicted the Sunnah in these affairs and followed their opinions. So for this reason, what a great need we are in for the Sunnah! Reflect over what Imaam Ahmad said in the end of this statement, “So whoever does not have the narrations will fall into innovation.”
So whoever holds to the Sunnah and submits to the narrations, then Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, will protect him from the newly invented matters by His Bounty and Generosity.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Based on their mistaken assumption that to say that Allaah has Attributes like speech, hearing, a hand, a foot, etc., this implies that He must be like His Creation. So based on this, they reject these Attributes, intending to glorify Allaah and clear Him from being like His Creation. Of course the correct position is to affirm the Attributes of Allaah that are mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah, they are truly His Attributes, they befit His Majesty, and they are not like the attributes of His Creation.
[2] Al-Muhaasibee was a soofee ascetic from Baghdaad. Even though he was firm in some issues that were in accordance with the way of the Salaf, like how he made takfeer of his own father because he withheld from saying that the Qur’aan is not a created thing, the scholars still warned against him and his books. Aboo Zur’ah Ar-Raazee said, “Be warned about these books! They are books of innovation and misguidance!” Refer to Siyaru A’laam An-Nubalaa’ (12/110-112).
[3] the meaning of Soorah Al-Mulk (67):2
[4] the meaning of Soorah Al-Maa’idah (5):3
Continue reading… Part Seven – Praying at Night
Or go to the Index of articles in this inspiring series.
Translation, Titles, and Footnotes by: Moosaa Richardson
Originally published on Bakkah.net: 1423-05-16
Please explain about Al-Muhaasibee making takfeer (declaring someone to be a kaafir) of his father.
Did his father say the Qur’an was created?
Thank you
When I searched up Al Muhaasibee, I found an article by a famous misguided scholar, claiming:
Recently I wrote a paper regarding one of the works of an early Sufi and scholar of kalam, al-Harith b. Asad al-Muhasibi (d. 243 A.H. / 857 C.E.), … Al-Muhasibi is one of the first people who combined between Sufism and kalam …”
Why is it that people claim that many of the scholars that have passed us are Soofees, such as Ibn Taymiyyah?
Many of the Salaf were soofees, meaning ascetic people (wearing “soof”, or wool, not a choice fabric in warm climates), who were focused on the Hereafter, upon the correct creed, true and devout followers of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and very religiously dedicated. This has nothing to do with the later generations who deviated in creed and worship, dividing into sects and tariqahs, opposing the guidance of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Sufism in our time is nothing but misguidance, however some of the Salaf of old would be praised for being “soofee”, meaning ascetic and religious, as explained. Today’s deviants try to use this disconnect in terminology to bridge the gap between the Deen of Allaah and their innovations, so be warned. And Allaah knows best. [Al-Muhaasibee himself had errors, by the way.]
Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Moosaa,
I’ve read from ibn Taymiyyah that Soofism started in Basrah (on ibntaymiyyah.com). How do I understand between your statement and his? Perhaps ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, meant the later generations? (Link: http://www.ibntaymiyyah.com/?dgfil)
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. That’s about the beginnings of deviant sufism, not the earliest sufism with the meaning of zuhd, that some of the upright Salaf were praised for. And Allaah knows best.
salam alaikum brother,
jazaakallaahu khairan for the beneficial article.
In the 9th paragraph, you used two different spellings for the same word. I’m not sure if this is a mistake or not. In the middle of it, you used “tawheed” and at the end of it, you used “towheed”. Hope this helps.
wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi. Jazaak Allaahu khayran. Updated.
Asalaamu alykum wa rahmatullah, Our dear respected ustaadh, please correct me it seems i seems the translation of surah Mulk ayah 2 maybe incorrect and that Death should precede life as in
Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;
Jazaakallahu Khayran, for such a benefcial translation our dear ustaadh.
Wa ‘alaykas-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. I’ve corrected it, may Allaah forgive your sins and grant you Paradise.
As-salamu alaykum warahmatullah, was someone having a long beard one of the violations of Maroo’a that was accepted by the majority of the salaf?
Wa ‘alaykum as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. I’ve heard something like that attributed to Ibn Taymiyah (an exceptionally long beard, as if something was wrong with the person), but it needs researched and studied.
What is required of a man and a woman in order for getting married to be permissible?
Also, what is “ability” in this context?
One of my friends’ keeps saying that he knows what the “Imam Mahdi Flag” looks like. When he showed me one of them, it really looked like the Khawaarij deviant ISIS flag!
Is there anything known about this flag and its colour being black?
ISIS are Khawaarij, as the scholars of Islam have explained abundantly, no matter what their flag is. Do you think a flag corresponding to a hadeeth (IF it does) disproves their deviant Khaarijee beliefs and methodology? How silly is that? Carry deviant opposition to the core beliefs of the Religion, but just hold up a flag and now you are OK? May Allaah guide them!
Jazakallaah Khairan for your reply.
Yes, I know that even if they carry the flag that was mentioned in the hadeeth, they are still the deviant extremists that the Prophet said who are the dogs of hellfire. May Allaah protect us from their evil.
However, my question, is if there is such a hadeeth that is about a flag of Imaam Mahdi, and whether it is authentic.
Assalaamu’alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu
If I know some common folk from the people of innovation and I’m unable to give da’wah to them due to my weakness in knowledge, is it correct on my part that when I come across them, I don’t smile at them, nor do I give salaams? Or is this extremism.
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. If your assessment of them as “people of innovation” is accurate and applicable, then such behavior keeps you safe, and it is line with how the Salaf dealt with the people of innovation, and it is not extremism. May Allaah give you success.
Assalamu alaykum,
There are many of us support the Salafi dawah and the efforts of the students by sharing their works, lectures, websites, etc. on social media, where a lot of the general Muslims are. So, I think it is extremely important that people are made aware, are given advice on what principles to follow on social media when it comes to interacting with people of innovation, or ignorant people, or those who claim salafiyyah but are perhaps not aware of what it actually is and think for example that the takfiri methodology is from it, etc. Or those who hide their innovation behind the garb of Salafiyyah.
There are many who have public accounts that promote the Salafi dawah and the efforts of the Salafi duaat, who perhaps don’t investigate enough before following an account. Therefore they end up following and perhaps indirectly endorsing an account that has mistakes, mistakes like posting erroneous people, or following erroneous people, or following those who follow or promote erroneous people.
Knowing the great emphasis of companionship in Salafiyyah, what principles should we follow with regard to interacting with ahlul bidah or those who are ignorant on social media?
I think it would be very beneficial if there were lectures from the students of knowledge, or articles on this! What principles should we follow on social media to apply the Salafi methodology? Perhaps this question is stupid, but the clarification would be very helpful.