Stance of Shari'ah regarding religious innovations

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The Stance of Shari'ah regarding Religious Innovations. 

One should know that the second Testimony of Faith, 'Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah', requires the person to obey him, and believe in what he has informed us about and to stay away from that which he has forbidden. It also requires that a person worship Allah in the allowed and sanctioned manner, not in a way he desires or wishes. It is a must upon the person to reject every religious innovation. Allah says: Let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad ) commandment (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them. (24:63) The Prophet  said: 'He who innovates a thing in our Deen, it shall be rejected.' (Bukhari #2550) Hudhaifah b. al-Yamaan, with whom Allah is pleased, said: 'People were asking the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about goodness and good things, and I was asking him about evil, for the fear that I would witness such things. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we in the past were living in ignorance, and Allah guided us with this goodness, so will there be evil after this goodness?' He said: 'yes', I said: 'Is there goodness after that evil?' He said: 'yes, with some trials and tribulations.' I said: 'What sort of trials and tribulations?' He ﷺ said: 'People who follow other than my Sunnah, and guidance, you will be familiar with some of the practices which they practice, and you will be  unfamiliar with some others.' I asked him, 'Is there any evil after that goodness?' He said: 'yes, callers to the gates of Hell-Fire, whoever answers them would be thrown in.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what should I do, if I witness this?' He said: 'Stick to the general assembly of Muslims and their Imam.' I said: 'What should I do if there is no general assembly of Muslims, nor is there any Imam?' He said: 'Forsake all the parties and groups, even if you hang on to a branch of a tree until death overcomes you.' (Bukhari #3411) Abdullah b. Masood, with whom Allah is pleased, said that the Messenger of Allah  said: 'I will be the first near the Hawd  (8F 9), and people will be brought forth and they will be prevented from drinking, and I would say: 'My Rubb, my Companions!' It would be said: 'You do not know what they did after you.' (Bukhari #6205) Abdullah ibn Abbas, with whom Allah is pleased, said that the Messenger of Allah  said: 'Allah will not accept the deeds of a man of Bid'ah until he abandons the Bid'ah he practices.' (Ibn Majah #50) The Prophet  has informed us that there would be great Fitan (trials and tribulations) that would occur after him. The way a person would safeguard himself from these Fitan is by adhering to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger . A person would not safeguard himself by innovating matters in the Deen! 9 The pool which Allah granted the Prophet ; whoever drinks from it once, will never feel thirsty thereafter.

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