Avoiding Innovation

📖Sunan Abi Dawud 4607
Narrated Irbad ibn Sariyah: AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: “Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: ‘I can find no mounts for you.’” We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you. Al-Irbad said: One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: “Messenger of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us?” He then said: “I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.”

Description:
This hadith shows the seriousness of the Prophet ﷺ’s final advice to the ummah. He foresaw the disagreements and divisions that would arise after his death. His solution was clear: stick to the Qur’an and his Sunnah, as well as the rightly guided caliphs’ path. The Prophet ﷺ warned us not to chase “bid’ah” (religious innovations), which means adding or modifying acts of worship that were not part of Islam at the time of the Prophet ﷺ.

What are Innovations (Bid‘ah)?
Innovations are actions introduced in the religion that contradict the established teachings of the Prophet ﷺ. This includes adding rituals or rules in worship not practiced or approved by him. Not all change is bad – technological or worldly advancements are separate. What’s condemned is introducing something into Islam and claiming it’s part of religion.

Modern Relevance:
Today many people justify actions by personal interpretation or culture. But just because something is allowed based on interpretation doesn’t mean Islam says it’s 100% true. We may allow it based on necessity, opinion, or leniency – but that’s not equal to declaring it part of the original religion.

Quranic Context:

📖Quran 4:59
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.

📖Quran 33:21
Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.

📖Quran 3:31
Say, [O Muhammad], “If you love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”