The Book of Miscellany

Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 18

Prohibition of heresies in religion

باب النهي عن البدع ومحدثات الأمور

This chapter draws a clear line around how we worship. The key term is bid'ah, an invented practice added to the religion as though it were part of it. Worship is not something we design for ourselves; it is something we receive. So the measure of any act of devotion is not how sincere or beautiful it feels, but whether it traces back to what the Prophet (peace be upon him) actually brought.

Notice the seriousness here. The first hadith gives the principle in a single sentence, and the second shows the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivering it with the urgency of a man warning of an approaching army. Together they teach that guarding the religion from additions is not coldness or rigidity; it is love for the faith exactly as it was given.

Hadith 169

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

عن عائشة، رضي الله عنها، قالت‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏"‏من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏ متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ وفي رواية لمسلم ‏:‏ ‏"‏من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد‏"‏‏.‏

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, will be rejected". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. The narration in Muslim says: "If anybody introduces a practice which is not authenticated by me, it is to be rejected".

In plain words

Anything introduced into the religion that does not belong to it is rejected. Worship must trace back to what the Prophet brought, not to what we invent ourselves.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 169 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 169

Hadith 170

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

وعن جابر، رضي الله عنه ، كان رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، إذا خطب احمرت عيناه، وعلا صوته، واشتد غضبه، حتى كأنه منذر جيش يقول‏:‏ ‏"‏صبحكم ومساكم‏"‏ ويقول‏:‏ ‏"‏بعثت أنا والساعة كهاتين‏"‏ ويقرن بين أصبعيه؛ السبابة والوسطى، ويقول‏:‏ ‏"‏أما بعد؛ فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدى هدى محمد، صلى الله عليه وسلم، وشر الأمور محدثاتها، وكل بدعة ضلالة‏"‏ ثم يقول‏:‏ ‏"‏أنا أولى بكل مؤمن من نفسه‏.‏ من ترك مالاً فلأهله، ومن ترك ديناً أو ضياعاً فإلي وعلى‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ وعن العرباض بن سارية، رضي الله عنه ، حديثة السابق في باب المحافظة على السنة‏.‏

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delivered a Khutbah, his eyes would become red, his tone loud and he showed anger as if he were warning us against an army. He (ﷺ) would say, "The enemy is about to attack you in the morning and the enemy is advancing against you in the evening". He would further say, "I am sent with the final Hour like these two fingers of mine." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) held up his index finger and the middle finger together to illustrate. He used to add: "To proceed, the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (ﷺ), the worst practice is the introduction of new practices in Islam and every Bid'ah is a misguidance". He would also say, "I am, in respect of rights, nearer to every believer than his own self. He who leaves an estate, it belongs to his heirs, and he who leaves a debt, it is my responsibility to pay it off." [Muslim]. Same Hadith as reported by 'Irbad bin Sariyah (May Allah be pleased with him) has already been recorded in the previous chapter regarding safeguarding the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ).(See Hadith number 158)

In plain words

The Prophet delivered his sermons with the urgency of warning against an attacking army, declaring the Book of Allah the best speech and his own guidance the best guidance, while every invented practice in religion is misguidance. He took guarding the faith from additions with the utmost seriousness.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 170 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 170