Nawawī’s Arbaýīn

A Collection of Forty Traditions of the Prophet ﷺ

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Reprehensible Innovation - Hadith 5

عَنْ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أُمِّ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ: قَالَ: رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ [رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ] ،[وَمُسْلِمٌ] وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ

Narrated by the mother of believers, Umm Ábd-Allāh, Áāýishah radiyAllāhu Anha and she said that RasūlAllāh ﷺ said:

“Whoever innovates a thing in our religion which is not from it, is rejected.” [1]

This is reported by both Bukhārī and Muslim; [2] and in the report of Muslim:

“Whoever does an action that is not according to our command [or permission], [such an action] is rejected.” [3]

Notes:

[1] Haytamī: Imām Shāfiýī radiyAllāhu Anhu has said: That innovation which opposes the Book, the Sunnah or the consensus of scholars or a tradition (by Companions or their followers), is Misguided Innovation. And those innovations which are in the way of goodness [khayr] and do not oppose anything – then it is a praiseworthy innovation [bidáh maĥmūdah].

[2] Bukhārī 2697; Muslim 1718.

[3] Haytamī: This ĥadīth elucidates a fundamental principle: anything that leads to corruption [fasād] is absolutely prohibited.

References:

1. Nawawī’s Arbaýīn, Collection of Forty Traditions of the Prophet ﷺ, Hadith 5

[ English Translation ]

Mawlana Abu Hasan Ridawi,

Ridawi Press.