The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ... - IslamHouse.com

The Life, Teachings and Influence of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow
for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and
remembers Allah much” (al-Ahzaab 21).
(3) Matters of worship in particular form a special case
wherein one must be guided explicitly by revelation. Allah alone
knows how it is that He is to be worshipped. In other words, the
question of how Allah is to be worshipped in a way that is pleasing to
Him is something that is beyond the scope of human experimentation
and reasoning. Hence, one has no other avenue except to rely upon
revelation and restrain one’s actions and beliefs within the limits of
that revelation.
(4) Closely related to the previous point or a corollary of the
previous point, then, is that any newly invented act of worship or
belief that is not directly substantiated in the Quran or Sunnah is an
innovation and heresy and is to be rejected. In other words, such an
act cannot be claimed to be a valid expression of worship of Allah.
This point is very clear from the words of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) himself—and no true Muslim can
doubt the veracity of what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said. In one hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said,
�ﻦﻳ�ﺪـ�ﺷﺍ�ﺮﻟﺍ ِﺀﺎﹶﻔﹶﻠ�ﺨﹾﻟﺍ �ﺔ�ﻨ�ﺳ�ﻭ ﻲ�ﺘ�ﻨ�ﺴﹺﺑ �ﻢﹸﻜ�ﻴﹶﻠ�ﻌﹶﻓ
ﺍ�ﲑ�ﺜﹶﻛ ﺎﹰﻓﻼ�ﺘ�ﺧﺍ ﻯ�ﺮ�ﻴ�ﺴﹶﻓ �ﻢﹸﻜ�ﻨ�ﻣ �ﺶ�ﻌ�ﻳ �ﻦ�ﻣ �ﻪ�ﻧﹺﺈﹶﻓ
ﹲﺔﹶﻟﻼ�ﺿ �ﺔ�ﻋ�ﺪﹺﺑ ﱠﻞﹸﻛ ﱠﻥﹺﺈﹶﻓ ﹺﺭﻮ�ﻣُﻷﺍ �ﺕﺎﹶﺛ�ﺪ�ﺤ�ﻣ�ﻭ �ﻢﹸﻛﺎ�ﻳﹺﺇ�ﻭ �ﺬﹺﺟﺍ�ﻮ�ﻨﻟﺎﹺﺑ ﺎ�ﻬ�ﻴﹶﻠ�ﻋ ﺍﻮ�ﻀ�ﻋ �ﲔ�ﻳ�ﺪ�ﻬ�ﻤﹾﻟﺍ
“Certainly, the one who will live among you will see lots of
differences. So stick to my Sunnah and the sunnah (‘way’) of the
right-principled and rightly-guided successors. Bite onto that with
your molar teeth. And avoid newly-introduced matters. Verily, every
heresy is a going astray.” 1 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) also said,
�ﺩ�ﺭ �ﻮ�ﻬﹶﻓ �ﻪ�ﻨ�ﻣ �ﺲ�ﻴﹶﻟ ﺎ�ﻣ ﺍﹶﺬ�ﻫ ﺎ�ﻧﹺﺮ�ﻣﹶﺃ ﻲ�ﻓ ﹶﺙ�ﺪ�ﺣﹶﺃ �ﻦ�ﻣ
1 This hadith is sahih. It was recorded, with slightly different wordings, by
Ahmad, Abu Daawood, al-Tirmidhi, ibn Hibbaan, ibn Abu Aasim, al-Baihaqi,
al-Haakim and a number of others. For details concerning the grading of this
hadith, see Zarabozo, Commentary, vol. 2, pp. 1044-1046.
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