—or the like—yet they are convinced that by standing up they are glorifying our Lord! But where did this practice come from? It arose, of course, from a fabricated report that has no basis: “When you hear the call to prayer, stand up.”¹

The report does possess an authentic root, but some weak transmitters—or outright impostors—tampered with it. They substituted “stand up” (qūmū) for “say” (qūlū) and clipped the sound version of the ḥadīth: “When you hear the call to prayer, then say what he says, and thereafter invoke blessings upon me…”² Observe how Satan adorns an innovation for a person and persuades him that he is a believer exalting the symbols of Allah; he will point to the fact that he kisses the mushaf whenever he picks it up, and that he rises to his feet whenever he hears the adhān!

Yet does he actually live by the Qur’an? He does not. He may pray, yes, but does he refrain from eating what is forbidden? Does he keep away from usury—neither consuming it himself nor feeding it to others? Does he avoid spreading among the people the very means by which their disobedience to Allah only increases? Does he? Does he? The questions go on without end.

For this reason we confine ourselves to what Allah has legislated for us in acts of devotion and worship, adding not so much as a single letter, because, as he—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “I have not left anything that Allah has commanded you with except…"