Second Topic
Some Forms of Innovation (bidʿah) and Acts of Shirk that Have Afflicted the Ummah

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—has accurately diagnosed most of the ailments and the modes of imitation and conformity to the unbelievers into which Muslims have fallen, at those times when many of them became lax in their religion and disregarded the Prophet’s—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—warning to his community against succumbing to the very innovations and deviations that destroyed the nations before them.

Accordingly, he listed a group of such errors in matters of worship, another in conduct, morals, and everyday customs, and a third in beliefs and intentions.

Among the innovations related to acts of worship are:
• Instituting festivals and celebrations that neither Allah nor His Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—legislated but which originate with other communities such as the Jews, Christians, Persians, Romans, and the like—examples include commemorating the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, celebrating the Prophet’s birthday, the Night of the Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj, and the night of mid-Shaʿbān;
• Introducing prayers that Allah did not prescribe, such as the “Prayer of Desires” (Ṣalāt al-Raghāʾib);
• Designating particular nights or days for otherwise routine acts of worship—for instance, the first Thursday of Rajab, the night of its first Friday, or its mid-night;
• Practising monasticism, undertaking ascetic wanderings without a legitimate or permissible purpose, and all forms of excessiveness in religion.