“You have now realized that clinging to general texts while ignoring the Prophet’s clarification—both his explicit statements and his deliberate omissions—is nothing but pursuing the ambiguous, a course Allah has forbidden. If we were to rely on such generalities and turn away from the specific explanations, we would fling open a vast gate of innovation that could never be shut; religious inventions would then know no bounds. To illustrate this, consider the following examples drawn from what has preceded.

First: al-Ṭabarānī reports the ḥadith, “Prayer is the best matter.” Were we to take the wording at face value, how could the so-called Raghaʾib Prayer be deemed a censured innovation? And how could the mid-Shaʿbān Prayer likewise be considered blameworthy, when both ostensibly fall under the general purport of the ḥadith? Yet the scholars have explicitly ruled that both are ugly, reprehensible innovations, as will be shown shortly.

Second: The Most High says, “And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah and acts righteously?” (Q 41:33), and He says, “Remember Allah with much remembrance” (Q 33:41). Suppose someone were to recommend making the adhān for the two ʿId prayers, for the eclipse prayer, and for Tarāwīḥ. We object, “How can that be, when the Prophet ﷺ never did so, never ordered it, and left it for his entire life?” He replies, “The muʾadhdhin is a caller to Allah and a rememberer of Allah.” How, then, could we establish proof against him and invalidate his innovation?

Third: The Exalted says, “Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet…” (Q 33:56). If acting on generalities were sound, it would be permissible to seek closeness to Allah by sending blessings and peace upon him during the standing, the bowing, the upright position between them, and the prostrations of the night prayer, as well as in other places where the Messenger ﷺ did not legislate it. Who would authorize drawing near to Allah in such a manner and regard the prayer performed in that fashion as a valid act of worship—especially in light of the ḥadith, “Pray as you have seen me pray,” narrated by al-Bukhārī?

Fourth: The authentic ḥadith states, “On that which is watered by rain, springs, or natural moisture, one-tenth is due; and on that which is irrigated by manual effort, half of one-tenth.” Were one to apply this wording universally, zakāt would be obligatory on every such crop. Their sole basis for exempting certain cases is the very principle we have emphasized: whatever the Prophet ﷺ left undone despite the motive for doing it, his omission itself is the Sunnah and performing it is an innovation. ⦗39⦘