and he ﷺ also said, “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours something that is not part of it, it is rejected.” In another wording: “Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our affair, it is rejected.” From this ḥadith we learn that every novelty introduced into the religion is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance that must be rejected.
Accordingly, innovations in worship and in creed are forbidden. The degree of prohibition, however, varies with the nature of the innovation:
• Some constitute outright unbelief, such as circumambulating graves to seek nearness to those buried there, offering sacrifices and vows to them, supplicating the dead and seeking their help, or espousing the doctrines of the extremist Jahmiyyah and Muʿtazilah.
• Some are means that lead to polytheism, like constructing edifices over graves and performing prayer and supplication at them.
• Some are doctrinal depravity, such as the innovations of the Khārijites, the Qadariyyah, and the Murjiʾah in their statements and beliefs that conflict with the textual proofs.
• Some are acts of disobedience, for example the innovation of perpetual celibacy, fasting while standing in the sun, or castrating oneself to curb sexual desire.⦗1⦘
A Note on Classifying Innovation as Obligatory or Recommended
Whoever divides innovation into “good” and “bad” is mistaken and in error, opposing the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “For every innovation is misguidance,” for the Messenger ﷺ ruled that all innovation is misguidance, whereas such a person claims that not every innovation is misguidance and that some innovations are praiseworthy!
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab said in his Commentary on the Forty Ḥadith: “His ﷺ words, ‘Every innovation is misguidance,’ are among the concise, comprehensive statements; nothing falls outside their scope. This is a great foundational principle of the religion and parallels his ﷺ saying, ‘Whoever introduces into our affair that which is not from it, it is rejected.’ Thus, anyone who introduces something and attributes it to the religion when it has no foundation in the religion to which it can be traced is in error, and the religion is free of it—whether the matter pertains to beliefs, deeds, or words, outward or inward.”⦗2⦘ End of quote.