into the religion acts of worship for which Allah has sent down no proof. The Messenger ﷺ said: “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours anything that does not belong to it, it is rejected,” and he also said: “Beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a bidʿah, and every bidʿah is misguidance.”

Thus, anyone who devises acts of devotion that have no evidence from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger is, in effect, accusing the religion of being incomplete. He seeks to perfect it on his own terms while refusing to acknowledge that Allah has already perfected it. Whatever was not part of the religion in the Prophet’s lifetime can never become religion after him. This is a clear rebuttal of those who claim that Islam is not suitable for every time, and of those who concoct innovations without proof from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger yet ascribe them to the faith—because this verse refutes them: Allah ﷾ has perfected the religion.

There is therefore no room to add to it or subtract from it, nor any ground for casting doubt or confusion by alleging that it is unsuited to later generations. Allah says, “Today I have perfected your religion for you” (al-Māʾidah 5:3). These are the words of Allah ﷾, and He is the truest of speakers.