He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said:

“Beware of minor newly introduced matters, for minor innovations grow until they become major ones. Likewise, every innovation introduced into this Ummah began as something small that resembled the truth. Those who embraced it were thereby deceived; then they could find no way out of it. It grew and became a religion that was followed.

“May Allah have mercy on you: carefully examine the words of everyone you hear, especially those of your own time. Do not act hastily or embrace any of it until you ask and investigate: Did any Companion of the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—or any scholar speak about it? If you find a report from them, hold fast to it. Do not go beyond it for anything else or prefer anything over it, lest you fall into the Fire.

“Know—may Allah have mercy on you—that a servant’s Islam is not complete until he follows the truth, affirms it, and submits to it. Whoever claims that there remains any matter of Islam concerning which the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—did not suffice us has declared them liars. That alone is enough to constitute a rupture with them and an attack upon them. Such a person is an innovator who is astray and leads others astray, introducing into Islam what does not belong to it.”

I say: May Allah have mercy on Imam Mālik, who said, “The later generations of this Ummah can be set right only by what set its earliest generation right. Whatever was not part of the religion then cannot be part of the religion today.”

May Allah bless our Prophet, who said, “There is nothing that brings you nearer to Allah without my having commanded you to do it, and there is nothing that distances you from Allah and brings you nearer to the Fire without my having forbidden you from it.”

All praise is due to Allah, by whose blessing righteous deeds are brought to completion.] (1)

What follows is a list of innovations concerning voluntary prayers: