Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (2/285)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

By the “newly introduced matters,” may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, he meant innovations brought into the religion of Allah. The guiding principle concerning anything by which a person worships his Lord and seeks closeness to Him is that it is originally forbidden and invalid until evidence shows that it has been divinely legislated.

For this reason Allah condemned those who declare things lawful and unlawful according to their own whims, saying, "And do not say about what your tongues falsely describe, ‘This is lawful and this is unlawful,’ so that you fabricate lies against Allah" (16:116). He likewise reproached those who legislate in His religion without His permission: "Or do they have partners who have ordained for them in religion that for which Allah has given no sanction?" (42:21). And He said, "Say, ‘Did Allah give you permission for this, or are you inventing lies about Allah?’" (10:59).

As for ordinary, worldly matters, introducing new things in them is not censured unless a specific text declares them forbidden or they clearly fall under a general principle of prohibition. Cars, tanks, and similar inventions did not exist in the Prophet’s time, yet we do not say, “They are innovations and therefore impermissible,” because they pertain to worldly life. The same goes for garments and their varieties; we do not insist that one wear only what the Companions wore. Wear whatever Allah has made lawful for you, for the default ruling is permissibility—except where the law has explicitly forbidden something, such as silk and gold for men, or clothing that bears images, and the like.

Thus his words, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, “Beware of newly introduced matters,” refer to innovations in the religion, to that by which a person seeks to worship his Lord. He then said, “For every innovation is misguidance,” meaning that every innovation in Allah’s religion is misguidance, even if its practitioner thinks it good and a source of guidance; it is misguidance that only drives him farther from Allah.

والأمور المحدثة يعني بها صلوات الله وسلامه عليه: المحدثات في دين الله. وذلك لن الأصل قيما يدين به الإنسان ربه، ويتقرب به إليه، والأصل فيه المنع والتحريم، حتى يقوم دليل على أنه مشروع. ولهذا أنكر الله ﷿ على من يحللون ويحرمون بأهوائهم؛ فقال تعالى: (وَلا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَذَا حَلالٌ وَهَذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ) (النحل: من الآية١١٦) ، وأنكر على من شرع في دينه ما لم يأذن به؛ فقال: (أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ) (الشورى: من الآية٢١) ، وقال (قُلْ آللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ) (يونس: من الآية٥٩) . أما الأمور العادية وأمور الدنيا، فهذه لا ينكر على محدثاتها إلا إذا كان قد نص على تحريمه، أو كان داخلاً في قاعدة عامة تدل على التحريم، فمثلاً السيارات والدبابات وما أشبهها، لا نقول إن هذه محدثة لم توجد في عهد الرسول ﷺ، فلا يجوز استعمالها، لأن هذه من الأمور الدنيوية، الثياب وأنواعها، لا نقول لا تلبس إلا ما كان يلبسه الصحابة، البس ما شئت مما أحل الله لك؛ لأن الأصل الحل، إلا ما نص الشرع على تحريمه، كتحريم الحرير والذهب على الرجال، وتحريم ما فيه الصورة وما أشبه ذلك. فقوله صلوات الله وسلامه عليه: (وإياكم ومحدثان الأمور) يعني في دين الله، وفيما يتعبد به الإنسان لربه، ثم قال: (فإن كل بدعة ضلالة) يعني أن كل بدعة في دين الله فهي ضلالة، وإن ظن صاحبها أنها خير، وأنها هدى، فإنها ضلالة لا تزيده من الله إلا بعداً.