saying al-ḥamdu lillāh (all praise is due to Allah).

ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) rejected this practice, as reported in al-Hakim’s al-Mustadrak, and al-Suyuti, in al-Hawi li-l-Fatawi (1/338), categorically declared it a blameworthy innovation. Can the blind imitators explain what led al-Suyuti to such a decisive ruling? Some of their naïve followers may quickly—­as is their habit—accuse him of being a “Wahhabi,” even though he died almost three hundred years before Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab!

This reminds me of an amusing incident in one of Damascus’s schools. A well-known Christian teacher was discussing Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab’s movement in the Arabian Peninsula and its fight against polytheism, innovations, and superstitions. Apparently he praised the movement too enthusiastically, so one of his students exclaimed, “It seems the teacher is a Wahhabi!”

Others may rush to say that al-Suyuti erred, but where is their proof? The proof is with him, namely the Prophet’s words:

“Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that does not belong to it, it is rejected.” (Agreed upon.)

There are further texts on this subject which we will gather in our forthcoming book devoted to innovation. We ask Allah the Exalted to grant us the ability to complete it through His grace and favor.

72 – “Love for people what you love for yourself.”

Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Tarikh al-Kabir (2/4/317/3155); ʿAbd ibn Humayd in al-Muntakhab min al-Musnad (53/2); Ibn Saʿd (7/428); and al-Qatiʿi in the booklet known as al-Alf Dinar (29/2) through Siyar, from Khalid ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Qasri, from his father:

“The Prophet ﷺ said to his grandfather Yazid ibn Asid …” and so on.