Would Innovation in an Action Invalidate That Action or Lead to Actions Being Rejected?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Would innovation in an action invalidate that action or lead to actions being rejected?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

An innovative action in an action will invalidate the action. However, innovations do not lead to other actions being rejected.

The scholars and schools of the Sunni mainstream understood that an innovative matter goes against the injunctions and principles of the Quran, the Sunna, and the consensus of scholarship and does not support one’s goals. This is what the following hadith is referring to:

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever adds to this affair of ours (i.e., the religion of Islam) that which is not from it, it is rejected.” [Bukhari; Muslim]

This is clear from the hadith: “Whoever inaugurates in our matter (Islam) that which is not from it – it is completely rejected.” [Bukhari] Being from it means that it supports one of the goals of the religion.

An innovation is something that essentially contradicts the spirit and essence of the teachings of Islam. [Nabulsi, al-Hadiqa al-Nadiyya]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction, in sha’ Allah.

Related:

• The Concept of Bid‘a in the Islamic Shari‘a
• Reprehensible Innovation in Beliefs – Birgivis Manual of Taqwa Explained [Video]
• How Can There Be Good Innovations (Bida’)?

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance, like Evaluating Innovations?

I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.