Hadith 5 “Whoever introduces anything..

On the authority of the Mother of the Faithful, Umm Abdullah, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not from it shall have it rejected.” Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. In one version by Muslim, it states, “Whoever does an act that is not in accord with our matter will have it rejected.“

  1. “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not from it shall have it rejected.”
  2. “Whoever does an act that is not in accord with our matter will have it rejected.”
  3. Two Types of Actions: Rites of Worship and Worldly Transactions and Dealings:
  4. Other Points Related to this Hadith
  5. Summary of the Hadith

General Comments On This Hadith: This hadith is also one of the foundations of Islam itself. It is like the judge or scale for the external acts performed by mankind, in the same way that the first hadith concerning intention covers the internal aspects of the acts of mankind. From the first hadith, one can understand that every act that is not done for the sake of Allah is rejected. From this hadith, one can also understand that every act that is not done in accordance with the Shareeah is also rejected by Allah. Every act that did not form part of the Prophet’s religion cannot, in reality, be considered part of the religion whatsoever.

Imam al-Nawawi stated that this hadith should be memorized by all Muslims. It is a must in refuting evil practices. And, al-Nawawi noted, it is used commonly as an evidence for a number of issues. Al-Toofi called it one half of the shareeah evidences. This is because evidences are sought to either affirm or deny the permissibility of a specific act, and this hadith is a major premise in that process.5 Al-Shaukaani pointed out that one cannot enumerate (because they are so many) all of the rulings that are directly derived from this one hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This hadith is related to the concept of bidah or innovations. However, the detailed discussion of that topic will be left for the commentary on hadith 28, Allah willing

“The Mother of the Faithful”: Before mentioning Aisha’s name, al-Nawawi stated, “the Mother of the Faithful.” This is a term that is used for all of the Prophet’s wives. Allah says in the Quran, “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their [the believers’] mothers [as regards respect and marriage]” (al-Ahzaab 6).

This verse shows how the relationship should be between the believers and the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his wives. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is closer to the true believers than their own souls. If there is a conflict in interest between one’s wants or aspirations and what the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, then what the Prophet (peace be upon him) says take precedence. Some of the Companions even wrote in their copies of the Quran, “He [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] is their father.” He is the one
who cares for them and has brought them up in the guidance of Islam. Hence, he is to be loved, respected and treated better than one treats his own father or his own soul.

One must show similar respect and courtesy to the Prophet’s wives as one would show to one’s own mother. Furthermore, it was not allowed for
anyone to marry any of the Prophet’s wives after his death. This is part of their status as being the “mothers of the believers”. This is true for all of the
Prophet’s wives, of which Aisha was one.

1. “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not from it shall have it rejected.”

“Introduces”: This word implies anything new, created or not previously established or practiced. The religion of Islam is complete. There is no need for any additions or deletions. Hence, to introduce something new into the religion is an affront to Allah and the Prophet (peace be upon him). Anything new introduced into the religion cannot be better or equal to what has already been established by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Allah has said in the Quran, “This day I have perfected and completed your religion for you, completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (al-Maaidah 3).

“this”: In English, there does not seem to be any real significance to this word. However, in Arabic, it does have some significance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to the religion by using the word haadha or “this”. This was done to emphasize or give importance to the matter that is being referred to. It is similar to the opening verses of surah al-Baqara where Allah refers to “this Book” with the word dhaalika.

“Matter of ours”: This “matter of ours” is in reference to the religion of Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) referred to it as an amr or matter to demonstrate that this religion is the affair of the Muslims, it is the thing that is of concern to them and it is the thing that they are busy with. All of the Muslims’ deeds and actions are concerned with and related to this “matter,” the religion of Islam. Furthermore, as al-Shaukaani points out, what is meant by “matter” here is the way of life and beliefs that were being followed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions. That is the “matter” by which all later acts are to be judged. If an act is not consistent with the way of the Prophet and his Companions, then it is one of those introduced matters that is rejected.

“that is not from it”: That is, any opinion or view that is not found in the Quran or sunnah or that is not derived from the Quran and sunnah, either directly or indirectly, has no place in Islam.

“shall have it rejected.”: If the introduced action was supposedly an act of worship, it will not be accepted by Allah. The person will not be rewarded for it and the deed will be rejected. If the action was related to worldly matters or worldly transactions, then that action is null and void as it goes against the principles of the Shareeah. Al-Haitami points out that the act will be rejected if it has not been sanctioned in totality by the shareeah or if it is missing an essential characteristic that the shareeah requires. For example, worshipping Allah by intentionally standing in the sun as a means for reward is not sanctioned by the shareeah. Hence, it is a rejected act. Similarly, intentionally performing the salaat (ritual prayer) without being in a state of ablution is also rejected because it is missing an essential component that the shareeah requires.

2. “Whoever does an act that is not in accord with our matter will have it rejected.”

Al-Nawawi points out the very important difference between this narration of the hadith and the previous narration. A person could be following a deed that is not found in the Quran and sunnah. However, he may argue that he was not the one who invented it and he is just following what others have done. In that case, he may claim, this hadith does not apply to him and his deed, even if it is wrong, may still be accepted by Allah. This second narration does not leave any room for such an argument. This narration makes it clear that if anyone follows any act that is not in accord with the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it will be rejected regardless of whether that person himself or somebody else introduced that act.

Islam is Following and Not Innovating: The essential message of this hadith is that Islam is about following and not innovating. Islam is following what Allah has stated in the Quran and what the Prophet (peace be upon him) has taught. It is not inventing new ways of worship and new customs or practices that have no justification in the Quran and sunnah. Hence, every deed, statement or practice must be judged in the light of the Quran and sunnah. If it is acceptable or correct according to these two standards, then one may follow it. If it is not correct according to these standards, then it is to be rejected.

There are many paths that one could follow. But there is only one straight path. There is only one true Islam. That is the Islam of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions. Any other way or path must be rejected. Allah has stated in the Quran, “And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it. And follow not [other] paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious” (al-Anaam 153).

3. Two Types of Actions: Rites of Worship and Worldly Transactions and Dealings:

The jurists have distinguished between two types of actions. The first type of action is what could be called “rites of worship” or ibadaat. These are the deeds that are done solely for the purpose of worshipping Allah and getting closer to Him. Allah is the only One who knows how He is to be worshipped. Hence, acts of worship must strictly follow the pattern and practice laid down by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The other types of acts are “worldly transactions and dealings” (muamalaat). In general, these acts involve others and are usually done with a certain worldly purpose in mind, for example, to meet some need. Here, the interest of humans is taken into consideration. There is much more leeway in these acts. However, at the same time, they must still be within the guidelines that have been laid down in the shareeah.

Each type shall be discussed separately below. However, first, the general principle regarding these two types of acts is the following: If an act is supposedly an act of worship, then there must be direct and clear evidence for it. In this case, the burden of proof is to show that the act is sanctioned by the shareeah. If there is no such clear proof, the act is not considered proper or acceptable. On the other hand, with respect to worldly dealings, an act is considered legal and valid as long as there is no specific violation of any principle of the shareeah. Hence, here one does not have to show that an act is specifically sanctioned. One needs only show that an act does not violate any specific prohibition of the shareeah.

3.1 Rites of Worship

Any act of worship that is not consistent with the Shareeah is rejected and has no place in Islam. This would include, for examples, those people who listen to songs and music or dance and claim that they are getting closer to Allah by such practices. In reality, these people are only getting closer to Satan. Such deeds are rej ected by Allah. These innovations have not been sanctioned by Allah. Therefore, it must originate with some false partner to Allah’s authority. Allah says in the Quran,

“Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed? Had it not been for a decisive Word [already gone forth], the matter would have been judged between them. And, verily, for the wrongdoers there is a painful punishment” (al-Shoora 21).

One time the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man standing in the sun. When he asked about him, he was told that the man had made an oath to stand, not to sit, not to seek shade and to fast. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then ordered him to sit and seek shade and told him to complete his fast. (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

The actions he made for himself of standing and not seeking shade are not acts of worship that Allah has sanctioned. There was no sign that such deeds could get one closer to Allah. Hence, they are rejected acts and the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered him to stop performing them. Such is true for any other “act of worship” that has not been established in the Quran and sunnah. Such acts do not take one closer to Allah, as was stated above.

The scholars have derived the basic principles that help determine whether or not a particular “act of worship” is one that is sanctioned by the shareeah or not. Ibn Uthaimeen states that the act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to its cause, type, amount, manner, time and place. Each one of these conditions deserves to be discussed separately:

The act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to its reason: If someone performs a supposed act of worship due to a reason for which there is no sanction in the shareeah, that act is rejected. For example, gathering for the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is something that the Prophet (peace be upon him) never did, his companions never did and there is nothing in the shareeah to sanction it. Therefore, gathering as “an act of worship” on that occasion is not an act that is pleasing to Allah. Allah knows how He is to be worshipped and He has not sanctioned that act whatsoever. The same is true for having a gathering on the twentieth ofRajab in celebration of the Prophet’s ascension into heaven. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not celebrate it and he never even suggested that any of his followers do so. Hence, gathering for such a cause is not acceptable.

The act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to the type of act being performed: For example, if someone wanted to make a sacrifice for Eid, if he were to sacrifice a horse, such a sacrifice would be rejected because there is no sanction for sacrificing a horse under any circumstances. The act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to its amount: For example, if someone performed six rakats for the Dhuhr (Noon) Prayer, this would not be an acceptable act of worship for it contradicts what the shareeah has laid down as the proper amount for that act of worship.

Suppose someone says Allaahu akbar thirty-seven times- instead of the different amounts stated in different hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)- after each obligatory prayer. If this person is doing that act claiming that it is an act of worship that one should perform at that time, he would be mistaken. That is not the correct number of times to say it. However, if a person says it that many times on his own, recognizing that such is not the sunnah or a recognized act of worship but it is just to increase his number of voluntary acts, then there is no harm in it.

The act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to its manner or modality: If a person performs the right type of act, with the right amount and the right cause, yet if he does not perform it in the correct manner, it would be rejected. Ibn Uthaimeen gives the example of a person who makes ablution by intentionally washing his feet, then wiping his head, then washing his hands and then washing his face. Obviously, his ablution would not be acceptable because he did not perform it in the manner that the shareeah prescribes.

The act must be in accord with the shareeah with respect to its timing: If a person fasts the month of Ramadhaan during Shabaan or specifically during December, then that act is rejected. It is not sanctioned by Allah because it is not done at its proper time. Similarly, if people perform the Friday Prayer on Friday evening or on Sunday, that act is also a rejected act.

The same is the case with a person who delays his prayer after its stated time. He is not praying properly according to the shareeah and, unless he had a valid excuse for his behavior, his prayer would not be considered acceptable. Ibn Uthaimeen said, “For this reason we say that if a person intentionally does not perform the prayer until its time is finished, without any valid excuse, then his prayer will not be accepted from him even if he performs it one thousand times.” Then he states a very important principle, “For every act of worship that is required at a specific time, if the time elapses without any excuse, then the act is not accepted but will be rejected.”

If a person, for example, goes to Muzdalifah instead of Arafah on the Day of Arafah, then his staying in Muzdalifah is not correct and will be rejected. Another example is fasting. Fasting is definitely sanctioned by the shareeah. However, if a person fasts on the Day of Eid, that fasting is incorrect according to the shareeah and it is not a means of worshipping Allah.
There are many acts that constitute worship; however, they must be done at specific times as stated by the shareeah. Otherwise, they are not acts of worship. For example, during the pilgrimage, as an act of worship, men do not cover their heads. However, this is something specific for that time and place. If a person, outside of the pilgrimage, goes around with his head uncovered and claims to be doing that as an act of worship of Allah, he is wrong and misapplying this important principle.

In general, performing acts at times other than when they are prescribed, performing new acts that have not been prescribed or encouraged at all, adding anything to the acts of the shareeah, deleting anything from the acts of the shareeah are all causes to have one’s act rejected. Such acts cannot be considered acts of worship of Allah.

3.2 Worldly Transactions and Dealings ( Muamalaat)

As noted above, the view of worldly transactions and dealings is different. There is much more flexibility and leeway here. In the case of acts of worship, only Allah knows how He is to be worshipped. However, when it comes to worldly transactions, mankind is free to meet their needs in any way they wish as long as they do not violate certain principles laid down by the shareeah.

Therefore, with respect to worldly matters, this hadith is invoked in the following ways: One, if the shareeah lays down a specific principle or law and then someone implements a new principle or law in place of it, that new principle or law shall be rejected. For example, the punishment for fornication is stoning to death for the married adulterers and lashing for the “unmarried fornicators”. It happened during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that some people tried to circumvent that law. After a case of fornication, two parties decided that the man should pay the woman’s family one hundred sheep and a servant. When this was brought to the Prophet’s attention, he told the fornicator’s father,

“By the One in whose hand is my soul, I shall decide between you according to the Book of Allah. The hundred sheep and servant are to be returned to you. Your son is to be lashed one hundred times and banished for one year. And, go, O Unais, to the woman and if she confesses, stone her.” (Recorded by alBukhari.)

Similarly, if the worldly transaction is one that the shareeah has explicitly prohibited, it shall also be rejected. For example, a marriage contract between a woman and man who were suckled by the same foster mother would be null and void. This is because such a contract is explicitly prohibited by the shareeah. Sometimes one of the essential conditions of a contract is not met and, therefore, that act is rejected. For example, if a woman gets married without the consent of her guardian, her marriage is null and void. If a person buys something from somebody without the owner’s consent, such a purchase is null and void.

An explicit example that ibn Rajah presents is the case of buying something through an interest transaction. He says that the person who has purchased such does not become the rightful owner and he must return what he purchased. This is based on the hadith in Sahih Muslim in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) noticed some dates that were not from his dates. He inquired about them and he was told that they bought those dates by trading two sas (a physical quantity) of their dates for one sa of the other dates, which were of a better quality. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said,

“This is the [forbidden] interest. So return it. Then sell our dates and buy for us those dates.” All of these types of transactions fall under the general meaning of this hadith. If an act is not according to the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions, it is rejected.

4. Other Points Related to this Hadith

  • This hadith demonstrates that every deed a person performs must be in accord with the shareeah, regardless of the type of deed. If it is not consistent with the shareeah, it is rejected.
  • It can be understood from this hadith that if an act is consistent with the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions, it will be an accepted act and the person will be rewarded for it. (As long as the intention behind it was also sound.)
  • This hadith demonstrates the importance of knowledge. Al-Sindi stated that distinguishing innovations from what is permissible and the sunnah is very important and sometimes very difficult. It requires good knowledge of the Quran, sunnah, consensus and what they point to. Many innovations, he states, due to ignorance, are taken as sunnah and many sunnah acts are considered innovations.3 The only way this can be rectified is through knowledge and study of the Quran and sunnah.
  • This hadith can be used to void and reject any prohibited transaction and to deny any ramifications from that transaction. That is, if two people agree on an interest-bearing contract, for example, such a contract is not consistent with the principles of Islam and, hence, it is null and void.
  • This hadith is one of the evidences used to prove that any prohibited act is, in essence, incorrect, iniquity and immoral.
  • Whoever introduces a heretical act into Islam shall bear the weight of its sin. The act shall be rejected and he will be responsible for all of those whom he caused to follow in that heresy
  • Actions not done during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) may still be performed and are not rejected as long as they are supported by some evidences in the Quran and sunnah. An example of that nature is the writing of books and giving of lectures. These acts are supported by the general command to get, convey and preserve knowledge.
  • According to ibn Uthaimeen, if it is not clear that an act should be considered an act of worship or a worldly act (an act of custom), then the basic ruling is that it shall be considered a worldly act unless proven otherwise. He says, for example, if one person says to another who had just successfully passed through a crisis, “Ma shaa Allah (what Allah has willed), congratulations!” This statement could not be considered an innovation because it is related to the customary speech among people and carries no religious significance to it.

5. Summary of the Hadith

• An act is clearly part of the religion of Islam if it has acceptable evidence for it in the Quran, sunnah, consensus and what can be derived from those sources.
• If an act is inconsistent with the Quran and sunnah, it is void and worthless. The act will be rejected by Allah. It will bear no reward and have no legal effect.
• The one who introduces such an innovation and the one who practices it later are all equal in having their innovation rejected.