Hadith 14

Commentary

a. "In this matter of ours" may either mean matters pertaining to religion or to the sacred law of Islam. It may also mean the commandments of Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ. Every new thing added to or deleted from the acts of devotion through one's own whim or desire is Bid'ah (innovation). The Prophet ﷺ has also said: "Each innovation is an error." (Muslim, Book of Friday – Shortness of Prayer & Sermon.) Worldly affairs, such as clothes of various types, local methods of cooking, or the use of modern appliances in cultivation – these things are outside the purview of innovation. Nevertheless, matters violating the general rules of Shari'ah, such as dresses that do not fulfill the basic purpose of covering the concealable parts of the body, or those particular to non-Muslims shall be prohibited. b. Any action that the Prophet of Allāh ﷺ has abstained from doing due to some consideration or expedient reason, although he wished to do it is, in principle, permissible. Therefore, the doing of it after the consideration no longer exists is perfectly in order without the fear of its being branded as innovation. Cases in point are (i) the Prophet's abstaining from leading the Tarâwih prayer (Ramadân optional night prayer) through the entire month of Ramadân, lest it should assume the status of an obligatory duty, and (ii) the Companion's decision not to compile the whole of the Qur'ân as a codex during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, since the revelation had not stopped, and there was always the possibility of a Verse being revealed or another being abrogated by Allâh. There remaining no such possibility after the death of the Prophet ﷺ, when the Companions lost no time in compiling an authentic copy of the Noble Book, and 'Umar ﷺ reintroduced the congregational form of the Tarâwih prayer.