... As for the one who adds something in the acts of worship that has not been legislated by the Messenger, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, then this one is a mubtadi’ (innovator), and not a muhsin (well-doer). And this is because the testimony that Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah is defined as obedience to him in what is commanded, affirmation of what is informed of, avoiding what is prohibited and rebuked, and not worshipping Allah except with that which he legislated. The requirement of the testimony that Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah is to follow him, and not innovate something that he, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, did not come with, as Allah, subhaanahu, said: “And what the Messenger comes to you with, then take it. And what he prohibits you from then leave it off,” and as He, subahaanahu wa ta’aala, said: “O you who believe! Do not precede before Allah and His Messenger. Fear Allah, indeed Allah is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” This is the one who is the mubtadi’ (innovator), the one who innovates in the religion of Allah, that which is not from it, that which has no evidence, not from the Qur’aan and not from the Sunnah, this is the innovator. The innovator is not everyone who disagrees, or makes mistakes in his ijtihaad. He is not named an innovator. When the mujtahid makes ijtihaad, if he is correct, he receives two rewards, and when he is wrong, he receives one. This is the mujtahid, and what is intended by mujtahid is the one who is qualified to make ijtihaad, because he meets the requirements of being able to make ijtihaad. This one, when he makes ijtihaad, and is correct, he receives two rewards, and when he makes a mistake, he receives one. He is not called an innovator because he makes a mistake. Likewise, when he makes a ruling based on ta’weel, when the mistaken one makes a mistake in ta’weel, and makes ta’weel according to doubt, and calls to it, the ruling regarding him is that he is either an innovator, or that he is a kaafir. This is because he makes a presumption without surety with this ta’weel, and rejects other than it, or blindly follows in ta’weel the one who presumed without surety it opposite to the truth. He (the first one who makes a mistake in his ijtihaad) is not given the title of innovator. It is said that that he made a mistake, or had a difference in opinion, and what is correct is that it is not said that he is an innovator. Rather the innovator is the one who introduces something into the religion of Allah that which is not from it. So not all of those who make mistakes in their ijtihaad are said to be innovators. The Sahaabah, radiyallahu ‘anhum, were people who made ijtihaad, and differed with one another in some matters, and they did not call each other innovators. There were brothers, who loved each other and aided each other, one nation, along with the fact that they differed with one another in some of their ijtihaad in some matters which the sharee’ah commends ijtihaad and deriving rulings. Some of them ascribe so and so youth (to the people of innovation), or so and so from the beginning seekers of knowledge, considering the one who makes rulings an innovator, and considering the one who makes ta’weel and taqleed an innovator. Because of this, this issue came about. It began, and some of them began to call one another innovators, and boycott one another and cut relations with them, and turn their backs on them, and did not let the matter be just between them. Rather they took from the scholars of the past, and called them innovators. They said that Ibn Hajr is an innovator, that an-Nawawee is an innovator, Aboo Haneefah is an innovator, Fulaan is an innovator, some of the major Imaams, because of mistakes. Some times they made mistakes, and sometimes they did not. If they were mistakes due to ijtihaad, then it is not acceptable that we call them innovators. These were mistakes in evidences (by) these Imaams who have a portion in Islaam, and they had leadership and stature. They brought about in Islaam many things, from action, and they preserved many beneficial narrations for the Muslims. Many things, and these are their writings, these are they books, these are their discussions, that benefit the Muslims. They sought help in them using the understanding of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. They are the Imaams. It is possible that some of their speech contains errors, or that the speech which they transmitted from other than them contain errors. What is their share in Islaam? What do they posses of knowledge? What do they posses from stature in Islaam? What is their service to the Prophetic Sunnah? All of these are great matters. All of these cover up these meticulous errors. It is obligatory that we know the rank of our scholars, those of the past and the present, and that we ask Allah to have mercy upon them, and that we make du’aa for them, as Allah, subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa, said: “And the ones who come after them and say: ‘Oh Lord forgive us and our brothers, those who preceded us in Imaan.” [unclear] We do not speak about their mistakes and shortcomings, and overlook the many good things and wonderful actions which they did. They overlook them, and focus on the shortcomings and mistakes. When some of them make a mistake, and it becomes widespread, they write books about their mistakes, and they are not from the Imaams. They bring about many things in them, from labelling people as innovators, and labeling people as sinners, and so on. This is fitnah, I swear by Allah! This is the innovation. Then, also innovation is not all of one category. Here is an innovation that causes one to become a disbeliever, and this is an innovation lesser than that. We do not assert that all innovations are equal. We weigh the matters, then return the matter to the scales and speak about them with knowledge in them. Innovations are of two categories, the ones which cause one to become a disbeliever, such as the sayings of the Jahmiyyah, and the extremists from the sects, the sayings which cause one to leave the fold of the religion, and there are innovations that are lesser than that which does not cause its companion to leave Muslimeen, but rather with him is something of innovation which is lesser than disbelief. So we do not violate others rights, or be partial to people, even if they are our relatives.