Sheltering Innovators

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Anyone who makes an innovation or shelters those who make innovations, on him is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.” [Abu Dawud]

Allah and the angels curse those who innovate in the Deen of Allah. An innovation is something done while considering it to be praiseworthy and rewardable by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), but which Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) did not command us to do so in the Quran or Sunnah. 

Examples of innovations are: celebrating the Prophet’s birthday (Eid Milad-un-Nabi), gathering people to recite Quran for the deceased forty days after his/her death (Chehlum), holding annual functions for the deceased (Barsi), Koondae, re-enacting the tragedy of Karbala, taking processions out for Muharram, distributing food at the graves of pious people, putting cloth (Chadars) on the graves of pious people, etc. 

Innovating in matters of religion is equivalent to making the Deen (Islam) up based on one’s whims and desires. To determine whether something is an innovation or not, check whether Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) did it or commanded us to do it. If he did not include it in the praiseworthy deeds of Islam, then for us to put it in that list is to belie that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) conveyed the complete Deen to us. 

So serious is the crime of innovation that those who support and shelter innovators are cursed too.

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