and completed His favor upon it. He had not caused His Prophet (peace be upon him) to die except after he delivered the clear message, explained to the Muslim Ummah what Allah (Exalted be He) has ordained for it of sayings and actions and pointed out that everything that people innovated after him and related to the religion of Islam are all innovations in religion and that those who have innovated them are rejected, even if the innovator has a good intention.
It is authentically reported from the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and from the righteous predecessors who followed them that there is a warning against innovations in religion and making people shun them. This rejection and caution about innovations in religion have been done, because they are additions to religion and legislation that is not sanctioned by Allah (Exalted be He) and likening oneself to the enemies of Allah (Exalted be He) from among the Jews and the Christians in their additions to their religion and their innovations therein with that which Allah (Exalted be He) has not permitted.
Innovation in religion is also abhorred, because its existence denotes that there is deficiency in religion and doing so accuses it of being imperfect, and this is heinous corruption and grievous evil and contradicts Allah's (Glorified and Exalted be He) saying: This day, I have perfected your religion for you It also contradicts the evident Hadiths of the Messenger (peace be upon him) that warn against innovations in religion and repulse people against them.
There was never a Prophet before me except that it was a duty upon him that he should guide his Ummah to what he knew was good for them and warn them against what he knew was bad for them.
O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.
And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allâh (He is the ruling Judge).
And they say, "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian." These are their own desires. Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ), "Produce your proof if you are truthful."
And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allâh's Path.
Be cautious against exceeding the proper limits in matters of religion. Those who were before you were devastated because of exceeding the proper limits in matters of religion.
Do not praise me excessively as Jesus, son of Marry was praised by Christians, I am just a slave, so call me Allah's Slave and His Messenger.
After that, surely, you will die. Then (again), surely, you will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection.
I will be the first to rise from my grave on the Day of resurrection and I will be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah).
Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), and also His angels (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. AsSalâmu 'Alaikum ).
Anyone who sends peace upon me once, Allah sends peace upon him ten times.
The love of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is not manifested by celebrating his birthday, but by obeying him, believing in what he brought, avoiding what he prohibited and warned against. [This includes] that Allah (Exalted be He) should only be worshipped by what He has ordained and legislated. His love is also manifested by sending peace and blessings upon him whenever his name is mentioned, during prayers and at all times and occasions. Wahhabism is not, as stated by the writer, innovative in their denial of such invented issues in the religion; rather, the creed of Wahhabism is to abide by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him) and to follow his guidance and the guidance of the rightly-guided caliphs, of those who have followed them in piety and righteousness and the way of the righteous predecessors, of the leaders of religion and guidance, of the people of jurisprudence and Fatwa with regard to knowing Allah (Exalted be He) and establishing the Attributes of His perfection and the Qualities of His Majesty pointed out in the Glorious Book and authentically reported in the Prophetic traditions and received by the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with pleasure and submission.
confirm such Attributes, believing in them and narrating them as they came without Tahrif (i.e. interpreting their meanings into different things), Ta'til (i.e. completely ignoring or denying them), Takyif (adjusting their meanings) or Tamthil (i.e. giving resemblance or similarity to any of the creatures) and they hold fast to what has been practiced by the followers of the companions and those who followed them from the people of knowledge, faith and piety, and the righteous predecessors of this Ummah (Muslim Nation) and its leaders. They also believe that the basis of faith and its foundation is bearing witness that no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah (Exalted be He) and testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This is the foundation of belief in Allah as the Only God and the best of the branches of Faith. They also know that this foundation is to be manifested by knowledge, action and by accepting the unanimous opinion of Muslim scholars which necessitates the obligation of worshipping Allah Alone without partner and worshipping nothing else, whatever it is. This belief also implies that the worship of Allah (Exalted be He) is the main objective of the creation of the Jinn and Mankind and that the Messengers had been sent and the divine revelations had been revealed to achieve this objective. It also includes perfect humility and love for Allah Alone and perfect obedience and magnification and that this is the religion of Islam that Allah (Exalted be He) does not accept but it from the earlier and the later generations. All the Prophets came with the religion of Islam and were sent to invite people to it and to submission to Allah Alone. Therefore, whoever submits himself to Allah (Exalted be He) and to other than Him or calls upon Him along with other than Him, commits polytheism. If anyone does not submit himself to Allah (Exalted be He), he will be
arrogant and will turn away from His worship. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)."
Moreover, Wahhabism is established on the verification of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and shunning innovations in religion and superstitions as well as anything that contradicts the legislation brought by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This is what Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) believed in, accepted as his religion and invited others to. Whoever attributes something different from that to him, then he lies and invents a manifest sin and says something about which he has no knowledge. So, Allah (Exalted be He) will punish him with the punishment He threatened the like of him from those who invent sins. Moreover, he (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) produced useful reports, unique researches and great compilations with regard to sincerity, monotheism, bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and what has been proved by the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the consensus of opinion including the negation of the right of worship and godhood for other than Allah and confirming them to Allah (Exalted be He) in a perfect way that contradicts minor and major polytheism. Whoever is acquainted with his writings and what was transmitted from him or known and become widespread from his Da'wah (call to Islam) and affairs, and what has been practiced by his notable companions and students, will find that the Shaykh followed the practice of the righteous predecessors and the leaders of religion and guidance of sincere worship to Allah, the One and Only, and avoided innovations in religion and superstitions. Saudi Arabia is based on this principle and its scholars, praise be to Allah, follow that way. The government of Saudi Arabia is persistent against innovations in religion and superstitions that have been inserted into the religion of Islam that exceed the proper limits prohibited by the Messenger (peace be upon him). It is noted that scholars and Muslims in Saudi Arabia as well as their rulers have a great deal of respect for every Muslim and harbor all kinds of loyalty, love and appreciation regardless of their nationality. They only deny what the followers of deviated beliefs do including innovations in religion and superstitions and innovated celebrations. They deny the initiation of such festivals and celebrating them as long as Allah (Exalted be He) and His Messenger (peace be upon him) did not allow them and prohibited such celebrations. This is because they are invented issues in religion and every invented issue in religion is an innovation and Muslims are commanded not to follow them and are prohibited to innovate, because of the perfection of the religion of Islam and because of what Allah (Exalted be He)
and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have ordained, as received by Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah including the companions, their followers in piety and righteousness, and those who followed their way with pleasure and acceptance.
The prohibition of celebrating the birthday of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the excessiveness or polytheism and other similar issues is not un-Islamic act or an offence against the Messenger (peace be upon him); rather, it is obedience to him and following his orders, as he said:
Beware of exceeding the proper limits in matters of religion. Those who were before you were destroyed because of exceeding the proper limits in matters of religion.
Do not praise me excessively as Jesus, son of Mary, was praised by Christians. I am just a slave, so call me Allah's Slave and His Messenger.
This is what I wanted to pay attention thereto of the above-mentioned article. He is Allah Whom we ask to guide us and all Muslims to understand His religion and make us firm in it. May He help all of us adhere to the Sunnah and beware of the innovation in religion! Indeed, He is Generous and Gracious. May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family and Companions!
of the Departments of Scholarly Research, Ifta, Da'wa and Guidance
'Abdul 'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah ibn Baz