Weak ahaadeeth about the good deeds of innovators not being accepted at all

 

I read the question in your website about praying behind a person who commits innovations (bidah). In which you said that it is permissible to pray behind that innovator whose innovation doesn’t involve shirk. But I went through this Hadith in Ibn Majah & Daarmi which states that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “ Allah doesn’t accept the fast and prayers and sadaqah and other volunteer deeds of an innovator and he gets out of Islam like the hair taken out from the flour.” If the Hadith is sahih than how can we pray behind an innovator even if he doesn’t do shirk? In the above Hadith it is mentioned in general i.e. innovator. In my locality there are only those mosques that commit innovations and the mosque of rightly people is quite far from my house. In this case what should I do? Please guide me by giving proofs from Quran and Sunnah. May Allah bless you for the great work you are doing.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The ruling on praying behind an innovator has been stated
previously in the answer to questions no.
20885 and
26152. There is no need to repeat
it here. 

Secondly: 

With regard to the hadeeth mentioned in the question and
other marfoo’ ahaadeeth about the good deeds of the innovator not being
accepted, they are da’eef or munkar ahaadeeth (i.e., weak) and are not
saheeh. A detailed discussion follows. 

1.

The first hadeeth: It was narrated from Hudhayfah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will not accept any fasting, prayer,
charity, Hajj, ‘Umrah, jihad, or any other obligatory or naafil action from
a person who follows innovation (bid’ah). He comes out of Islam like a hair
pulled out of dough.”

Narrated by Ibn Majaah in al-Sunan (no. 49). He said:
Dawood ibn Sulaymaan al-‘Askari narrated to us, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Abu
Haashim ibn Abi Khaddaash narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Muhsin narrated to
us, from Ibraaheem ibn Abi ‘Ablah, from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Daylami, from
Hudhayfah. 

Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (no.
1493): 

It is mawdoo’ (fabricated); the fault lies with Ibn Muhsin
who is a liar as Ibn Ma’een and Abu Haatim said. Al-Haafiz said in
al-Taqreeb: They regarded him as a liar but al-Boosayri was more lenient
concerning him in al-Zawaa’id (1/10). This is a da’eef (weak)
hadeeth; its isnaad includes Muhammad ibn Muhsin, and they are agreed that
he is da’eef. The reason for this lenient view is that the narrator is
unanimously regarded as da’eef but not as a liar. In that case mentioning
the consensus concerning a narrator without mentioning the reason does not
give a proper idea about the narrator.  

2.

The second hadeeth: It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah refuses to accept
the good deeds of one who follows innovation until he gives up that
innovation.” 

Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim in al-Jarh wa’l-Ta’deel
(9/439); Ibn Majaah in al-Sunan (no. 50), Abu’l-Fadl al-Muqri’ in
Ahaadeeth fi Dhamm al-Kalaam wa Ahlihi (3/111), Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in
al-Sunnah (no. 32), al-Khateeb in Tareekh Baghdaad (13/185), via
Ibn al-Jawzi in al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaahiyah (1/144). All of them
narrated via Bishr ibn Mansoor al-Khayyaat from Abu Zayd from
Abu’l-Mugheerah from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas. 

Ibn Abi Haatim said, after narrating it: Abu Zu’rah was asked
about them –  meaning Abu Zayd and Abu’l-Mugheerah – and he said: I do not
know them, and I do not know Bishr ibn Mansoor from whom al-Ashajj narrated
it. End quote. 

Ibn al-Jawzi said in al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaahiyah
(1/145): 

This is not a saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); its isnaad includes
majhool (unknown) narrators. End quote. 

Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah
(1/1492): 

It is munkar. This is a da’eef (weak) isnaad, full of majhool
(unknown) narrators. Abu Zur’ah said: I do not know Abu Zayd or his Shaykh,
or Bishr. Al-Dhahabi said concerning the first of them: He is unknown. And
he said concerning the other two: I do not know who they are. And
al-Boosayri agreed with him in al-Zawaa’id (1/11). End quote. 

Thirdly: 

But some people may be confused by what is mentioned in the
hadeeth of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, according to which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning one who introduces
innovation in Madeenah: “Allaah will not accept any obligatory or naafil act
of worship from him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7300) and Muslim (1370). 

Something similar was narrated from a number of the
Taabi’een, such as al-Hasan al-Basri, from whom it was narrated that he
said: “Allaah does not accept from the one who follows innovation any fast,
prayer, Hajj or ‘Umrah, until he gives it up.” End quote. 

Narrated by al-Aajurri in al-Sharee’ah (64); Abu
Shaamah in al-Baa’ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith (p. 16);
and elsewhere. A similar report was narrated from al-Awzaa’i, as it says in
al-Bida’ wa’l-Nahi ‘anha by Ibn Waddaah (27). It was narrated that
al-Fadeel ibn ‘Iyaad said: “No good deed is taken up to Allaah for the one
who follows innovation.” Narrated by al-Laalkaa’i in Sharh Usool I’tiqaad
Ahl al-Sunnah (1/139). 

Al-Shaatibi remarked in his commentary on such reports. He
said in al-I’tisaam (1/108-112): 

Either it means that his good deeds are not accepted from him
at all, regardless of whether they are in accordance with the Sunnah or
not, 

Or it means that the deeds in which he follows innovation in
particular will not be accepted from him, to the exclusion of those in which
he does not follow innovation. 

With regard to the first scenario, it may be understood in
three ways: 

1 – it may be understood according to the apparent meaning,
i.e., that for every innovator, no matter what his innovation is, none of
his good deeds will be accepted when he follows that innovation, whether any
particular deed comes under the heading of that bid’ah or not. This is very
harsh on those who introduce innovations into Islam. 

2 – it may be understood as referring to a type of bid’ah
that may form the basis for all other deeds, such as if he holds the view
that ahaad reports are to be rejected, as most deeds prescribed in Islam are
based on ahaad reports. 

3 – The third way of understanding it is that bid’ah in some
acts of worship or other deeds may lead the one who follows that particular
bid’ah to form some understanding that makes his belief in sharee’ah very
weak, which invalidates all his good deeds. 

With regard to the second interpretation, it means that
specifically their deeds in which they follow innovation are not accepted,
and that is possible. This is indicated by the hadeeth: “Every action that
is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.” End
quote. 

But the correct view concerning this issue is what was
mentioned by Dr. Ibraaheem al-Ruhayli in his book Mawqif Ahl al-Sunnah
min Ahl al-Ahwa’ wa’l-Bida’ (1/292-293), where he says: 

What is indicated by the apparent meaning of the texts and
the words of the Salaf is that for the one who follows innovation, Allaah
will not accept his deeds, and it may be interpreted in the following ways: 

1 – The words may be taken at face value, and that what is
meant is that all the deeds of the innovator are rejected, those in which he
follows innovation and those in which he does not follow innovation. This
applies to the innovator who is a kaafir, and no one else. 

2 – What is meant is that only the innovated actions are
rejected, whether they are pure innovation or they were prescribed in Islam
but some innovations were introduced into them and spoiled them. 

3 – The innovations may cause the reward for the deed to be
erased by way of punishment, until it is as if it is not accepted. 

4 – The texts may be understood as a rebuke for innovation
and as a deterrent. 

The reason why we need to find a proper understanding for
these texts and the words of the salaf here is that the apparent meaning of
the texts seems to contradict the basic principles of sharee’ah, which
indicate that the Muslim’s deeds are accepted if they fulfil the conditions
of sincerity towards Allaah and following the Sunnah, regardless of any
innovations, sins, etc., that the person may be doing in other deeds,
because they have no effect on the acceptability of this particular good
deed. End quote. 

With regard to the third interpretation here, it should be
understood as referring only to any bid’ah that a shar’i text indicates that
this particular bid’ah erases the good deeds of the one who commits it, and
not every single bid’ah falls into this category. 

The scholars commented on this hadeeth and explained what is
meant by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him): “Allaah will not accept any obligatory or naafil act of worship
from him.” 

Al-Qaadi said: And it was said that what is meant is that his
obligatory and naafil acts of worship will not be accepted in the sense of
Allaah being pleased with them, even though they may be acceptable in the
sense that he will be rewarded for them. And it was said that acceptance
here refers to being acceptable as expiation for sin. 

Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim
(9/141). 

To sum up: It is permissible to pray behind one who follows
innovation so long as his bid’ah is not one that constitutes blatant kufr.
Allaah will call people to account on the basis of their deeds, “So
whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall
see it.  And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small
ant) shall see it” [al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]. 

And Allaah knows best.