All Major Innovations and Deviations Begin Small and Insignificant

[bamalli]

All Major Innovations and Deviations Begin Small and Insignificant
Beware of small innovations because they grow until they become large.[1]

This is the case with every innovation introduced in this Ummah. It began as
something small, bearing resemblance to the truth which is why those who
entered it were mislead and then were unable to leave it. So it grew and
became the religion which they followed and thus deviated from the Straight
Path and left Islaam.[2]

*[1] A striking example of how small innovations lead a person into
committing major innovations is found in the narration reported by
ad-Daarimee in his Sunan (1/79)*

al-Hakam bin al-Mubaarak informed us that Amr ibn Yahyaa said my father
related from his father who said:

"We used to sit by the door of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood before the Salaatul
Ghadaat (morning prayer), so that when he came out we would walk with him to
the masjid. (One day) Aboo Moosaa al-Ash'aree came to us and said, "Has Aboo
'Abdur-Rahmaan come out yet?" We replied, "No." Therefore, he sat down with
us until he came out. When he came out, we all stood along with him,

so Abu Moosaa said to him, "O Aboo 'Abdur-Rahmaan I have just seen something
in the masjid which I deemed to be evil, but all praise is for Allaah, I did
not see anything except good!"

He inquired, "Then what is it?"

(Aboo Moosaa) replied, "If you live you will see it. I saw in the masjid
people sitting in circles awaiting the Prayer. In each circle they had
pebbles in their hands and a man would say 'repeat Allaahu Akbar a hundred
times.' So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'say Laa
ilaaha illallaah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times.
Then he would say, 'say Subhaanallaah a hundred times.' So they would say it
a hundred times."

(Ibn Mas'ood) asked, "What did you say to them?"

(Aboo Moosaa) said, "I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to
hear you view or what you declared."

(Ibn Mas'ood) replied, "Would that you had ordered them to count up the evil
deeds they acquired and assured them that their good deeds would not be lost
!"

Then we went along with him (Ibn Mas'ood) until he came to one of these
circles and stood and said,

"What is this which I see you doing?"

They replied, "O Aboo 'Abdur-Rahmaan! These are pebbles upon which we are
counting takbeer, tahleel and tasbeeh."

He said, "(You should) count your evil deeds and I will assure you that none
of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad
(sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)! How quickly you are rushing to your
destruction! These are the Companions of your Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam) and who are widespread (and numerous). There are his clothes which
have not yet decayed and his eating utensils which are unbroken. By Him in
Whose Hand is my soul! Either you are upon a deen better guided than the
Deen of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) or that you are opening the
door of misguidance (from this bid'ah)."

They said, "O Aboo Abdur-Rahmaan! By Allaah, we only intended good."

He said, "How many there are who intend good but do not achieve it. Indeed
Allaah's Messenger said to us 'A people will recite the Qur'aan but it will
not pass beyond their throats.' By Allaah! I do not know, perhaps most of
them are from you." Then he left them.

Umar ibn Salamah (the sub-narrator) said: "*We saw most of those people
fighting against us on the day of Nahrawaan, along with the Khawaarij*."

From the introduction of ad-Daarimee, volume one, page 73 with an authentic
chain.

[2] The scholars differentiate between those innovations which take a
person outside the fold of Islaam (al-Bid'atul-
Mukaffirah) and those which do not. So this is not to be understood
unrestrictedly.