I asked Hisham ibn Urwah about the cutting of a lote-tree when he was leaning against the house of Urwah. He said: Do you not see these doors and leaves? These were made of the lote-tree of Urwah which Urwah used to cut from his hand? He said: There is no harm in it.

Humayd's version adds: You have brought an innovation, O Iraqi! He said: The innovation is from you. I heard someone say at Mecca: The Messenger of Allah (saws) cursed him who cuts a lote-tree. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Verily there are two things - words and guidance. The best words are the words of Allah, and the best guidance in the guidance of Muhammad. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation (Bid'ah) and every innovation is a going-stray. Do not let the desire for a long life causes your hearts to grow hard. That which is bound to happen is close to you, and the only thing that is far away is that which is not going to happen. The one who is doomed to Hell is doomed from his mother's womb, and the one who is destined for Paradise is the one who learns from the lessons of others. Killing a believer constitutes disbelief (Kufr) and verbally abusing him is immorality (Fusuq). It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days. Beware of lying, for lying is never good, whether it is done seriously or in jest. A man should not make a promise to a child that he will not keep. Lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hell. Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. It will be said of the truthful person: 'He spoke the truth and was righteous', and it will be said of the liar, 'He told lies and was immoral.' "For a person continues to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar."

Bilal b. Harith al-Muzani reported God’s messenger as saying, “Whoever revives a sunna of mine which has been neglected after my time will have a reward equal to the rewards of those who act upon it, without their rewards being diminished in any way. But whoever invents a misleading innovation with which God and His messenger are not pleased will be charged with a sin equal to the sins of those who act upon it without that diminishing their loads in any way.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Kathir b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr from his father from his grandfather.

I went out one night to the mosque with ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and we saw the people in sections separate from one another, one man praying by himself, and another followed by a group; so ‘Umar said, “If I collected these people behind one reciter it would be better." He then made up his mind and collected them with Ubayy b. Ka‘b as imam. Afterwards I went out with him another night when the people were following the prayer of their reciter, and ‘Umar said, “This is a good innovation, but what you miss through sleeping is more excellent than what you are getting up for, meaning at the end of the night, for the people were getting up during the early part of the night. Bukhari transmitted it.

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari said, "I went out with Umar ibn alKhattab in Ramadan to the mosque and the people there were spread out in groups. Some men were praying by themselves, whilst others were praying in small groups. Umar said, 'By Allah! It would be better in my opinion if these people gathered behind one reciter.' So he gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Kab. Then I went out with him another night and the people were praying behind their Qur'an reciter. Umar said, 'How excellent this new way is, but what you miss while you are asleep is better than what you watch in prayer.' He meant the end of the night, and people used to watch the beginning of the night in prayer."

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Allah will not accept any fasting, prayer, charity, Hajj, 'Umrah, Jihad, or any other obligatory or voluntary action from a person who follows innovation (Bid'ah). He comes out of Islam like a hair pulled out of dough."

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) delivered a Khutbah, his eyes would become red, his tone loud and he showed anger as if he were warning us against an army. He (PBUH) would say, "The enemy is about to attack you in the morning and the enemy is advancing against you in the evening". He would further say, "I am sent with the final Hour like these two fingers of mine." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) held up his index finger and the middle finger together to illustrate. He used to add: "To proceed, the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (PBUH), the worst practice is the introduction of new practices in Islam and every Bid'ah is a misguidance". He would also say, "I am, in respect of rights, nearer to every believer than his own self. He who leaves an estate, it belongs to his heirs, and he who leaves a debt, it is my responsibility to pay it off." [Muslim].

Same Hadith as reported by 'Irbad bin Sariyah (May Allah be pleased with him) has already been recorded in the previous chapter regarding safeguarding the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).(See Hadith number 158)

"My father told me narrating from my grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine, which people then act upon, will have a reward equivalent to that of those who act upon it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever introduces an innovation (Bid'ah) that is acted upon, will have a burden of sins equivalent to that of those who act upon it, withot that detracting from the burden of those who act upon it in the slightest.'"

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine that dies out after I am gone, he will have a reward equivalent to that of those among the people who act upon it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever introduces an innovation (Bid'ah) with which Allah and his Messenger are not pleased, he will have a (burden of) sin equivalent to that of those among the people who act upon it, without that detracting from their sins in the slightest.'"

“Among those in charge of you, after I am gone, will be men who extinguish the Sunnah and follow innovation. They will delay the prayer from its proper time.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, if I live to see them, what should I do?” He said: “You ask me, O Ibn ‘Abd, what you should do? There is no obedience to one who disobeys Allah.”

Whenever Allah's Messenger (SAW) delivered a Khutbah (religious talk), his eyes would become red, his voice rose and his anger would become intensified, as if he (SAW) was like one warning an army and saying, "The enemy has made a morning attack on you. The enemy has made an evening attack on you." He (SAW) would also say "Amma ba'du, the best of speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. And the most evil of affairs are their innovations and every innovation is misguidance." [Reported by Muslim].

"When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, he would raise his voice and he would speak with intensity, as if he were warning of an (enemy) army, saying, 'They will surely attack you in the morning, or they will surely attack you in the evening!' He would say: 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two,' and he would hold his index and middle finger. Then he would say: 'The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil matters are those that are newly-invented, and every innovation (Bid'ah) is a going astray.' And he used to say: 'Whoever dies and leaves behind some wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves behind a debt or dependent children, then they are both my responsibility.'"