200 FAQ On Muslims Belief by Hafiz Ibn Ahmed Al Hakami

A--- Innovation is the antonym of Sunnah.

Innovation means to legislate what has not been ordained by Allah the Almighty. Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) means this when he says: "If any of you introduces into this affair of ours "religion” anything which does not belong to it, it is rejected.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

He (Peace be upon him) says: "Stick to my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided Caliphs (those who come) after me, stick to it, adhere thereto firmly, and be ware of innovations for every innovation is a misguidance." (Abu Dawud, AtTirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

He (Peace be upon him) says: "... and this nation will be divided into seventy-three religious sects, -all in Hell, except one, and that one is: on which I and my companions are today, i.e. following the Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah.”(Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Allah the Almighty declared his (Peace be upon him) innocence from belonging to the people of Innovations, saying: {Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) have no concern in them in the least.

Their affair is only with Allah}. (Al-An' am, 159)