Criterion of innovation

Introduction to the topic of the book: Innovation (Bid'ah) is a destructive tool exploited by the enemies of Allah to undermine the foundations of the religion of Islam, to scatter the unity of Muslims, and to disperse their gathering because of the harmful effects they know it has... It corrupts the mind and does not rectify it, and it divides the community and does not unite it. Therefore, they launched seriously supporting the people of innovation and superstitions to be ambassadors to implement their plans in Islamic countries. And (The Criterion of Innovation) is a book in which its author regulated innovation according to the method of jurisprudential foundation to gather similar things together, and to collect the scattered issues of innovation to make them easier to handle, with clearer classification and judgment. After the introduction, in which the definition of innovation, its characteristics, the comprehensive principles of innovation, and the rules through which innovation is recognized were mentioned, the book was built on four major general rules from which several rules branch out regarding the controls of innovation and related matters, which are as follows: The first rule: **"Every innovation in Sharia is misguidance"** Under this rule, ten rules are included: 1. Every innovation in Sharia is misguidance 2. The abundance of minor issues is equivalent to innovations in general 3. Minor innovations from similar matters 4. Additive innovation is like real innovation 5. Innovation is blameworthy absolutely and generally 6. Innovations are vehicles, and blame is ranked 7. Rejecting innovation and condemning it entails prohibition 8. Innovation and good opinion (Istihsan) cannot coexist 9. Carrying the true Sharia meaning does not allow for restriction, division, or improvement 10. A good innovation does not replace an additive innovation The second rule: **"There is no innovation in matters of Ijtihad"** Under this rule, five rules are included: 1. No innovation in matters of Ijtihad 2. Confusion about innovation is possible 3. No contradiction between innovation and disagreement 4. Ijtihad in achieving the purpose does not conflict with innovation 5. The innovator must have an innovation, and the opposite is not true The third rule: **"Limit acts of worship and beware of corruptions"** Under this rule, seven rules are included: 1. The original in acts of worship is prohibition 2. No act of devotion except through obedience 3. Not intending devotion is impossible in the intended act of worship 4. The original in acts of worship is expansion 5. An absolute command cannot be fulfilled except by specific implementation 6. What is legislated from acts of worship generally does not indicate its legality specifically 7. Limit acts of worship and beware of corruptions The fourth rule: **"Pure customs are not innovation"** Under this rule, eight rules are included: 1. Pure customs are not innovation 2. The original in customs is permissibility 3. Innovation in customs: opposition and worship 4. Abandonment is misguidance: practicing religion by abandoning permissible matters 5. Means of worship: intended goals 6. Means are governed, not ruling 7. Similarity to disbelievers is innovation in religion 8. Celebrations are fixed (timed by Islamic law) With this, the author has compiled thirty rules that regulate innovation, define its rulings, and its states. May Allah reward the author with goodness, and may what he wrote be weighed in the balance of his good deeds, and benefit Islam and Muslims.