Some Innovations of Guidance:
Although most innovations are innovations of misguidance, there are numerous examples of Islamically acceptable innovations. Since the time of the Prophet, many good innovations have been adopted.
▪️One person was praying behind the Prophet, peace on him, and said a good statement after he stood up from rukoo`. After the prayer, the Prophet asked who that person was. The Prophet said: I saw less than 40 angels in favor of each writing it first. (alBukhariyy)
▪️The companion Khubayb bin `Adiyy innovated praying two raka`at before his enemy was about to kill him and was the first person to do so. The Prophet was told about this doing, but the Prophet did not prohibit it.
▪️AlBukhariyy (Malik and Muslim) narrated that the caliph `Umar Ibn alKhattab gathered the Muslims and assigned an imam for them to pray the Taraweeh Prayer in congregation. When he saw them the next day praying behind the imam in congregation he said:
نِعْمَت البِدعةُ هذِه
which means: “What a good innovation that is!” `Umar used the explicit term (البدعة innovation) in his praise. If all innovations were misguided, `Umar would not have innovated this practice, nor expressed this praise.
▪️The caliph `Uthman innovated the first athan on Friday before the imam ascends the minbar.
▪️Initially, Qur’an was written with letters like the
ب, ت, ث
and ى, which did not have dots above or below them. The practice of distinguishing between the letters by using the dots notation began by alHasan alBisriyy after the time of the Prophet.
▪️During the era of the followers of the Companions Yahya bin Ya`mur was the first to put the tashkeel on the letters of Qur’an. Today, Qur’an is recited using these signs without objection.
▪️Muslims added the mihrab (semi-circular, hollow structure which shows the qiblah) to the mosques including the mosque of the Prophet in Madinah.