It is well established that when Umar saw people offering Tarawih in congregation, he said:
(قَالَ عُمَرُ : نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ)
”What an excellent Bid’a”
This can be seen in the following narration from Sahih al-Bukhari hadith number 2010:
وَعَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَانَ، إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِذَا النَّاسُ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلاَتِهِ الرَّهْطُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي أَرَى لَوْ جَمَعْتُ هَؤُلاَءِ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ لَكَانَ أَمْثَلَ. ثُمَّ عَزَمَ فَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لَيْلَةً أُخْرَى، وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَةِ قَارِئِهِمْ، قَالَ عُمَرُ نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ، وَالَّتِي يَنَامُونَ عَنْهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي يَقُومُونَ. يُرِيدُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يَقُومُونَ أَوَّلَهُ.
‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Abdul Qari said,
“I went out in the company of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, ‘Umar said, ‘In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)’. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka’b. Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, ‘Umar remarked, ‘What an excellent Bid’a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.’ He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night.”
Many of our brethren interpret this action of Umar as an excellent Bid’a and claim that there is reward in such an innovation. However, there is a narration in Sahih Muslim that explicitly states that every innovation is misguidance:
Jabir bin Samurah narrates:
I prayed with the Prophet ﷺ multiple times. His prayer and sermon were moderate in length. Jabir bin Abdullah said:
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his voice would rise, and his anger would intensify, as if he were warning of an impending army. He would say:
_”I and the Hour have been sent like this,”_ (and he would join his index and middle fingers). Then he would say:
«أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَيْرُ الْهُدَى هُدَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَشَرُّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ»
“The best of the speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of the guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad. And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith number 867a)
Similarly, Sunan Nasa’i also records a narration with an authentic chain:
“The truest of word is the Book of Allah and best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those that are newly invented; every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire.”
(Sunan Nasa’i, International Numbering: 1578)
Performing an innovation in the sacred precincts of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah carries an even greater sin.
We read in Sahih al-Bukhari 1867
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Medina is a sanctuary from that place to that. Its trees should not be cut and no heresy should be innovated nor any sin should be committed in it, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits sins (bad deeds), then he will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people.”
Similarly, Sahih al-Bukhari 1870
Narrated `Ali:
We have nothing except the Book of Allah and this written paper from the Prophet (wherein is writtenJ Medina is a sanctuary from the ‘Air Mountain to such and such a place, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits a sin, or gives shelter to such an innovator in it will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And the asylum (of protection) granted by any Muslim is to be secured (respected) by all the other Muslims; and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted, and whoever (freed slave) befriends (take as masters) other than his manumitters without their permission incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted.
However, despite all these warnings, Umar paid no attention and introduced an innovation in the blessed month of Allah, (swt).
Regarding the voluntary prayers (nawafil) in the month of Ramadan, both Bukhari and Muslim have recorded narrations from Zayd bin Thabit in their respective Sahih collections.
Sahih al-Bukhari 731
Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) made a small room in the month of Ramadan (Sa`id said, “I think that Zaid bin Thabit said that it was made of a mat”) and he prayed there for a few nights, and so some of his companions prayed behind him. When he came to know about it, he kept on sitting. In the morning, he went out to them and said, “I have seen and understood what you did. You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers.”
Another narration from Zayd bin Thabit:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) built a chamber from palm leaves or a mat and started praying inside it. People began to follow him in prayer. Then, one night, people gathered, but the Prophet delayed coming out to them. They raised their voices and even threw pebbles at the door. The Prophet then came out angrily and said: “Your persistent behavior made me think that this prayer might become obligatory upon you. So, pray in your homes, for the best prayer a person offers, apart from the obligatory prayers, is the one performed at home.”
(Sahih Muslim, International Numbering: 1825)
A similar narration appears in Sahih Muslim hadith number 781a:
Zaid b. Thabit reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made an apartment with the help of the leaves of date trees or of mats. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to pray in it. People followed him and came to pray with him. Then they again came one night and waited (for him), but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delayed in coming out to them. And when he did not come out, they cried aloud and threw pebbles at the door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out in anger and said to them: By what you have been constantly doing, I was inclined to think that it (prayer) might not become obligatory for you. So you must observe prayer (optional) in your houses, for the prayer observed by a man in the house is better except an obligatory prayer.
(Sahih Muslim, hadith number 1826)
Conclusions derived from the narration:
1️. The companions started praying behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) without his permission.
2. When the Prophet did not come out of his house, they shamelessly started throwing pebbles at his door.
3. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was so displeased with their actions that he became angry with them.
4️. The true state of the companions’ hearts was also revealed: had this prayer been made obligatory upon them, they would not have performed it.
5️. Apart from obligatory prayers, voluntary (nafl) prayers should be performed at home.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibited the companions from offering voluntary prayers in congregation at the mosque. However, after a short while, the companions forgot everything and resumed performing the same “innovation” (bid’ah).
Had ‘Umar bin Khattab, as the ruler of the time, truly upheld the Prophet’s command, he should have expelled the companions from the mosque and said, ”What innovation are you introducing in the House of Allah?” Instead, ‘Umar promoted this innovation among the people.
A question for the simple-minded Muslims: why did you adopt ‘Umar’s innovation while disregarding the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)?
How can ‘Umar bin Khattab be excused from the narrations condemning innovations, particularly those introduced in Madinah?