Category: Dakwah

Praise be to Allah.Yes, it is correct to say this. The Muslims are acting in the Prophet’s stead in conveying the message of Islam, calling people to it and explaining the teachings of Islam and conveying them to people.
The most deserving of the Muslims to be described as acting in the Prophet’s stead are the scholars.
This was stated by some of the scholars, such as ash-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him), who said:
The mufti is acting in the Prophet’s stead in the Muslim community.
The evidence for that is found in several things:
-1- The religious texts. In the hadith it says that the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind any dinars or dirhams (that is, wealth); rather they left behind knowledge. In as-Sahih it is narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw a vessel that was brought to me, in which was milk. I drank from it until its moisture flowed from beneath my nails, then I gave my leftovers to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.” They said: How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Knowledge.”
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent as a warner, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “But you are only a warner” [Hud 11:12], and He says of the scholars (interpretation of the meaning): “For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn [i.e., advise] their people ” [at-Tawbah 9:122].
-2- The scholar is acting in the Prophet’s stead in conveying the rulings of Islam, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Let those of you who are present convey to those who are absent.” And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Convey from me, even if it is one verse.” As that is the case, it means that he is acting in the Prophet’s stead.
-3- The mufti is a lawgiver in one sense, because what he conveys of Islamic rulings is either transmitted from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or it is derived from the religious texts that were narrated from him. In the former case, he is conveying it and in the latter case he is acting in his stead by initiating rulings, and initiating rulings is only for the lawgiver. If the mujtahid (mufti) initiates rulings based on what he thinks and works out, then in this sense he is a lawgiver and must be followed. This definitely means that the scholar is the successor of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and even in the case where he is only conveying the ruling that was given by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he still has to examine the matter and understand the wording of the text, and understand the reasons for the ruling and how the ruling is connected to its reason. In both cases, he is the one who must do that, so in this regard he is acting in the lawgiver’s stead in that sense. It says in the hadith: “Whoever reads the Qur’an, prophethood is placed in his heart.”
In conclusion, the mufti is telling people the rulings of Allah, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did; and is approving or disapproving of the deeds of accountable people on the basis of his understanding, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did; and his rulings are to be implemented by the Muslims, because he is the successor to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Hence the scholars are called those in authority, and obedience to them is mentioned alongside obedience to Allah and His Messenger in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you” [an-Nisa’ 4:59].
There is a great deal of evidence to support this concept. End quote.
Al-Muwafaqat (4/201).
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.What your father did of spending on your education in this specialty will undoubtedly bring great reward, and what a father spends on his child is one of the greatest types of charity. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that spending on one’s child brings great reward, and it takes precedence over other kinds of charity.
In the hadith it says that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best dinar that a man spends is a dinar that he spends on his dependents, and a dinar that a man spends on his mount (for jihad) in Allah’s cause, and a dinar that he spends on his companions (in jihad) in Allah’s cause.”
Abu Qilabah said: He started with the dependents. Then Abu Qilabah said: What man is greater in reward than a man who spends on young dependents and protects them from resorting to asking of people – or Allah benefits them through him – and makes them independent of means? Narrated by Muslim (994).
Secondly:
The knowledge that you learned brings great benefit to Muslim women and provides them with medical treatment without having to see male doctors; this is one of the greatest benefits of which your father was a cause. It is known that a benefit that has far-reaching effect will bring reward to the one who initiated it, even if he did not have that particular intention in mind.
So we hope that there will be much good and great reward for your father for everyone who benefits from your treating them, because of his contribution and his being the cause of your education, without anything being detracted from your reward, in sha Allah.
Whoever is the cause of some good deed being done will have a reward like that of the doer. It was narrated that Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: My mount has died; give me a mount. He said: “I do not have anything.” A man said: O Messenger of Allah, I will tell him about someone who will give him a mount. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who tells another about a good deed is like the one who does it.” Narrated by Muslim (1893).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: [If someone does] deeds from which others benefit, he will be rewarded for benefitting others, even if he did not have that intention when he did that deed. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that if someone sows a crop or plants a tree, and an animal eats from it or someone steals from it, he will be rewarded for that, even though he may have planted it without forming that intention; rather so long as people benefit from it, he will be rewarded for that.
This is also indicated by the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people} [an-Nisa’ 4:114].
This indicates that if a person does that, even if it is simply to bring about reconciliation between people without seeking reward, there is goodness in that. Then Allah says:
{And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah – then We are going to give him a great reward} [an-Nisa’ 4:114].
This is something additional to the good which Allah mentions at the beginning of the verse.”(Liqa’ al-Bab al-Maftuh  32/9).
With regard to the hadith, “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a  righteous son who will pray for him” [narrated by Muslim 1631], what it refers to is whatever beneficial knowledge a person teaches to others from which people benefit. That includes beneficial worldly knowledge, foremost among which is medicine. Ash-Shafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I do not know of any knowledge, after knowledge of what is halal and haram, that is more noble than medicine. End quote from Siyar A‘lam an-Nubala’ (10/57). Medicine is only of such high status because of what it contains of goodness and benefit, and because all people need it.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Regarding the hadith “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), [and] beneficial knowledge…”, does this refer to Islamic knowledge or worldly knowledge?
He replied: What appears to be the case is that the hadith is general in meaning; any knowledge that is of benefit will earn that reward, but the foremost knowledge is Islamic knowledge. So if we assume that a man taught someone beneficial skills, and the one who learned that from him benefitted from learning it, then he will attain the reward and be rewarded for that.”(Liqa’ al-Bab al-Mahtuf  16/117).
So if someone teaches people beneficial worldly knowledge, he is included in the words of the hadith “or beneficial knowledge.” The same applies to the one who plays a role in conveying and spreading this knowledge and its benefits; there is the hope that he will also have a share of this reward, for the bounty of Allah is immense.
In the hadith narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will admit three people to paradise by virtue of one arrow: the one who made it, intending good by making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who hands it to him.” Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad (17300). The commentators said: The hadith is hasan when all its isnads and corroborating evidence are taken into account.
The scholars of the Permanent Committee for Ifta’ said: Printing useful books which benefit people regarding their religious and worldly affairs comes under the heading of the righteous deeds for which a person will be rewarded during his lifetime, and the reward and benefit thereof continue after he dies. That is included in the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which are soundly narrated in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a  righteous son who will pray for him.”  Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. So anyone who plays a part in spreading this beneficial knowledge will attain this great reward, whether he is an author, a teacher, a publisher who distributes it to people, a designer, or one who plays a part in printing it. Each of them will be rewarded according to his efforts and the extent of his participation in that.”(Fatawa al-Lajnah ad-Da’imah  11/17).
Thus there is the hope that everyone who contributes to education, and everyone who is a cause or helps in that will have reward for the beneficial knowledge.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.If the Muslim has an opportunity to guide people to what is good and teach them that which Allah, may He be exalted, has taught him, then he should not miss the opportunity due to psychological barriers, and he should not let waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan, intrusive thoughts) prevent him from doing good. He should not regard teaching and guiding people as being a social status that he fears could cause him to drift away, and he should not regard teaching people as something very complicated and be discouraged for fear of problems and obstacles. Rather he should regard teaching people what is good as an obligation and something required by Islam. The one who has knowledge should not shy away from teaching one who is ignorant.
This is one of the Islamic obligations that the Muslim should do according to his ability, for Allah does not burden anyone with more than he can bear. So the Muslim should teach others what he knows, and regarding that which he does not know, he should say: Allah knows best.
The one who has memorized the book of Allah, may He be exalted, may help others to memorize it; the one who is studying fiqh, if he has not yet studied all the topics of fiqh, and has only studied issues having to do with acts of worship, may teach topics having to do with acts of worship, and not other issues. This is what the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Narrate from me, even if it is one verse, and narrate from the Children of Israel, no problem, but whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3461).
It was narrated from Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith: I came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with a group of my people, and we stayed with him for twenty days. He was compassionate and kind, and when he realized that we missed our families, he said: “Go back and be with them, and teach them. Pray, and when the time for prayer comes, let one of you give the adhaan and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (628) and Muslim (674).
Education and teaching are a great means of attaining reward, so the seeker of knowledge should not delay that until tomorrow if he is able to do it today, for obstacles may come in his way and he may miss out on what Allah has promised of great reward for the one who teaches the people about what is good.
It was narrated from Abu Huaryrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever calls people to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest…” Narrated by Muslim (2674).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a person dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous son who will offer supplication for him.” Narrated by Muslim (1631).
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The seeker of knowledge combines several things, knowledge and calling people to Islam, doing good deeds, reconciling between people and offering sincere advice. So he should not stop at any limit; rather he should strive as much as he is able, in a way that will not distract him from his obligatory duties. Thus he is a seeker of knowledge, he is one who calls people to Allah, he is one who offers sincere advice, he is a teacher and he is one who reconciles between people, so he will have a good impact. The seeker of knowledge, especially one who is a student in the faculty of sharee‘ah and the faculty of usool ad-deen, or one who attends the study circles of the shaykhs, must have high aspirations. So he should not limit himself to one thing only and exclude others; rather he should strive hard in doing all that is good, according to his knowledge and ability. Thus he will be one of those who strive to reconcile between people, and one of those who call people to Allah, and one of those who teach people, and one of those who offer sincere advice, and one of those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. This is how the Sahaabah and those who followed them in truth were; they would be part of everything that is of benefit to people, and they would not hesitate to do anything that could benefit people.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat ash-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (24/24).
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 103895 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The “five fortresses” method for memorizing the Qur’an is a method based on a plan for preparing the pages that one wants to memorize, a method for memorizing and a method for reviewing what one has previously memorized.
It is a method that includes reading from the Mushaf, listening to a skilled narrator, repeating what one wants to memorize, then reviewing what one has memorized without looking at the Mushaf.
Based on that, it does not seem that there is anything objectionable about this method. Rather it is a good method that connects the Muslim to the Qur’an on a daily basis, and gets him used to reciting the Qur’an and not forget it. It is well known that educational means and methods of reviewing and memorizing, and the like, are only means of acquiring knowledge and memorizing and reviewing the Holy Qur’an.
The ruling on these means is that they are permissible, so long as Islam has not forbidden them.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a method is not forbidden and it is effective, then there is nothing wrong with it. Means are not the same as objectives, and it is not essential that Islam should state for every means or method that it is permissible or otherwise, because means and methods are innumerable and unlimited, so everything that is a means of achieving good is good. End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab (15/30).
Moreover, when determining whether a particular method is better and choosing it over others, we should look at experience and what is best suited to each individual. What is suitable and beneficial to one person is not always suitable and beneficial for another; rather it may be suitable for someone else, or some other method may be more beneficial for him. So each person should look at what is most suitable for him and will help him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.”
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge in order to argue with the foolish or to show off before the scholars or to attract people’s attention, will be in Hell.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah (253).
It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not seek knowledge in order to show off in front of the scholars or to argue with the foolish, or to choose the best seat in a gathering because of it, for whoever does that, the Fire, the Fire (awaits him).” Narrated by Ibn Maajah (254).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge in order to show off before the scholars or to argue with the foolish or to attract people’s attention, Allah will admit him to Hell.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah (260).
Even though there is some weakness in the isnaads of these hadiths, they support one another. Hence al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) classed them as saheeh, when he said concerning the hadith of Jaabir:
Al-Haakim classed it as saheeh, and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Haafiz al-‘Iraqi (1/52). It is as they say, if it is free of interruptions (in its isnaad), because Ibn Jurayj and his shaykh Abu’z-Zubayr were mudallis [i.e., they  engaged in tadlees, which is when a narrator narrates a hadith that he did not hear directly from his shaykh, without mentioning the name of the third party from whom he did hear it, using wording that may or may not give the impression that he heard it directly], and they were known for that. They also narrated it by saying ‘an (“from”, instead of saying that they heard it directly from a narrator). But the hadith is saheeh whatever the case, because there are corroborating reports concerning the same topic which strengthen it and are strengthened by it.
End quote from Saheeh at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb (1/154).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Adam al-Ethiopi said:
This hadith of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) is one of the hadiths narrated in al-Musannaf, and it is saheeh. Al-Busayri said: The men of this isnaad are thiqaat (trustworthy), according to the conditions of Muslim. End quote.
And it is as he said, although its isnaad includes the ‘an‘anah [narrating by saying ‘an (“from”)] of Ibn Jurayj and Abu’z-Zubayr, who are mudallis. But the hadith is saheeh because there are corroborating reports.
End quote from Mashaariq al-Anwaar (4/485-486).
The apparent meaning of the hadith indicates that the person who learns about Islam for the purpose of arguing with the foolish is given warning of punishment, because he has not fulfilled the condition of sincerity when learning about Islam; rather his only aim is to learn how to argue.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge that should be sought  for the sake of Allah, but he only seeks it for the sake of some worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.”Narrated by Abu Dawood (3664).
The sincere and sound intention when seeking knowledge should be to act upon it oneself, then to teach it to people and convey it to them, and to take Islamic teachings to those who are not aware of them, then to ward off the aggression of the transgressors and the misinterpretation of the evildoers.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious”
[at-Tawbah 9:122]
“So do not obey the disbelievers, and strive against them with the Qur’an a great striving”
[al-Furqaan 25:52].
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“a great striving” i.e., do not spare any effort to support the truth and suppress falsehood; even if you see them rejecting you and treating you rudely, still do your utmost and do not despair of them being guided; do not stop conveying the message to them just because it does not suit their whims and desires
End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 585).
So whoever learns with the intention of refuting the specious arguments of the disbelievers and advising the Muslims, this is a sound intention.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
Do you have any advice for a beginner seeker of knowledge?
He replied:
Our advice to every person is to make his intention sincerely for the sake of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and not to let his aim when seeking knowledge be the pursuit of leadership, prominence or wealth. Rather his aim should be to alleviate ignorance from himself and from others, to adhere to the straight path, and to defend it and protect it. This is the best thing.
End quote from Liqaa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh (226/36).
If he needs to argue and debate whilst calling people to Allah, there is nothing wrong with that, because that is not the aim of his learning; rather it is a means of conveying the message. But he must argue in the way that is best, and within Islamic guidelines.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided”
[an-Nahl 16:125].
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
i.e., let your call to all people, Muslims and disbelievers, inviting them to the straight path of your Lord, which includes beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, be with wisdom , addressing each according to his situation and ability to understand, and the level of his acceptance and submission…
If the person to whom the call is addressed thinks that what he is following is truth or if he is a promoter of falsehood, then the caller to Islam should reason with him in the most courteous manner. These are the ways which are more likely to bring a response, according to both reason and the texts.
One way of doing that is to use evidence that he believes is sound, because this is more likely to achieve the goal and not lead to argument or trading of insults, which will defeat the purpose and is of no benefit. Rather the aim is to guide people to the truth, not to prove them wrong and the like.
End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 452).
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone”
[al-Kahf 18:22].
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“So do not argue” that is, do not discuss or debate
“about them except with an obvious argument” that is, one that is based on knowledge and certainty, which should also serve a purpose.
End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 474).
Conclusion: learning Islamic knowledge with the intention of calling people to the religion of Allah, may He be exalted, and defending Islam, and refuting the arguments and foiling the plots of the disbelievers is a sound intention, provided that the seeker of knowledge does not focus exclusively on the branches of knowledge that are a communal obligation whilst neglecting those that cover individual obligations, such as the fundamentals of his faith and how to perform obligatory acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and so on.
It was narrated that Jundub ibn ‘Abdillah al-Azdi, the companion of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the scholar who teaches people good and forgets himself is that of a lamp which gives light to the people but burns itself.”
Narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (2/165-166); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb (1/164).
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.These things are things that a person usually encounters when he seeks to call people to goodness. The one who wants to call people to Allah and to teach them good should strive to be patient and kind, and to follow the path of wisdom.
If some of these colleagues want to learn, and others do not, then what you should do is persist in presenting your lessons to those who want to learn, and do not stop doing good.
But if you find that some of them are envious or jealous, then what is appropriate for the teacher of good is to be patient and overlook their ignorance, as is characteristic of the slaves of the Most Merciful.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace” [al-Furqaan 25:63].
And you should respond to their mistreatment with kindness; perhaps that will change what is in their hearts and will frustrate the schemes of the Shaytaan and his efforts to mislead people.
But if all of them reject your exhortations, then the wise approach is not to force that on them, because that does not usually lead to any benefit; rather it will lead to them stubbornly rejecting the truth.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided” [an-Nahl 16:125].
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Wisdom means doing what is appropriate, at the appropriate time, speaking appropriate words, saying what is appropriate, because in some places and at some times it is not appropriate to preach or exhort people.
Moreover, with some people it is not appropriate to exhort them in some situations; rather you should wait until they are ready to accept exhortation.
End quote from Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (4/73).
If your colleagues at work do not want to learn from you, then look for others who are keen to benefit and learn.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
The division of knowledge into various categories and branches, and the development of ways of approaching and studying knowledge, are all based on intellectual processes that developed over time with the increase of knowledge and reaching a high level of mastering this knowledge. Knowledge is something that has been accumulating throughout human history.
The process of compiling the Mus-haf during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, then the compilation of the Prophet’s Sunnah in comprehensive volumes at the time of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allah have mercy on him – d. 101 AH) was the first stage of building Islamic knowledge and categorising that knowledge in books arranged by chapters on various topics. In fact, in the first documents that were written during the Prophet’s time and the era of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een, we see the beginnings of the categorisation of fiqhi books into various subject areas and chapter headings. One of the most famous of these documents is the constitution document that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed should be written between him and the Jews of Madinah and the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, and the document on zakaah that was kept with Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him). Whoever would like to know more about that can refer to the book Tareekh Tadween as-Sunnah by Dr Haakim al-Mutayri.
Adh-Dhahabi mentioned a generation of scholars, beginning with Mak-hool (d. 113 AH) and az-Zuhri (d. 124 AH), and ending with Rabee‘ah ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan (d. 136 AH). They were the students of the Sahaabah and he said of them: The elders began to compile books of Sunan and write about various issues and about the Arabic language. Compilation of books – in the precise sense – began at the end of the first century AH.
It was based on a general principle called al-masaalih al-mursalah that the fuqaha’ adopted, which dealt with every new practice that could serve an interest and that the ummah might need, but there were no instructions concerning it in the shar‘i texts. This principle was one of the most important means that gave Islamic sharee‘ah flexibility, and it was one of the most important fiqhi principles that has been needed throughout the ages.
Imam ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said – after giving some examples of al-masaalih al-mursalah and mentioning how some people confused it with innovation –:
All that has been mentioned comes under the heading of al-masaalih al-mursalah, not under the heading of newly invented matters (bid‘ah). This principle of al-masaalih al-mursalah was followed by the early generations and they acted in accordance with it, as did those who came after them. It is one of the fiqhi principles that are well-established among the scholars of usool; even though they may differ concerning it, that does not undermine our argument here.
With regard to the compilation of the Mus-haf and limiting the people to that one standard text, in reality that also comes under this category. So the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did the right thing, because there was a justification for this action, which was the command to convey the teachings of Islam. Just as conveying is not restricted to a specific manner, because it is a principle, so it may be achieved by many possible means, such as memorising, teaching, writing it down and so on, by the same token protecting it from distortion and alteration is not limited to one way in exclusion of others, provided that the method used does not undermine the aim of conveying it in a proper manner, such as writing the Mus-haf in a book for the purpose of preserving it. Therefore there was consensus on this matter among the righteous early generations.
With regard to writing down knowledge other than the Mus-haf, the matter is clearer and more lenient. The principle of writing down knowledge is proven in the Sunnah. In as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Write it down for Abu Shah.” The biographers stated that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had scribes who would write down for him the revelation and other things… Moreover, writing comes under the heading of that without which fulfilling an obligation cannot be done, if a person has a poor memory and there is the fear of knowledge disappearing. The earlier generations only regarded it as disliked to write down knowledge for a different reason, not because it was an innovation. Anyone who calls the writing of knowledge in books an innovation is either exaggerating or he is not using the word innovation in the right context. So it is not valid to quote these things as evidence for it being acceptable to introduce innovations.
If there is a dispute concerning the principle of al-masaalih al-mursalah, and adopting this principle is not sound according to some scholars of usool, then the argument against them is the consensus of the Sahaabah, who agreed to write the Qur’an in the Mus-haf and make it a reference point. If that principle is applied in one case, then it may be applied in other cases, and then there will be no difference between the disputing parties, except with regard to some minor details.
End quote from al-I‘tisaam (1/316-319).
Secondly: 
With regard to calling this a good innovation (bid‘ah hasanah), that is subject to further discussion and it may be one of two things:
The first possibility is that what is meant by innovation here is innovation in the technical shar‘i sense which is criticised in the Qur’an and Sunnah, especially in the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Every innovation is a going astray.” Narrated by Muslim (867). So it is not valid to call it a good innovation, because describing it as good is contrary to the criticism that is proven on the basis of shar‘i evidence.
This is what is implied by the view of those who rejected the division of innovation into bad and good, as Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If anyone thinks that this is an innovation and that it is good, he is wrong on two counts:
Either it is not an innovation, but he thinks that it is, such as if he were to say: The categorisation of the Sunnah into different subject areas is an innovation, but it is a good innovation; or if he were to say: The building of schools is an innovation, but it is a good innovation – and so on.
We say: You are mistaken by calling that an innovation, because the one who does that does not intend to draw closer to Allah by means of the mere action itself; rather he seeks to draw closer to Allah because it is a means of achieving something that is prescribed in Islam. So the categorisation of books, for example, is a means of making the Sunnah and knowledge more accessible. The aim, first and last, is the Sunnah and making it accessible to people, and this categorisation is a means of making it more accessible to them. So it is not an innovation in the technical shar‘i sense, because if you were to ask the author: Is this categorisation of the book into chapters and sections is a means by which you draw closer to Allah, so that you think that the one who differs with you in that is going against sharee‘ah? Or are you drawing closer to Allah, may He be exalted, because it is a means of achieving a shar‘i goal, which is making the Sunnah more accessible to the ummah? He will say: My aim is the latter, not the former.
Based on that, we say: the compilation of books is not an innovation in the technical shar‘i sense.
Likewise, the building of schools for students was not something that was done at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but it is a means of achieving one of the aims of sharee‘ah, which is helping the students so that he can devote his time to seeking knowledge. It is not an act of worship in and of itself, but it is a means.
Hence you will find that people differ with regard to the building of schools: some of them build them in one way, and some build them in another way, and neither group thinks that the other is following innovation just because they did it in a way different from the other school, because each of them believes that it is a means and is not sought in and of itself. Therefore this is not an innovation; rather it is a means of doing something that is prescribed in Islam.
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (4/2)
He (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:
These things, if the doer does them as a means of drawing closer to Allah and as an act of worship, then they constitute innovation and misguidance, but if they are a means of achieving something that is prescribed in Islam, such as categorising knowledge, printing books, and the like, then they are Islamically acceptable.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (17/380)
The second possibility is that what is meant by saying that it is a good innovation is by way of calling newly-introduced practices an innovation in the general linguistic sense of the word. There is nothing wrong with that, as ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “What a good innovation this is.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2010). And many of the fuqaha’ and scholars – such as ash-Shaafa‘i, al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd as-Salaam, an-Nawawi and others – divided innovations into good and bad. Hence al-Haafiz ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whenever any of the early generations described some innovations as good, that referred to innovations in the linguistic sense, not in the shar‘i sense.
End quote from Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hikam (2/128)
Once we understand the above, it becomes clear that the difference is in vocabulary.
Abu Shaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Another thing that is regarded as a good innovation is the compilation of books in all beneficial branches of Islamic knowledge, of various kinds, working out fundamentals and rules, dividing knowledge into main categories, discussing them and teaching them, developing minor categories and assuming different scenarios that never happened before, and coming up with answers to these different scenarios, explaining the Holy Qur’an and Prophetic reports, critically examining isnaad (chain of narration of hadiths) and matn (text of hadith), studying the literature of the Arabs, both prose and poetry, writing down all of that, and basing many branches of knowledge on it, such as grammar, meanings of vocabulary, literature and poetic rhythms. All of that, and whatever is like it, is clearly something good and useful, that helps one to understand the rulings enjoined by Allah, may He be exalted, and to understand the meanings of His Book and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). All of that is enjoined, and there are no shar‘i reservations about that.
End quote from al-Baa‘ith (p. 24)
For more information, please see the following fatwas: 205, 864, and  10262 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
At-Tirmidhi (2002) narrated – and classed the report as saheeh – from Abu’d-Darda’ that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that will weigh more heavily in the balance of the believer on the Day of Resurrection than a good attitude, and verily Allah hates the foulmouthed person who speaks in an offensive manner.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. 
At-Teebi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
The phrase, “and verily Allah hates the foulmouthed person who speaks in an offensive manner” balances the phrase “the heaviest thing that may be placed in the balance”, so as to indicate that the lightest thing that may be placed in the balance is a bad attitude, and that a good attitude is the dearest of things to Allah, and a bad attitude is the most hateful of things, because offensive and foulmouthed talk are the worst thing in the scale of bad manners. 
End quote from Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh (8/3177) 
Ahmad (6735) narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, that he heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Shall I not tell you of the dearest of you to me and the ones who will be seated closest to me on the Day of Resurrection?” The people remained silent, and he repeated it two or three times, then the people said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “The best of you in attitude.” 
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb (2650) 
At-Tirmidhi (2018) narrated – and classed the report as hasan – from Jaabir that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Among the dearest of you to me and those who will be seated closest to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in attitude, and the most hateful of you to me and those who will be seated furthest away from me on the Day of Resurrection are those who talk too much, those who talk down to people in an affected manner, and those who are long winded and pompous.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. 
Al-Bukhaari (6035) and Muslim (2321) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily the best of you are the best of you in attitude.” 
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
This hadith offers encouragement to develop a good attitude and highlights the virtue of the one who has it, for it is a trait of the Prophets and close friends of Allah, may He be exalted. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The definition of a good attitude is to do acts of kindness, refrain from harming others and to show a cheerful countenance. Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad  said:  It means mixing with people in a gentle and cheerful manner, being friendly and compassionate towards them, being forbearing towards them and overlooking their mistakes, being patient with them at times of difficulty, not being arrogant or putting oneself above them, and avoiding harshness, anger and censure. End quote. 
Secondly: 
A good attitude increases faith, whereas a bad attitude decreases faith, but does not invalidate it altogether, because faith increases with acts of obedience and decreases with acts of disobedience. 
Part of perfect faith is a good attitude; the Muslim who has a bad attitude is lacking in faith. 
Abu Dawood (4682) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The most perfect of the believers in faith are the best of them in attitude.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood
Ahmad (20831) narrated that Jaabir ibn Samurah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Obscene words and deeds are not part of Islam; the best of the people in Islam are the best of them in attitude.”
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb (2653) 
This is what indicates that a bad attitude detracts from obligatory faith.
Please see the answer to question no. 10809 for more information on things that detract from faith. 
Thirdly: 
The basic principle is that righteous deeds are not rendered invalid by anything except the ascription of partners to Allah, may He be exalted. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of Faith (i.e. His (Allah’s), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and AlQadar (Divine Preordainments)), then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers” [al-Maa’idah 5:5]. 
One of the main differences between Ahl as -Sunnah and the groups who follow innovation, such as the Khaarijis, Mu‘tazilis and others of that ilk, is that they believe that acts of obedience may be rendered invalid by sin. 
Ahl as-Sunnah, on the other hand, say that major sin does not render righteous deeds invalid, although faith is decreased by sins just as it is increased by acts of obedience. 
However, it is narrated in the texts that there are some sins for which Allah warns of invalidation of good deeds for the one who commits them, but that does not apply to every sin; rather it applies to some specific sins, concerning which this specific warning was narrated. This ruling should be limited to that, and no analogy can be drawn applying it to other sins, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not” [al-Hujuraat 49:2]. 
In the answer to question no. 81874, we explained that sins and innovations invalidate the reward for their counterparts among good deeds, by way of punishment. 
Please see also the answer to question no. 107241
Fourthly: 
The practising Muslim who adheres to Islamic etiquette cannot have a bad attitude; rather a bad attitude only results from going against the teachings of Islam and keeping company with bad people. Worse than that is the failure to try to correct the bad attitude that one has and not accepting the advice of anyone who advises him and calls him to do that. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause – deeds of charity, alms, etc.) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the good-doers).
And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:133-135]. 
Fifthly: 
A bad attitude is very harmful to efforts to call people to Allah (da‘wah), because people will be put off by the one who has a bad attitude and treats people badly; they will reject his advice and will say, “Let him advise himself first!” But people will like the one who has a good attitude and treats them kindly; they will accept his advice and listen to what he says. 
Whoever has a bad attitude will adversely affect da‘wah efforts and will make people think badly of practising Muslims, and will make them think that they do not treat people well, and that will put them off. 
A bad attitude will also lead to bad consequences when dealing with non-Muslims, because a bad attitude will put them off Islam and Muslims. 
So let people fear their Lord, lest their attitude and deeds be a cause of turning people away from the path of Allah or being put off from Islam and Muslims. 
It was narrated that Abu Mas‘ood al-Ansaari said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: I keep away from Fajr prayer because of So and so, because he makes it too long for us. I have never see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) so angry in exhortation as he was that day. He said: “O people, there are among you some who put others off. Whoever among you leads the people in prayer, let him be brief, for among them are the elderly, the weak and those with urgent needs.” 
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (702) and Muslim (466). 
Al-Mannaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
A bad attitude will lead to trouble and evil consequences for the individual and others, because it leads the individual to shame in this world and, in the hereafter, to the Fire. The poet said: 
How many young men have been hindered by a bad attitude, so they ended up blameworthy, with little to be praised for. 
And they said that whoever develops a bad attitude should be forsaken. 
And they said that a bad attitude is indicative of an evil nature and meanness of character. 
And they said that people with bad attitudes could almost be regarded as being among the animals. 
Whoever is blessed with a good attitude, congratulations to him, otherwise he should deal with his bad attitude until it is gone. 
End quote from at-Tayseer (2/121). 
However, we would like to point out the following: 
Many people are unfair towards religious people and they do not view them in a just manner; when they see a small fault in them, they regard it as abhorrent and evil. Rather, even if a religious person does something that is permissible, or seeks some worldly matter that is allowed, they attack him viciously and start gossiping about him. 
If he makes a minor mistake, or falls into something that no human is completely safe from, they go all out and raise a hue and cry. Some people want religious people to be like the Prophets themselves! 
Some of them watch out for the religious person to make a mistake and slip up, so that they can launch a heavy attack on him, and on the religion and the people who adhere to it. Allah, may He be exalted, loves justice and fairness, and enjoins everyone to treat everyone else fairly, no matter who he is. 
Allah enjoins His slaves to regard people and treat them as they would like others to regard and treat them. 
Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (1844) that ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There was no Prophet before me but it was his duty to tell his ummah of the best of what he knew was good for them and warn them about the worst of what he knew was bad for them. The time of peace and security for this ummah has been made in its first era, and its last era will be afflicted with trials and things that you will be confused about. Fitnah (tribulation) will come in waves, one after another. A fitnah will come and the believer will say, ‘This is going to cause my doom.’ Then when it ends, another fitnah will come, and the believer will say, ‘This is the one.’ Whoever would like to be delivered from Hell and enter Paradise, let him die believing in Allaah and the Last Day, and let him treat people as he would like to be treated 
And Allah knows best.