[19].Surah Maryam [Mary] : Ayat 42

Ayat 42. When he said to his father: "O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything?

[Tafseer] The reference to Abraham [PBUH] here is in relation to his tender solicitude for his father, who had not received the light of Unity, and to whom Abraham [PBUH] wanted to be a guide and friend. (When he said unto his father) Azar: (O my father! Why worship pest thou) beside Allah (that which hearth not) when called upon (nor seeth) when you worship it, (nor can in aught avail thee) from Allah's chastisement? 

Hazrat Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "If anyone introduces or does something contrary to our way (i.e., Islam) which does not belong to it, will be rejected".  The narration in Muslim says: "If anybody introduces a practice which is not authenticated by me, it is to be rejected".

[Muslim Book 18, Chapter 06, Hadith # 4266]

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Maryam Ayat 42."Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not" This Hadith lays down a very important principle. Unfortunately, Muslims have not attached any importance to this Hadith and the principle given in it with the result that innovations in the Deen have become so common that they have been taken for true Deen; our people act upon them and are made to practice them. One reason for this is their lack of education and ignorance about Deen. The second reason is their lack of understanding of the principle prescribed in this Hadith although it is stated in very explicit terms. The principle that we learn from this Hadith is that every such action or activity is innovation which is done as a virtue and to gain the Pleasure of Allah but is not consonant with the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, or which does not agree with the interpretation of the Nuss (text) given by the Companions of the Prophet [SAWW](PBUH) or their successors (Tabi'un). The reason being that the period of the Companions and the Tabi'un is the Khair-ul-Qurun (the best of all generations). Thus any action or activity that is deprived of the support of these generations falls in the category of heresies.