بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

Let us look at the famous haeeth of 'Erbaadh ibn Saariyah. He stated:

وَعَظَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ,صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ,مَوْعِظَةً بَلِيغَةً ذَرَفَتْ مِنْهَا الْعُيُونُ وَوَجِلَتْ مِنْهَا الْقُلُوبُ

“Verily, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallama, delivered a sermon that caused our hearts to tremble and caused our eyes to cry.”

And he was referring to the last and famous speech of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam. The people could sense something with this speech; they felt it was a "farewell" type of speech.

'Erbaadh ibn Saariyah continues:

فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَأَنَّ هَذِهِ مَوْعِظَةُ مُوَدِّعٍ فَمَاذَا تَعْهَدُ إِلَيْنَا؟

“Someone said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, that speech seems like a farewell type of speech, so what is your legacy for us?’”

So feeling that this was a farewell speech, they asked for a final advice, a final will and testament, so to speak.

Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallama, accepted the request and gave a final, comprehensive statement:

أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَبْدًا حَبَشِيًّا

“I advise you with the fear of Allaah, and with listening, and with obedience, (meaning to the rules), even if an Abyssinian slave becomes your ruler.”

مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ بَعْدِي فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا

"He who lives long amongst you after me will see a lot of differing."

فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي

"So I command you (I put it upon you, the obligation is upon you) to turn back to my Sunnah."

فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ

"So upon you is to take it back to my sunnah, AND also, the Sunnah (the practice) of the rightly guided Khalifas after me."

فَتَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ

"Hold on fast to it [the Sunnah], cling onto it, bite onto it with your molar teeth."

وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ

“And I caution you (I warn you) against newly invented matters."

فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ

"Be careful because every new affair in the religion is an innovation and every innovation is a misguidance."

So brothers and sisters, look at this hadeeth. The prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallama, when asked about a final advice, chose to WARN his ummah about a phenomena that did not occur in his time: ikhtilaaf (differences). It did not occur because he was there and the door of ikhtilaaf wasn't open.

So he warned of this fitnah that was coming. Then he gave the solution: follow his sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided khalifas after him.

Finally, he spoke of the DISEASE that would cause said ikhtilaaf: newly invented matters in the deen (innovations). And he subsequently gave an admonishment about innovations.

Additionally, as mentioned elsewhere, the Prophet, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallama, made very strong statements against innovations. He said in a famous hadeeth:

مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هذا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٍّ

“Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not from it shall have it rejected.” Recorded by Bukhaari and Muslim.

And in another narration:

مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٍّ

“Whoever does an act that is not in accordance with our matter will have it rejected.” Recorded by Muslim.

And he would often REPEAT this when giving a khutbah.

The POINT is, talking about and WARNING against innovations was HIS SUNNAH. He talked about the VIRUS of innovations OFTEN, so as to protect the Ummah from the coming disease.

This is analogous to openly talking about HIV in 3rd world countries where it is spreading like wildfire. So the authorities pass out pamphlets and other literature with the hopes of educating the masses of HIV, thereby hoping to suppress a massive outbreak.

Coming back to Islaam and the VIRUS of innovations, this is precisely the METHODOLOGY of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.

The question becomes:

IF, and perhaps this is the key word, but IF someone is aware of these authentic statements of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam:

1. How can they state, "what a waste of time and energy" when it comes to DEFENDING... this deen against those who try to disparage the Sunnah? Especially, how can this audacious position be taken in the light of SO MANY HADEETH showing that this was the SUNNAH of Muhammad himself, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam?
   
2. Where does this mentality come from? I'm just curious as to your opinions.

I've already summarized mine thoughts on this. I believe this mentality, or indoctrination, stems from those who themselves involve in all kinds of innovations and, as such, have a hatred for those who come forward with these authentic statements of our beloved Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam. So they work to disparage anyone who comes forward with these authentic narrations and then their ideologies and propoganda easily spread to the uneducated but even, unfortunately, to the educated. Those are my thoughts.

But perhaps there's something else that others can share.