Assalamu Alikum, I am writing an article on bid"ah and wanted to know if this hadith is saheeh or not but I need to know in a few days please. The hadith is that the Prophet SAWS said: “Allah does not accept the repentance of an innovator until he abandons his innovation” (Narrated by At-Tabaraani & Bayhaqi). Is it saheeh and is there a commentary? Jazakum Allahukheirun.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

This Prophetic narration is authentic and it is classified as such by Al-Albaani in his book ‘Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb’. The meaning of this narration is that Allaah does not accept the repentance of an innovator until he abandons his innovation. Imaam Ahmad was asked about this narration and he replied: “An innovator will not be enabled or facilitated to repent.”

Ibn Taymiyyah commented on the above statement saying that since the innovator believes in his innovation that it is an act of worship by which he gets closer to Allaah, then this makes him unwilling to look at the evidence of the people who have a different opinion from him, so he will not know the truth. He (Ibn Taymiyyah) said: “It is for this reason that innovation is more beloved to the devil than an act of disobedience, because a person who commits an act of disobedience seeks to repent while an innovator does not seek to repent (because of believing that he gets closer to Allaah with his innovation).”

Therefore, this Prophetic narration proves the seriousness of innovation and that the innovator may face a bad fate.

Allaah Knows best.