Questioner:

Is it permissible to give the greeting to the followers of an innovator if they are fanatical towards him, and is  it permissible to boycott them?

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān:

Firstly it is a must that we define what is an innovation, because many of those who attribute themselves to seeking knowledge now, says to everyone that opposes them in something ‘You are an innovator…’ This is because they don’t know what an innovation is, so it necessary to define what an innovation is. Since many of those who attribute themselves to seeking knowledge now make things to be innovations that are not innovations, and everyone who opposes them in something, they say ‘You are an innovator…’ This is not correct and neither is this permissible.

An innovation is something that is introduced into the religion that isn’t from it. Just as the Prophet ﷺ said, “He who introduces something in this matter of ours [religion] that is not of it will have it rejected” and “He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected.” So an innovation is something that is introduced into the religion as worship, and there isn’t any evidence from the Qurʿān and Sunnah for it. This is an innovation. So whoever is as so, then he is an innovator.

It is obligatory to advise an innovator, and to call him to Allah ﷻ, to remind him of the fear Allah ﷻ. If he is confused or in doubt, the truth is clarified to him. If something isn’t clear to him, the truth is clarified to him, and the evidences are shown to him. If he persists after that, then he becomes an innovator. It is obligatory to boycott him, to warn against him, stay away from him, and everyone who agrees with him in his innovation and becomes his followers, and do not accept advice or leave him, they too are boycotted like him.

Since whoever agrees with the innovator and is pleased with his innovation, is an innovator like him. So he is boycotted just as the innovator is boycotted.