FatwaFederal TerritoriesLegal Theory & Methodology
IRSYAD USUL FIQH SIRI KE-78: BENARKAH ASAL PERKARA BERKAITAN IBADAH ADALAH HARAM?
Is it true that the default ruling for matters of worship is prohibition, and can this principle be used to label practices such as tahlil, maulid and reciting Yasin on Thursday night as innovations?
Short answer
A well-known principle holds that the default in worship is to halt until there is evidence, and this generally applies to acts of worship that are taabudi in nature.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad Usul al-Fiqh
- Topic
- Legal Theory & Methodology
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
A well-known principle holds that the default in worship is to halt until there is evidence, and this generally applies to acts of worship that are taabudi in nature. The principle must not be used to casually label Muslim practices as innovations, and it must be understood through sound Usul Fiqh based on the Quran, Hadith, consensus and analogy. Scholars differ on analogy in worship: the Hanafi school rejects it for the fundamentals of worship, while the Shafii school allows it when its conditions are met, and most scholars accept it in practice. Analogy cannot be applied to taabudi acts, and a rejected innovation is one that contradicts the Shariah or has no general basis in Shariah evidence.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Walau bagaimanapun kaedah ini tidak boleh digunakan untuk bermudah-mudah dalam membidaahkan amalan umat Islam.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD USUL FIQH SIRI KE-78: BENARKAH ASAL PERKARA BERKAITAN IBADAH ADALAH HARAM?”, 5 May 2025. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-usul-fiqh/6228-irsyad-usul-fiqh-siri-ke-78-benarkah-asal-perkara-berkaitan-ibadah-adalah-haram. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/is-default-ruling-in-worship-prohibition/