Some brothers say “Taqabbal Allah (May Allah accept it)” after the end of the prayer, and I know that it is an innovation, but I would like to know more details: why is it an innovation? Who among the scholars said that it is an innovation? Because many of the ignorant, when you tell them that it is an innovation, get upset and say that it is just a du‘aa’ (supplication) asking that Allah accept your prayer!


Praise
be to Allah

Firstly:

The basic principle with regard to rulings on matters of
worship is that they are either Sunnah or bid‘ah (innovation), i.e., they
were either narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) or they were not. Whatever was the practice of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) is Sunnah, and whatever was not part of the
religion at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) and his Companions is not part of the religion for us today.

Abu Dawood (4607) and others narrated that al-‘Irbaad ibn
Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you lives
after I am gone will see great disputes; you must adhere to my Sunnah and
the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Hold on to it and cling fast to it.
And beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an
innovation and every innovation is a going astray.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah describe every deed or word that
is not proven to be from the Sahaabah as an innovation (bid‘ah), because it
were good, they would have done it before us, for they did not leave any
good deed but they hastened to do it. End quote.


Tafseer Ibn Katheer
(7/278-279)

Shaykh al-Fawzaan said:

The innovations that have been introduced in the field of
acts of worship in the current era are many, because the basic principle
concerning acts of worship is tawqeef
[i.e., they can only be known through divine Revelation and
sound texts of Qur’an and hadith, with no room for personal opinion].
So no act of worship can be regarded as Islamically prescribed except on the
basis of evidence. So long as there is no evidence for it, then it is an
innovation, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “Whoever introduces something into this matter of ours that is not
part of it will have it rejected.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2697) and Muslim
(1718).

The acts of worship that are done nowadays, for which there
is no evidence, are many indeed… End quote.


Al-Bid‘ah ‘Anwaa‘uha wa Ahkaamuha,
in Majmoo‘ah Mu’allafaat al-Fawzaan (14/15)

Secondly:

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was
asked:

What is your opinion on shaking hands and saying “Taqabbal
Allah (May Allah accept it)” immediately after finishing the prayer?

He replied:

There is no basis for shaking hands or saying “Taqabbal Allah
(May Allah accept it)” after finishing the prayer; that was not narrated
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or from his
Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). End quote.


Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthameen
(13/171)

He was also asked:

There are some people who add things to the adhkaar following
the prayer, such as when some of them say “Taqabbal Allah (May Allah accept
it)”; or after doing wudoo’ they say “Zamzam.” What do you think?

He replied:

This does not come under the heading of dhikr; rather this is
a kind of du‘aa’, when a person finishes (the prayer) and says “Taqabbal
Allah mink (May Allah accept it from you).” Nevertheless, we do not think
that people should do this, either after wudoo’ or after the prayer, or
after drinking Zamzam water, because if you do such things, it may become
something that people do regularly and think it is prescribed, for lack of
knowledge. End quote.


Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
(13/211)

However, it should be noted that one should be wise and
gentle in explaining such matters, concerning which many people may be
unaware of the implications, because they think that it is simply a du‘aa’
and does not come under the heading of innovation. Part of good etiquette in
such matters is to respond to the other person’s du‘aa’ for you by saying a
du‘aa’ for him, or by saying to him “Jazaak Allahu khayran (may Allah reward
you with good)” and the like, then gently explain to him the Sunnah with
regard to such matters.

At-Tirmidhi (2738) narrated from Naafi‘ that a man sneezed
next to Ibn ‘Umar and said “Al-hamdu Lillah wa as-salaam ‘ala Rasool
Allah (praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah).”

Ibn ‘Umar said: “And I say: Praise be to Allah and peace be
upon the Messenger of Allah, but this is not how the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us; rather he taught us to
say: ‘Al-hamdu Lillah ‘ala kulli haal (Praise be to Allah in all
circumstances).” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani.

See how Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explained
to him that such words were not objectionable in and of themselves; rather
what was objectionable was ignoring the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) and choosing these words instead, or saying them
habitually as if they were Sunnah.

Think about the kindness shown to the one who made the
mistake, and how Ibn ‘Umar softened his heart, whilst pointing out to him
the Sunnah to be followed in this situation.

See also the answer to question no. 1884

And Allah knows best.