The hadith deals with the issue of evil deeds and innovation in Religion.
Hadith 3 of Nawawi: On the authority of the mother of the faithful, ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
He who innovates something in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not of it will have it rejected [by Allah].
[Bukhari & Muslim]
In one version by Muslim, it’s narrated that:
He who does an act which we have not commanded will have it rejected [by Allah].
Why Islam Reject Evil Deeds and Innovations?
Commentary by Ibn Daqiq Al-Id’s.
This hadith is among the many hadiths that encompass the entirety of Islam as scholars of Iman explained.
The hadith outlined that ‘verily actions are by intention…’ which means the internal aspect of practising Islam.
And it teaches us to do everything with the intention of pleasing Allah (SWT). Also and by purifying our intentions we accomplish a great deal in our religion.
What Scholars Says About The Acceptance Of Ibadah
Scholars say, for an Ibadah (worship) to be accepted there are two conditions:
The intention – the action should be done with sincerity, for the sake of only Allah.
It should be done in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH)
Ibn Rajab in his commentary on the 40 Hadith of Nawawi said, “that which has no basis or that which is not from it,” implies that every single one of our actions and deeds should be aligned with the guidelines of Islam.