Understanding the Evil of Innovation (Bidah)

Praise be to Allah to Whom belongs all power and might, and to Whom is due all thanks. He it is Who has revealed the religion of Islaam for mankind in the final, perfect and complete form in the Qur?aan and the Sunnah upon His last Messenger Muhammad, upon whom be the peace and blessings of Allaah, and He it is Who has preserved it in the incorruptible Qur?aan and the authentic ahadeeth. May He guide us against the evil that is within us and the evil that is outside us and protect us from the temptations of shaitaan who watch us from positions we cannot tell and assault us with all that is at his disposal. May He affirm out feet in the path trodden by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions, and help us against the wretched distorters of the Deen who foist their own invented practices upon the people as if Allaah had required it of them to do so, and grant us victory against His enemies from among the unbelievers and their allies the hypocrites, ameen.