Reasons for the spread of Bid'ah Back to Main
Not applying the Shari'ah of Allah, and being content with
other than it. Allah says: Oh you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the
Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) and those of you (Muslims)
who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything
amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is
better and more suitable for final determination. (4:59)
*Not applying the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and abandoning
it. The more a person strays away from the observance of
Sunnah practices, the closer he would be to the Bid'ah. The
Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is rich with his actions, statements
and approvals. There is no need for a person to resort to
applying Bid'ah practices. The Prophet ﷺ said:
'I have indeed left two things with which you will not go
astray; the Book of Allah, and My Sunnah; they will not
part until I meet them at the Hawd.' (Haakim #319)
*Not applying or pondering the meanings of the Qur'an, and
using it as a means of attaining blessings; and abandoning the
remembrance of Allah, and not wanting to educate oneself in
matters of Deen. Allah, the Exalted, says: And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the
remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this
Qur'an and worship of Allah) We appoint for him
Shaitan (Satan - devil) to be a qarin (an intimate
companion) to him. (43:36)
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________
33 Rejecting the truth, and not accepting it, Allah says:And when it is said to him, "Fear Allah", he is led by
arrogance to (more) crime. So enough for him is Hell, and
worst indeed is that place to rest! (2:206)
*Appointing pseudo-scholars. The Prophet ﷺ said:
'Allah does not remove knowledge by snatching it from his
slaves. He does so, by collecting scholars (by death) until
when no scholar is left, people will take for themselves
ignorant leaders who will be consulted, and they will issue
Fatawa (religious verdicts) without knowledge, and will
misguide people and they themselves will be misguided.'
(Bukhari #100)
*Seeking knowledge from books alone and not attending the
sessions of scholars. It has been said: 'Whoever's 'Sheik' is his
book (i.e. he depends solely on books to gain knowledge) his
errors would be more than his accuracies.
One should abstain from reading books which raise doubtful
points. Umar b. al-Khattaab, with whom Allah is pleased, was
reading a letter which he had received from some of the
People of the Book, and the Prophet ﷺ was angry and said:
'Are you uncertain about it (i.e. the Deen) O son of
Khattaab? By the One in Whose hand is my life, I have
brought to you the Shari'ah which is clear-cut and chaste.
Do not ask them about anything; for they may inform you
with the truth and you would disbelieve it, or they would
inform you with falsehood and you would believe it. By
the One in Whose hand is my life, were Musa عليه السلام alive he
would have no choice but to follow me.' (Ahmed #15195) ___________________________________________________
34 Not spreading sound knowledge; such that the scholars
would remain aloof from people, silent and not convey the
knowledge that they have. Allah, the Exalted, says:
Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences
and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We
have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are
the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers.
Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and
openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These, I
will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who
accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. (2:159-160)
*Extremism and fanaticism in Deen. This is one of the
reasons why Bid'ah and Shirk (polytheism) spread among
people. The Prophet ﷺ said:
'Beware of extremism in Deen, for indeed those before you
were destroyed due to their extremism in Deen.' (Ibn
Hibban #3871)
*Depending on the intellect to deduce rulings in matters of
Deen. Allah, the Exalted says: It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and
His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should
have any reservation in their decision. And whoever
disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed
strayed in a plain error. (33:36)
*Following one's whims and desires, Allah says: Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain
desires) as his ilah (god) and Allah knowing (him as
such) left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his
heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide
him after Allah? Will you not then remember? (45:23)
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________
35 Blindly following men's opinions and imitating people in
matters of Deen, while this is not based on knowledge and
proper guidance, and not referring these issues to the Book of
Allah, and the Sunnah of his Prophet ﷺ. Allah says: When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent
down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found
our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even
though their fathers did not understand anything nor
were they guided? (2:170)
*Befriending evil people and keeping evil company. Allah
says: And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite
at his hands, and he will say: "Oh! Would that I had
taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ). "Ah!
Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a
friend! "He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this
Qur'an) after it had come to me. And Shaitan (Satan) is
ever a deserter to man in the hour of need. (25:27-29)
*Not ordering with the good and forbidding evil. Allah says: Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to
all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic
Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and
forbidding Al-munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all
that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the
successful. (3:104)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
'No Prophet was commissioned among previous nations
except that he had helpers and aids, and companions who
would apply that Prophet's Sunnah. After them came a
people whose statements were contrary to their actions,
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________
36
and whose actions were contrary to their commands. So
whoever fights them with his hands, he is a believer, and
whoever fights them with his tongue, he is a believer, and
whoever fights them with his heart, he is a believer, and
there is no Iman beyond that.' (Muslim #50)
*Following dubious texts in the Shari'ah, which the general
public does not understand. Allah says: It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad ﷺ) the
Book (this Qur'an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear,
they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the
Verses of al-ahkam (commandments, etc.), al-fara'id
(obligatory duties) and al-hudud (legal laws for the
punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not
entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a
deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not
entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and
trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but
none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those
who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe
in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from
our Rubb." And none receive admonition except men of
understanding. (3:7)
*Leniency in the issue of al-Wala and al-Bara (loving and
hating for the sake of Allah). It includes loving the enemies of
Allah for this love would lead to emulating them. Abu Waqid
al-Laithi, with whom Allah is pleased, said:
'When the Prophet ﷺ conquered Makkah, we went out
with him (before the battle with the tribe of Hawazin) until
we passed by a lote-tree called 'Dhat Anwaat' which the
unbelievers were beseeching and calling upon. We said: 'O
Messenger of Allah, assign for us 'Dhat Anwaat' as they
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________
37
have! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Allah is the
Greatest! The Children of Israel asked Musa, 'Assign for us
a god similar to theirs! Indeed you are a people who know
not.' Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah said: 'Indeed
you will emulate and follow those before you.' (Ibn Hibban
#6702)
*Exerting effort to reach a ruling or conclusion in issues
which do not require such, and deducing issues from textual
proofs which are not relevant. It should also be known that
there are Hadeeth which are not authentic, as there are
fabricated traditions, which one should be aware of and
should not spread around, nor use as proof in any issue.
There are also the weak Hadeeth. Some scholars legalized
using these Hadeeth to encourage people to do virtuous deeds,
as long as these Hadeeth do not contradict authentic Hadeeth.
But these weak Hadeeth cannot be used in establishing acts of
worship. Acts of worship are established through authentic
Hadeeth which have been authentically narrated from the
Prophet ﷺ.
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