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Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
1	Terminology	2
2	Introduction	3
3	Is the Deen of Islam complete?	11
4	The ruling of adding something to the Deen	13
5	What is Bid'ah?	16
6	Categories of Bid'ah	18
7	Religious innovations	19
8	Stance of Shari'ah regarding religious innovations	22
9	Statements of scholars who condemned Bid'ah	25
10	Proofs used by some to support their Bid’ah	27
11	Our stance from people of Bid'ah	30
12	Reasons for the spread of Bid'ah	32
13	Conditions for the acceptance of Good deeds	38
14	Dangers of Bid'ah	40
15	Warning and Admonition	42
16	Glossary	45

Glossary                          Back to Main

1. Aqeedah: Creed.
2. Bid'ah: An innovation or novelty; in this book it refers to religious innovations.
3. Dinar & Dirham: A type of money.
4. Fareedah: An obligatory act of worship.
5. Fitnah: Trial, strife and tribulation.
6. Hadeeth: Prophetic Tradition.
7. Hawd: The Pool which Allah, the Exalted, has granted our Prophet  on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever drinks from it once, would never feel thirsty again.
 8. Hudood: Castigatory punishments in Islam.
 9. Hukm: Ruling.
10. Ijtihaad: In general, it is the exertion of effort. In this book it refers to exertion of one's effort to reach a ruling in an issue.
11. I'tikaaf: In general, it refers to seclusion. I'tikaaf is an act of worship whereby the person secludes himself in the Masjid and worships Allah.
12. Iman: Belief.
13. Jannah: This is the Heavenly Abode or Heavenly Gardens which Allah grants the pious slaves in the Hereafter. It is mistranslated as 'Paradise'.
14. Kufr: Disbelief.
15. Nafl: Supererogatory acts of worship.
16. Shaitan: Satan.
17. Shari'ah: Islamic Jurisprudential Law.
18. Shirk: Associating partners with Allah.
19. Sunnah: Has more than one meaning. It may refer to:
a. Prophetic Traditions. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
b. Rulings; i.e. it would then mean that the act is endorsed by the Sunnah.
20. Taraweeh: Night prayers, which are prayed during Ramadhan.
21. Taqwah: Piety.
22. Ummah: Nation.
23. Wali: The pious, god-fearing, upright Muslim, who is mindful of Allah, observes acts of worship, and abstains from the unlawful

Warning and Admonition                Back to Main

Abdullah ibn ad-Dailami said: 'It has reached me that the Deen would fragment and become lost by abandoning the Sunnah. People would abandon Sunnah practice after Sunnah practice, just as a rope would become weaker and weaker.' (Ad-Darimi #98) Each one of us should adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and try his best to disseminate it amongst people and to apply it. Goodness can only be anticipated when one applies the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ whether the Sunnah be an utterance or action, and when he casts aside all innovated acts in the Deen of Allah. It is also a must upon each of us, if he hears something which opposes the Shari'ah to give sincere counseling and advice, and clarify it so that he can have the great honor of defending the Deen of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Convey from me even one ayat (verse) and there is no sin upon you if you relate the stories of the Children of Israel; and whoever forges a lie against me, let him assure his seat in the Hell.' (Bukhari #3274) Eliminating Bid'ah is a collective duty upon the community. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever of you sees a wrong, let him change it with his hand, but if he cannot then let him do so by his tongue, but if he cannot then let him abhor it in his heart, and that is the weakest branch of Iman.' (Muslim #49) A person should give Da'wah and call to the path of Allah as mentioned in the words of Allah: Invite to the way of your Rubb with wisdom and fair preaching and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Rubb knows best who has gone astray from Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________ 43 His path, and He is fully aware of those who are guided. (16:125) Religious matters should not be taken for granted from every preacher and person who claims to have knowledge and understanding. The Deen should be taken from those who are trustworthy in their Deen, knowledge and piety. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. The Prophets did not leave behind a Dinar or Dirham, rather they left behind knowledge, so whoever takes it and learns it, would have taken a grand, hefty share.' (Ibn Hibban #88) We should be mindful of the words of the Prophet ﷺ: 'Whoever calls to guidance, he would receive reward equal to the rewards of those who followed him, while their rewards would not be decreased. And whoever calls to a misguidance, he would receive sin equal to the sins of those who followed him, while their sins would not be decreased.' (Muslim # 2674) Also whoever guides people to an evil -Bid'ah is a type of evil- he would receive its sin and the sin of those who follow it. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Indeed the most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of matters are the innovated ones, and every innovation (in the Deen) is a misguidance and every misguidance would lead to Hell.' (Ibn Khuzaimah #1785) As mentioned above, danger and seriousness of innovating matters in the Deen of Allah is apparent, so whoever wants to practice an action, he should take note as to whether this action is endorsed by the Shari'ah. If it is, then he should put it Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance into practice and guide people to it; but if it belies the Shari'ah then he should abandon that action and warn people against it. 

Dangers of Bid'ah                           Back to Main

 There is immense danger in observing acts of Bid'ah; the enemies of Islam would attack Islam and Muslims through it. So every Muslim should be cautious so that he would not be used as a tool to harm the Deen or Muslims in any manner. Furthermore, a Muslim should not cover up or hide a man of Bid'ah. The enemies of Islam have been able to divide the Muslims with these devious acts of Bid'ah. Whenever an act of Bid'ah becomes widespread, an act of Sunnah would be abandoned by people…eventually the observance of Bid'ah practices would lead to one's abandonment of the Deen of Allah! The Prophet ﷺ said: 'My Ummah will be divided into seventy three sects, the sect with the most adherents would be a sect whose people give precedence to their intellects and draw analogies to claim the lawful unlawful and the unlawful lawful.' (Haakim #8325) Therefore a person should make sure that all acts of worship he wants to observe do not belie the Shari'ah. Whatever is congruent with it should be accepted; and whatever is not should be rejected. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'I have left with you two things…you would not go astray on account of them. The Book of Allah and my Sunnah, they would not part until they gather with me at my Hawd on the Day of Resurrection.' (Haakim #319) In order for a person to safeguard himself he should refrain from doing whatever belies the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance __________________________________ 41 The Prophet ﷺ said: 'To forge a lie against me is not like forging a lie against anyone else; whoever forges a lie against me, let him assure his seat in Hell.' (Muslim # 4) Whoever wants to be successful, and hopes for the reward of Allah, he should follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah, the Exalted, says: Say, if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, and indeed Allah is all forgiving and merciful. (3:31) A person should not emulate or follow any other individual for they are not infallible; they make mistakes, and have worldly desires and may follow their whims

                                                         Back to Main
Conditions for the Acceptance of Good Deeds The deeds of slaves will not be accepted unless two conditions are met: 1st Condition: Sincerity, i.e. the deeds must be done sincerely for the sake of Allah. Allah says: And they were commanded not but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him) and perform As-Salat and give Zakat: and that is the right Deen. (98:5) Allah, the Exalted, says in the Hadeeth Qudsi15F 16: ‘I have no need for partners. Whoever does a deed while associating partners with Me, I would leave him and his Shirk.' (Muslim #2985) 2nd Condition: To follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ; i.e. to observe the act of worship the way he did. This condition would not be correct unless six things are considered: a. Reason for the act of worship: If a person worships Allah for a certain reason which is not recognized in the Shari'ah, his action would be considered as a rejected Bid'ah. Example: Some people observe certain acts of worship during the 27th night of Rajab. They claim that the Prophet ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey in this night. Night prayer is a valid act of worship, but the reason it is initiated during this night is not acknowledged in Shari'ah. With this point, one can clearly differentiate between Bid'ah and Sunnah acts. b. Its type: The act of worship should agree with the Shari'ah in its type. If a person worships Allah by an act of worship 16 Hadeeth Qudsi: Its meaning is from Allah, whereas its words are from the Prophet ﷺ. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________ 39 which is not acknowledged in the Shari'ah it would not be acceptable. Example: If a person slaughters a horse as a sacrificial animal during the month of Dhul-Hijjah (12th month in the Islamic calendar). This person's sacrificial animal would not be accepted because he belied the Shari'ah in this point, since sacrificial animals can only be a camel, cattle, goat or sheep. c. Its steps: If a person wants to perform a prayer while considering it an obligatory prayer, it would not be accepted since the obligatory prayers are known in the Shari'ah. Likewise, if a person prays Dhuhr prayer five units, his prayer would not be accepted. d. Its method: If a person makes wudhu and washes his feet first and then wipes his head, we say that his wudhu is null and void, since one must make wudhu in sequence. e. Its time: If a person sacrifices his sacrificial animal in the first days of Dhul-Hijjah his sacrifice would not be accepted since he did not do it in the appropriate time. f. Its place: If a person makes I'tikaaf in other than a Masjid, his I'tikaaf would not be correct since it should be done in a Masjid.16F 17 

( 17 Al-Ibdaa' fi Kamaal ash-Shar' for Sheik Muhammad b. Uthaimin.)  

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. 

Our Stance from People of Bid'ah     Back to Main

Allah, the Exalted, says: Say (O Muhammad) to these idolaters: follow what has been sent down unto you from your Rubb, and follow not any Auliya' (protectors and helpers, etc.) besides Him. (7:3) The man of Bid’ah The person of Bid'ah can be categorized according to the Bid'ah practice which he observes into one of two categories: 1st category: The one who observes an innovation or devious practice due to his ignorance, and it has not spread amongst people. This person should be taught and the truth made clear to him that his actions and deeds oppose the Shari'ah. 2nd category: The one who observes an innovation or devious practice because he is following his whims and desires. This person should be reminded of the stern punishment of Allah, and the truth should be made clear to him in a wise and appropriate manner. If he refuses to accept the truth, and adamantly persists and chooses to practice his Bid'ah; people should be cautioned and warned about this man and his devious Bid'ah practices, so that they would avoid it. The act of Bid’ah The Bid'ah practice itself may reach the level of kufr; in the case where it does reach the level of Kufr (disbelief), then it is a must upon people to boycott that person after he has been given sincere advice and has refused to accept it. If the Bid'ah practice is not tantamount to Kufr and boycotting him would cause him to return to the Sunnah he should be boycotted. But if doing so would not benefit then he Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance should not be boycotted, since boycotting him would cause him to stray farther from the Sunnah. He should be given sincere counseling and advice in a wise and beautiful manner. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'It is not lawful for a Muslim to boycott his brother for more than three days.' (Bukhari #5718) The Pious Predecessors, with whom Allah is pleased, would clarify and refute every Bid'ah in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is not a duty confined to the scholars alone; rather it is a duty upon every Muslim who witnesses an innovation in the Deen of Allah, which has no basis in the Shari'ah. If the individual can clarify the truth, he should do so, otherwise he should refer the matter to the scholars, who would clarify this matter to the people, and eliminate the 'proofs' used by the people of bid'ah to support their innovations.