What is Bid'ah? Categories of Bid'ah Back to Main
What is Bid'ah? In order to understand the meaning of Bid'ah, we must know what Sunnah implies. Imam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Sunnah is a followed path; it includes what the Prophet and his rightly-guided Caliphs adhered to from creedal beliefs, observance of practices, and sayings…this is the complete Sunnah.'3F 4 Observing and adhering to the Sunnah, whether in creedal beliefs, actions or sayings is incumbent, Allah says: Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. (33:21) The Prophet also stressed the importance of observing his Sunnah. He said: 'I advise you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave has authority over you, for indeed those of you who live shall witness many differences, so adhere to my Sunnah, and to the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs who come after me. Adhere strictly to it. Bite on it with your molars. Beware of innovations. Every (religious) innovation is a deviation and every deviation leads to Hell-Fire.' (Ibn Hibban #5) Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:4F 5 Muhammad was sent to man and Jinn at large, to clarify matters that pertain to Deen, such as creedal beliefs, aims of Shari'ah and the like. No Aqeedah (creedal belief) would be 4 Jami' al-Uloom wal-Hikam 1/120. 5 Fatawa al-Kubra pg. 178-179 Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 17 accepted except his Aqeedah, and no Shari'ah would be accepted, except his Shari'ah. No one would attain nearness to Allah, His pleasure, and Jannah, except by submitting and completely following him in his sayings, actions, and creedal beliefs, while believing in matters that pertain to the unseen world, and observing acts of worship and abstaining from sinful acts.' Allah, the Exalted, says: No doubt! Verily, the auliya' of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)] no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. (10:62) Allah, the Exalted, says: O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious).] Verily, Allah is AllKnowing, All- Aware. (49:13) Taqwa (i.e. piety) is achieved when man observes acts of worship, in accordance to the Sunnah, while hoping for the reward of Allah, and renounces disobedience to Allah in accordance to the Sunnah, and is fearful of Allah's punishment. A Wali (pious person) would not attain nearness to Allah unless he observes the Fard (compulsory) acts and duties, and also observes the Nafl (supererogatory) acts. Allah says: 'The most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 18 slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (supererogatory acts) till I love him…' (Bukhari) Bid'ah: (linguistically) refers to an innovation, novelty; anything originated, or innovated which did not exist before. Allah, the Exalted, says: The Badee'5F 6 of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: "Be!" - And it is. (2:117) Sheik Abdurrahmaan as-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said: '(Ba'dee) i.e. its Originator and Creator, such that He created them perfectly.'6F 7 Allah also says: Say (O Muhammad): "I am no new Messenger.” (46:9) Meaning: I am not the first who came with a message from Allah to mankind; rather, I am preceded by many Messengers. And when it is said, ‘So and so innovated a bid’ah’, it means that he has initiated a method preceded by none before. 'Bid'ah can be categorized into two categories: 1st Category: Religious Bid'ah (innovation). This includes innovations in the Deen of Allah, which belie the guidance of our Prophet and the path of the Pious Predecessors, whether it concerns creedal issues, or acts of worship. This type of Bid'ah is deemed unlawful by Qur'anic texts. Allah says: And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad ) after the right path has been shown 6 Taken from the root word abda'a, i.e. to originate. 7 Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahman fi Tafseer Kalam al-Mannaan for Sheik asSa'di, may Allah have mercy on him; pg. 725. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 19 clearly to him and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination! (4:115) The Prophet said: 'All of my Ummah would enter Jannah, except him who refuses to enter it.' It was said: 'Who would refuse to enter it?' He said: 'Whoever obeys me would enter Jannah, and whoever disobeys me has refused to enter it.' (Bukhari #6851) Sheik Islam b. Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'That is why Allah, the Exalted, has ordered us to say in each prayer: 'O Allah guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the path) of those who earned Your Anger nor of those who went astray. Those who earned the anger of Allah are the ones who know the truth and oppose it, and those who went astray are those who worship Allah without knowledge, while knowing that it opposes the Book of Allah and the Sunnah.'7F 8 Religious Innovations can be categorized into three categories: a. Bid'ah which is tantamount to disbelief, which would take one out of the folds of Islam; such Bid'ah pertains to creedal issues, such as one who offers sacrificial animals to other than Allah, and one who circumambulates a grave, and one who beseeches and seeks help of other than Allah in matters that they cannot help. Allah says: Say (O Muhammad): "Verily, my Salah (Prayer) my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Rubb of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). (6:162) 8 Fatawa al-Kubra pg. 194
The ruling of adding something to the Deen
Back to Main
The ruling of adding something to the Deen which is not legalized by Allah or the Prophet of Allah, the Exalted, says: Yes, but whoever submits himself to Allah and he is a muhsin (good-doer) then his reward is with his Rubb (Allah) on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:112) This means the one who sincerely observes practices for the sake of Allah, and does them in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ…they alone are the ones who would enter Jannah (Heavenly Gardens).1F 2 Imam Ahmed, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Masood, with whom Allah is pleased, that he said: 'The Prophet ﷺ drew a line, and then said: "This is the Path of Allah" and then he drew small lines on the right and left of this line, and he said: "These are paths, upon each path there is a Shaitan calling people." He then recited the words of Allah: And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will lead you from His Path. This He has ordained for you so that you may become al-muttaqun (the pious). (Ibn Hibban #6) The Prophet also 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 (religious) innovation is a Bid'ah, and every Bid'ah is a means of deviation, and every deviation would lead to the Fire.' (Ibn Khuzaimah #1785) 2 Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahman fi Tafseer Kalam al-Mannaan for Sheik asSa'di, may Allah have mercy on him. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
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14
The danger and seriousness of talking without knowledge in
religious matters is very clear from the Qur'anic verses and
Prophetic Traditions. Allah, the Exalted, says:
And (all) the Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do. (7:180)
Allah, the Exalted, also says: And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned. (17:36)
Allah, the Exalted, also says: Or have they partners with Allah (false gods) who have instituted for them a Deen which Allah has not allowed. (42:21)
Whoever innovates a religious rite or practice in the Deen of Allah, while legalizing something illegal in Islam, or illegalizing something legal, he would become a disbeliever if he does not repent, as reported in the Hadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ in which he explained the words of Allah: They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their god besides Allah. (9:31)
He said: 'Even though they did not worship them (openly) but they would deem lawful whatever their rabbis and monks made lawful, and deem unlawful whatever their rabbis and monks deemed unlawful.' (Tirmidhi:3095)
This stern warning encompasses those who follow them in proclaiming things as lawful or unlawful when they are not. Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
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15
The scholar, Sheik Abdurrahman as-Sa'di, may Allah have
mercy on him, said: 'They (i.e. rabbis and monks) would
legalize for their people laws and verbal statements which
belie the Deen of the Messengers, and people would follow
them. They would aggrandize their Sheiks, and pious people;
such that they would take them as gods besides Allah; people
would offer sacrificial animals, beseech and supplicate them.'
Is the Deen of Islam Complete? Back to Main
It is known by necessity that the Deen of Islam is complete,
as Allah, the Exalted, says:
This day, I have perfected your Deen for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen. (4:3)
It addresses every issue that concerns man in this life and in the Hereafter, Allah says:
And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur'an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims). (16:89)
Whatever aspect of Shari'ah that has not been clarified in the first source of Islamic Law, which is the Qur'an, has been clarified in the second source of Islamic Law, which is the Sunnah. The Sunnah includes the Prophet's utterances, actions and approvals provided that it has been narrated to us with a sound chain of narration.
Allah says: And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the reminder and the advice (the Qur'an) that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought. (16:44) The Prophet ﷺ clarified and showed his Ummah every good and warned them from every evil. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'There was no Prophet before me, except that it was incumbent upon him, to clarify to his Ummah the good that he knew of, and warn them from the evil that he knew of.' (Muslim) Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
__________________________________ 12 Whoever believes other than that would certainly have disbelieved in the text of the Qur'an which was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. The innovator in Deen believes that the Deen of Allah is incomplete, and indirectly he is saying that he is completing the Deen of Allah with his innovation! The innovator in Deen would in effect be blaming the Prophet ﷺ for treachery because he did not convey the Message which he was charged with. He would be indirectly saying: 'Islam is in need of this innovation, which the Prophet was aloof of, therefore, I will complete the Deen with this innovation!' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'I have left you on a clear path, its night is like its day, and no one would stray from it except a person who would be destructed.' (Hakim)
Introduction Back to Main All praise is due to Allah, Whose aid we implore, and Whose forgiveness, guidance, and protection against our own evil and sinful acts we seek. He whom Allah guides aright, none can lead astray; and whom He leads astray, none can guide aright. I testify that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah alone Who has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad ﷺ is the slave of Allah, and His Messenger. May Allah exalt his mention and render him and his household, his Companions, and those who follow their way safe from every evil, and grant them security on the Day of Resurrection. Matters pertaining to Deen must be accepted without the slightest doubt. Allah, the Exalted, says: ﷺAnd whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it) and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is severe in punishment. (59:7) One must follow the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ in these matters, and should not make 'ijtihaad' (i.e. to exert his effort to reach a ruling) in an issue that does not allow such. Allah, the Exalted, says: Say, "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you, and forgive your sins. And Allah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful. (3:31) One of the nullifiers of Iman (Faith) as stated by the Prophet ﷺ is not following his guidance. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'None of you will believe, until his desires are in accordance with what I have been sent with.' (Baihaqi) Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
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The Muslim is required to abstain from falsely alleging an
issue or matter as being part of the Deen; for this would indeed
lead one astray, and eventually lead him to Hell. The Prophet
said:
'Whoever innovates a matter in the Deen which is not from
it, it would be rejected.' (Bukhari #2550)
Many who claim to be Muslims do acts of worship which
contradict the teachings of Islam, or they practice certain
innovated rites which have no basis in the Deen of Allah; they
follow their whims and desires. They are condemned by the
words of Allah, the Exalted:
Have you (O Muhammad) seen him who has taken as
his ilah (god) his own desire? Would you then be a wakil
(a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him? (25:43)
Were the danger of practicing these innovated rites isolated
to the individual practicing them alone, the matter would be
less dangerous, even though we do not acknowledge it. But in
reality, innovated practices negatively influence the general
assembly of Muslims, such that some would approve and
agree with the innovation ignorantly, or sympathize with the
one who practices it.
Innovated practices introduced in the Deen of Allah would
lead to the deterioration of Muslims, and would lead them
away from the Deen of Allah. Furthermore, innovated
practices would negatively influence non-Muslims; when they
see people who call themselves Muslims practice and observe
illogical practices and behave in an irrational manner which
contradict with the true spirit of Islam, it would dissuade them
from Islam, and they would regard Islam as any other religion
which is based on falsehood and illogical beliefs.
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
__________________________________ 5
People who practice innovations can be categorized into
three categories:
1st Category: People who observe innovated practices due to
their ignorance in matters of Deen. Islam does not excuse such
people, since the cure and solution of ignorance is asking. One
simply cannot observe practices according to his whims! Allah
says: So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures - the
Torah, the Injeel (Gospel)] if you do not know (21:7)
People who observe innovations while blindly following
those before them are also included in this category. Allah
says: And when it is said to them: "Follow that which Allah
has sent down" they say: "Nay, we shall follow that
which we found our fathers (following)." (Would they do
so) even if Shaitan invites them to the torment of the
Fire. (31:21)
Due to their observance of innovated practices which
contradict the Shari'ah (Islamic Jurisprudential Law) these
people are misguided; their observance of innovated practices
would not benefit them. Observing fewer acts of worship, in
accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is better and more
rewarding for its doer than observing many innovated
practices. Allah says:
Laboring (hard in the worldly life by worshipping
others besides Allah) weary (in the Hereafter with
humility and disgrace). They will enter in the hot blazing
Fire. (3-4)
2nd Category: People who seek materialistic gain; they benefit
from the ignorance of people to attain their goals. These
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
_________________________________ 6
people are the farthest from the Deen, and some even falsely claim to be Muslims, when in fact, Islam is innocent of them! They distort and mar the image of Islam with their innovated practices. The Prophet ﷺ said about these people: 'The worst slave is he who seeks worldly gain by observing practices which should be done sincerely for the sake of Allah; the worst slave is he who sticks to doubtful issues and legalizes the unlawful.' (Haakim #7885) 3rd Category: The enemies of Islam and those who try their best to disseminate innovated religious practices in order to divide the Muslim Ummah (nation). They devoutly support the people of innovation financially and otherwise in order to create new sects which differ with Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah in terms of Aqeedah (creed) and methodology. With this the enemies of Islam would achieve their goal; i.e. to keep Muslims away from their Aqeedah and Deen with the slightest loss. Innovation in Deen is one of the methods Shaitan uses to lead people astray. Ibn Abbas, with whom Allah is pleased, said concerning the exegesis of the words of Allah: You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr (names of the idols) (71:23) 'These are names of pious men from the people of Noah; when they died, Shaitan encouraged them to erect figures in their sitting places so that they could remember them, and they named these figures by their names, and they were not worshipped until these people passed away, and this was forgotten.' (Bukhari #4636) Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
___________________________________ 7
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said of 1:
'Shaitan tries to destroy the son of Adam in one of seven
phases. Some of them are more intense than others. Shaitan
would not try to destroy him in the next phase until he fails to
destroy him in a previous one. These phases are:
1st Phase: The phase of disbelief in Allah, His Deen, His perfect
attributes, and in what the Prophet ﷺ informed us about, and
the fact that we will be resurrected. If Shaitan is successful in
misleading the slave in this phase, his enmity towards him
would diminish and he would take rest. If the slave succeeds,
and survives in this phase, Shaitan would try to destroy him in
the next phase.
2nd Phase: The phase of Bid'ah (religious innovation); whether
it pertains to believing in other than the truth which the
Messenger ﷺ was sent with or by worshipping other than
Allah; such as worshipping idols, and the like. Shaitan enjoys
that a person succumbs in this phase for Bid'ah conflicts with
the nature of the Deen and compels one to reject it.
Furthermore, the one who observes innovated religious
practices would not repent from his actions; rather, he would
invite people to his Bid'ah!
Observing innovated religious practices would compel one
to forge lies against Allah and speak without knowledge; thus
it openly clashes with the Sunnah. Observing minor Bid'ah
practices would lead one to observing major Bid'ah practices.
In this manner, a person would eventually exit the folds of
Islam.
Scholars and people of knowledge alone know the real
dangers of Bid'ah practices. If a person succeeds and survives
1 Madaarij as-Saalikeen pg. 254-256.
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
___________________________________________________ 8
in this phase by adhering to the Sunnah, and understanding its
texts as the Pious Predecessors understood them, Shaitan
would seek to destroy him in the next phase.
3rd Phase: The phase of major sins. If he is able to destroy the
slave in this phase, he would beautify the deed that he is
doing and probably compel him to say the following: 'No sin
would harm the Tawheed (creedal belief) as no good deed
would benefit a man who has fallen into Shirk (associating
partners with Allah).' If the person is successful and survives
this phase, Shaitan would seek to destroy him in the next
phase.
4th Phase: The phase of minor sins. Shaitan would compel a
person to belittle these sins, by whispering to him: 'There is no
fear upon you as long as you keep away from major sins…do
you not know that the minor sins would be expiated by
staying away from major sins?' Shaitan would convince him
that there is no harm in doing minor sins, until he regularly
practices it. The person who has done a major sin, and has
repented and is fearful of what he has done, would be better
off than him; for regularly doing a minor sin would change it
to a major sin! Constant repentance eliminates major sins; as
no minor sin remains as such when a person regularly does it.
The Prophet said:
'Beware of minor sins; its likeness is like a people who
stopped over in a valley, and the people spread out each
bringing a stick, until they made a fire and cooked their
bread. Whenever a person practices a minor sin regularly
it would destruct him.' (Ahmed #22860)
If the slave succeeds and survives in this phase, by being
careful and repenting continuously to Allah, and observing
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
______________________________________________________________________________9
righteous deeds, Shaitan would seek to destroy him in the next
phase.
5th Phase: The phase of indulging in lawful things within
which there is no sin upon its doer. Shaitan would busy a
person by compelling him to indulge excessively in lawful
things in order to keep him away from worshipping Allah; he
would then lead him to abandoning the Sunnah practices, and
later lead him to abandoning the obligatory practices. If the
slave succeeds and survives in this phase by understanding
the greatness of acts of worship, Shaitan would seek to destroy
him in the next phase.
6th Phase: The phase of busying the slave with deeds which are
lesser in reward. Shaitan would encourage the slave to observe
certain acts of worship and beautify them to him, and show
him the great reward of doing those acts of worship in order
to busy him with it and to keep him away from deeds which
are more beneficial. When Shaitan fails to mislead the slave
and deprive him from receiving any reward he tries to deprive
him from receiving the full reward. Therefore, he busies him
with the lesser rewarding deeds and keeps him away from the
greater rewarding deeds, and also keeps him away from the
most beloved deeds to Allah and busies him with lesser
beloved deeds to Allah.
7th Phase: If Shaitan fails in the above six phases, he would
resort to harming the person in any way possible; by
summoning his men and followers and riling them against
this individual. The Prophets and Messengers were not left
unharmed by this. One should bear patiently, for victory and
success are tied with patience.
Every Religious Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
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The worst thing that results from Bid'ah is forging lies
against the Prophet ﷺ . This is a grave sin, the Prophet ﷺ said:
'To forge a lie against me is not like forging a lie against
any person; whoever forges a lie against me, let him assure
his seat in Hell-Fire.' (Bukhari 1229)
The great Companion, Abdullah b. Masood, with whom
Allah is pleased, said: 'Follow the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed.'
How great are the words of Abdullah b. Masood, with
whom Allah is pleased. The intellectual should think about his
statement…indeed the authentically reported utterances,
actions and approvals of the Prophet ﷺ would suffice a person
in every way, and there would be no reason for him to resort
to any Bid'ah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
'A deed would be observed with zeal for a period of time.
So whoever observes my Sunnah zealously would be
guided, and whoever observes other than that would be
destroyed.' (Ibn Khuzaimah 2105)
Terminology Back to Main
1. Rubb: Some prefer to translate the term 'Rubb' into
'Lord'. Besides the fact that the latter is a Biblical term
referring to the alleged lordship of the slave of Allah,
Prophet Jesus, the word ‘lord’ which is limited to
‘master', 'chief', ‘proprietor’, or 'ruler', can never convey
the conclusive signification of the term 'Rubb'. Among
other signification, the term 'Rubb' means, the Creator,
the Fashioner, the Provider, the One upon Whom all
creatures depend for their means of subsistence, and the
One Who gives life and causes death.
2. Deen: The word translated as religion is 'Deen', which
in Arabic commonly refers to a way of life, which is both
private and public. It is an inclusive term meaning: acts
of worship, political practice, and a detailed code of
conduct, including hygiene or etiquette matters.
3. Sallallaaho 'alaihi wa sallam. Some translate it as
'peace be upon him'. This translation is incorrect; the
correct translation is, 'may Allah exalt his mention, and
render him and his household safe and secure from every
derogatory thing'.
Preface
Back to Main
Every Religious
Innovation is a Means of Misguidance
|
كل بدعة في الدين ضلالة |
Written by
|
Dr.
Abdurrahmaan al-Sheha
|
Translated by
|
Abdurrahmaan
Murad al-Kanadi
|
Revised by
|
Osama Emara
(Islamhouse.com)
|
Terminology
used in this Book
|
(Taken from
Sheik Mahmoud Murad's book 'Common mistakes in Translation')
|
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