A DETAILED EXPLANATION ABOUT BID’HA
Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, the followers of the Righteous Salaf, follow the Messenger (alayhis salaam) in all of their beliefs and understandings.
Hence, all of their conceptions, thoughts and understandings are founded upon what is related in his Sunnah, because they believe that final authority rests with him, and they are the greatest of people in loving, respecting and giving precedence to him. This is opposed to the way of the people of innovation who raise other authorities above and over him and prefer their sayings over and above his, despite their lip service in the claim of love and obedience to him. There is nothing which illustrates this more clearly than in the issue of the understanding of bid’ah (ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻋﺔ). In this article we will present the Prophetic definition of bid’ah. Before proceeding into the main subject of the article, we will quickly mention the linguistic definition of bid’ah.
THE LINGUISTIC DEFINITION OF BID’AH
The linguistic definition of bid’ah is provided by:
ﺍﻟﺸﻲﺀ ﺍﻟﻤﺨﺘﺮﻉ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻣﺜﺎﻝ ﺳﺎﺑﻖ
“Something invented without having any prior example.” This is based upon its usage in the Qur’an in the speech of Allah,
ﻗُﻞْ ﻣَﺎ ﻛُﻨﺖُ ﺑِﺪْﻋًﺎ ﻣِّﻦْ ﺍﻟﺮُّﺳُﻞ
“Say: “I am not a new thing amongst the Messengers” (Q 46:9), meaning
Muhammad is not a new thing amongst the Messengers, as he has precedents and prior examples before him (Eesaa, Musa, Ibrahim and so on). Also, Allah says,
ﺑَﺪِﻳﻊُ ﺍﻟﺴَّﻤَﺎﻭَﺍﺕِ ﻭَﺍﻷَﺭْﺽِ
“The originator of the heavens and the earth” (Q 2:117), meaning the one who originated them without them having any prior example. This definition of bid’ah incorporates all new things, religious or otherwise, since its general meaning extends to all things without restriction, be they praiseworthy or blameworthy, be they from the religion or not from the religion, as the general underlying concept behind the word bid’ah is “anything which has no prior example for it.” And there are from the Salaf those who used the word bid’ah specifically upon its linguistic meaning (not its Sharee’ah meaning) within certain contexts and situations (and this is what has allowed the Innovators to confuse and deceive others about the true nature of innovation intended by the Sharee’ah).
THE LINGUISTIC DEFINITION OF BID’AH
Sharee’ah definitions of words differ from linguistic meanings because the Sharee’ah may restrict, qualify, expand, or attach conditions (to the linguistic meaning) to give a new conceptual meaning which is employed by the Sharee’ah to address the people. Examples include prayer (ﺍﻟﺼﻼﺓ), belief, faith (ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ), charity (ﺍﻟﺰﻛﺎﺓ) amongst others, all of which have intended Sharee’ah meanings which are different to the original linguistic meaning afforded by the root words in the language.
Thus, anyone who claims the Qur’an can be understood purely through the language or primarily through language will go astray no doubt.
The Sharee’ah Definition of Bid’ah is founded upon five statements of the Messenger (alayhis salaam). The conception of the word bid’ah (ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻋﺔ) as intended by the Sharee’ah and as conveyed by the Messenger (alayhis salaam) to his Ummah, and upon which warnings have been made is found completely in five ahaadeeth of the Messenger (alayhis salaam), and we will address them here one by one.
- The First hadeeth of Aa’ishah
Both al-Bukhaari and Muslim related the hadeeth of Aa’ishah (radiya llahu ‘anhaa), which is the foundation of the definition of bid’ah in the Sharee’ah:
ﻋﻦ ﻋﺎﺋﺸﺔ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ ﻗﺎﻟﺖ: ﻗﺎﻝ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ: ﻣَﻦْ ﺃَﺣْﺪَﺙَ ﻓِﻲ ﺃَﻣْﺮِﻧَﺎ ﻫَﺬَﺍ ﻣَﺎ ﻟَﻴْﺲَ ﻣِﻨْﻪُ ﻓَﻬُﻮَ ﺭَﺩٌ
“Whoever introduces into this affair of ours (Islam) that which does not belong to it, will have it rejected.”
Al-Shatibi’s definition of bid’ah is in fact founded upon this hadeeth, since this hadeeth has provided three very important conditions or restrictions which have made the meaning of bid’ah intended by the Sharee’ah to be something unique. As such, nothing is considered a bid’ah in the Sharee’ah sense except when these conditions are met.
These three conditions are:
– Introducing something new (ﺍﻹﺣﺪﺍﺙ)
– Ascribing it to the religion (ﺍﻹﺿﺎﻓﺔ)
– Absence of Sharee’ah evidence [for this newly-introduced matter] in either a general way or a specific way (ﻋﺪﻡ ﺍﻟﺪﻟﻴﻞ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻋﻲ)
These three qualifications are found in the hadeeth itself:
Firstly, he (alayhis salaam) said, (ﻣَﻦْ ﺃَﺣْﺪَﺙَ), and this refers to bringing anything new without any prior example. At this point, this could refer to all newly-invented things, praiseworthy or blameworthy, religious, or otherwise. Secondly, he (alayhis salaam) then qualified and restricted this by saying (ﻓِﻲ ﺃَﻣْﺮِﻧَﺎ ﻫَﺬا), which has now made it specific to the religion, so this newly-invented thing must be ascribed to the Sharee’ah and to the religion. This now excludes all worldly matters and customs which have no connection to the religion, and likewise all matters of sin and disobedience which are unlawful in the Sharee’ah (like stealing, fornicating gambling and so on), since no one takes them as being from the religion when falling into them.
Thirdly, it could be the case that this newly-invented thing may have a basis in the Sharee’ah, so he (alayhis salaam) further qualified the affair and said (ﻣَﺎ ﻟَﻴْﺲَ ﻣِﻨْﻪُ), which means, as explained by the Scholars, that it has no support from the Sharee’ah, neither in a general sense (a general evidence) or in a specific sense (a specific evidence). An example of general, non-specific evidence would be in the case of the compilation of the Qur’an into a single book (mus’haf), since this comes under a general foundation in the Sharee’ah which is the preservation of the religion (as one of the five essential matters it came to protect, religion, life, intellect, wealth, honor). So the compilation of the Qur’an exits from the Sharee’ah definition of bid’ah. And an example of specific evidence would be that of the Taraaweeh prayer being prayed in congregation that was initiated by the Prophet and revived by Umar bin al-Khattaab. This has a direct, specific evidence (the Prophet led the people in congregational Taraaweeh prayer for three nights in Ramadan in the mosque), and thus it exits from being a bid’ah in the Sharee’ah sense. The same would apply to all legislated matters which have been forgotten or abandoned, and which are revived, they do not come under bid’ah with its Sharee’ah meaning.
And some scholars may refer to these matters as “good innovations” purely from a linguistic point of view, but what they really mean is revival of a forgotten Sunnah, and this is the meaning of the statement of Umar bin al-Khattaab (ﻧﻌﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻋﺔ ﻫﺬﻩ), “What an excellent innovation this is!” about his re-instituting the Taraaweeh prayer in congregation in the mosque. This is the same understanding of bid’ah that is found in the explanations of the overwhelming majority of Scholars such as Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani and others. And everything that comes under this definition is what is intended by the Messenger (alayhis salaam) in his saying:
وکل بدعة ضلالة
“Every innovation is misguidance.”
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
ﻓﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻛﻞ ﺑﺪﻋﺔ ﺿﻼﻟﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺟﻮﺍﻣﻊ ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻢ ﻻ ﻳﺨﺮﺝ ﻋﻨﻪ ﺷﻲﺀ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺃﺻﻞ ﻋﻈﻴﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺷﺒﻴﻪ ﺑﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻣﺮﻧﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻓﻬﻮ ﺭﺩ ﻓﻜﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻭﻧﺴﺒﻪ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻭﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ ﻟﻪ ﺃﺻﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﻳﺮﺟﻊ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻓﻬﻮ ﺿﻼﻟﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺑﺮﻱﺀ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻭﺳﻮﺍﺀ ﻓﻲ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻣﺴﺎﺋﻞ ﺍﻻﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩﺍﺕ ﺃﻭ ﺍﻷﻋﻤﺎﻝ ﺃﻭ ﺍﻷﻗﻮﺍﻝ ﺍﻟﻈﺎﻫﺮﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﺎﻃﻨﺔ ﻭﺃﻣﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻭﻗﻊ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻼﻡ ﺍﻟﺴﻠﻒ ﻣﻦ ﺍﺳﺘﺤﺴﺎﻥ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻉ ﻓﺈﻧﻤﺎ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﺪﻉ ﺍﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﻻ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻋﻴﺔ ﻓﻤﻦ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻗﻮﻝ ﻋﻤﺮ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ ﻟﻤﺎ ﺟﻤﻊ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻓﻲ ﻗﻴﺎﻡ ﺭﻣﻀﺎﻥ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺇﻣﺎﻡ ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺠﺪ
So his saying (salla llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that “every innovation is misguidance” is from the comprehensive, concise words from which no matter (of innovation) [introduced in the religion] escapes from, and it is a mighty foundation from the foundations of the religion. It resembles his saying (salla llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), “Whoever introduced into this affair of ours that which does not belong to it will have it rejected.” Hence, everyone who introduced something and ascribed it to the religion and it does not have any foundation in the religion to which it returns back to, then it is misguidance and the religion is free of it, irrespective of whether it is in the matters of belief, or actions or outward and inward statements. As for what occurs in the speech of some of the Salaf of considering some of the innovations to be good, then that is with respect to innovations with the linguistic meaning, not the Sharee’ah meaning and from [the examples of that] is the saying of Umar (radiya llahu ‘anhu) when he gathered the people together for praying in Ramadan behind a single Imaam in the mosque. (See Jami’ al-Uluum al-Hikam of Ibn Rajab in explanation of the hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah (2/128).
And Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani said:
ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﺩ ﺑﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﻛﻞ ﺑﺪﻋﺔ ﺿﻼﻟﺔ ﻣﺎ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ﻭﻻ ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﻟﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻉ ﺑﻄﺮﻳﻖ ﺧﺎﺹ ﻭﻻ ﻋﺎﻡ
And what is intended by his saying “Every innovation is misguidance” is whatever is newly-introduced and has no evidence in the Sharee’ah neither a general way nor a specific way. [Fat’h al-Baary (13/253)]
And he also said:
ﻭ “ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺪﺛﺎﺕ “ ﺑﻔﺘﺢ ﺍﻟﺪﺍﻝ ﺟﻤﻊ ﻣﺤﺪﺛﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﺩ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻣﺎ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ، ﻭﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻪ ﺃﺻﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻉ ﻭﻳﺴﻤﻰ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺮﻑ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻉ “ ﺑﺪﻋﺔ “ ﻭﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻟﻪ ﺃﺻﻞ ﻳﺪﻝ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻉ ﻓﻠﻴﺲ ﺑﺒﺪﻋﺔ ، ﻓﺎﻟﺒﺪﻋﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺮﻑ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻉ ﻣﺬﻣﻮﻣﺔ ﺑﺨﻼﻑ ﺍﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻛﻞ ﺷﻲﺀ ﺃﺣﺪﺙ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻣﺜﺎﻝ ﻳﺴﻤﻰ ﺑﺪﻋﺔ ﺳﻮﺍﺀ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﺤﻤﻮﺩﺍ ﺃﻭ ﻣﺬﻣﻮﻣﺎ
And “the newly invented matters” (ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺪﺛﺎﺕ), with the fat’hah on the daal, is the plural of novelty (ﻣﺤﺪﺛﺔ) and what is intended by it is what has been newly-introduced and does not have any basis in the legislation. It is referred to in the usage of the Sharee’ah as innovation (ﺑﺪﻋﺔ). As for what has a basis indicated by the Sharee’ah then it is not an innovation. For “innovation” in the usage of the Sharee’ah is blameworthy as opposed to its usage (with its) linguistic (meaning), for everything that has been newly-invented without any prior example is named “bid’ah” irrespective of whether it is praiseworthy, or blameworthy. [Fat’h al-Bari (13/253)]
- The Second Hadeeth of Aa’ishah
Muslim related the hadeeth of Aa’ishah (radiya llahu ‘anhaa) with his wording, in addition to the one above, that the Prophet (alayhis salaam) said:
ﻣَﻦْ ﻋَﻤِﻞَ ﻋَﻤَﻼً ﻟَﻴْﺲَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻪِ ﺃَﻣْﺮُﻧَﺎ ﻓَﻬُﻮَ ﺭَﺩٌّ
“Whoever did an action which is not upon our affair will have it rejected.” - The Third Hadeeth of Aa’ishah (through Ibn Isa) And Abu Daawuud relates in his Sunan, from Ibn Isa, that the Prophet (alayhis salaam) said:
ﻣَﻦْ ﺻَﻨَﻊَ ﺃَﻣْﺮًﺍ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﻏَﻴْﺮ ﺃَﻣْﺮﻧَﺎ ﻓَﻬُﻮَ ﺭَﺩٌ
“Whoever worked an affair in discrepancy with ours will have it rejected.” [An authentic hadith, see Sahih al- Jaami’ al-Sagheer (no. 6369)]
The second and third hadeeth both add further meaning to what has preceded in that whoever works an affair or does an action which is not in agreement with the Sharee’ah in its details and particulars will have it rejected. Together with the first hadeeth, these three ahaadeeth cover
(a) What is newly-invented having no basis whatsoever and
(b) What may have a basis but which in its details and particulars deviates and differs from what is in the Sharee’ah.
Thus, both the bid’ah haqiqiyyah (proper innovation) and bid’ah idaafiyyah (relative innovation) are clarified in the Sunnah, warned against, and rejected. - The Hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah
There occurs in the well known hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah (radiya llahu ‘anhu) about the Prophet’s farewell sermon:
ﻭَﺇِﻳَّﺎﻛُﻢْ ﻭَﻣُﺤْﺪَﺛَﺎﺕِ ﺍﻷُﻣُﻮﺭِ؛ ﻓَﺈِﻥَّ ﻛُﻞَّ ﻣُﺤْﺪَﺛَﺔٍ ﺑِﺪْﻋَﺔٌ , ﻭَﻛُﻞَّ ﺑِﺪْﻋَﺔٍ ﺿَﻼَﻟَﺔٌ
“And beware of the newly-introduced affairs, for every newly-introduced affair is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.” [Reported by Abu Daawuud, Ibn Majah and al-Tirmidhi]
This hadeeth establishes that everything which falls under the confines of the first three ahaadeeth – bid’ah haqiqiyyah, bid’ah idaafiyyah and which meet the three conditions of (a) introducing, (b) ascribing and (c) absence of general or specific evidence -is a misguided innovation ( ﺑِﺪْﻋَﺔٌ ﺿَﻼَﻟَﺔٌ ). There are no exceptions to this because the precise nature of the bid’ah intended has already been qualified by the Messenger (alayhis salaam) in what has preceded.
Thus, the word (ﻛُﻞَّ) has already been qualified, it does not mean every innovation absolutely and unrestrictedly (with its linguistic meaning), but rather every innovation qualified as such by the Sharee’ah and as intended by the Sharee’ah, which has narrowed down, restricted and qualified the linguistic meaning.
The Hadeeth of Jabir bin Abdullah, Al-Nasaa’i relates with his wording, from Jaabir bin Abdullah (radiya llahu ‘anhu) the following:
ﻋﻦ ﺟﺎﺑﺮ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﻗﺎﻝ : ﻛﺎﻥ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺧﻄﺐ ﻳﻘﻮﻝ ﺃَﻣَّﺎ ﺑَﻌْﺪُ، ﻓَﺈِﻥَّ ﺃََﺣْﺴَﻦَ ﺍﻟﺤَﺪِﻳﺚِ ﻛِﺘَﺎﺏُ ﺍﻟﻠﻪِ، ﻭَﺃََﺣْﺴَﻦَ ﺍﻟﻬَﺪْﻱِ ﻫَﺪْﻱُ ﻣُﺤَﻤَّﺪٍ، ﻭَﺷَﺮَّ ﺍﻷُﻣُﻮﺭِ ﻣُﺤْﺪَﺛَﺎﺗُﻬَﺎ، ﻭَﻛُﻞَّ ﻣُﺤْﺪَﺛَﺔٍ ﺑِﺪْﻋَﺔٌ ، ﻭَﻛُﻞَّ ﺑِﺪْﻋَﺔٍ ﺿَﻠَﺎﻟَﺔٌ ، ﻭَﻛُﻞَّ ﺿَﻼﻟَﺔٍ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﻨَّﺎﺭ
“The Messenger (salla llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say when delivering a sermon: To proceed: Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad and the worst of affairs are the newly- invented matters, every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance, and every (instance of) misguidance is in the Fire. [Sahih, reported by al-Nasaa’i, al-Bayhaqi, al-Aajurree and others]
This hadeeth establishes that every innovation (as qualified and defined by whatever has preceded) which is misguidance is in the Hellfire, and this completes the understanding of bid’ah in the Sharee’ah, upon the Prophetic Sunnah. This also connects with the other Prophetic statements such as the hadeeth of the seventy-two sects that are threatened with the Hellfire (all of whom split away from the Sunnah and Jamaa’ah and become sects due to innovations), and the hadeeth of the straight line and the lines to the right and left at the end of which there are devils, calling the people to these divergent paths.
As for the doubts of the Innovators, then in order to justify their newly-introduced matters of worship into the religion, they deceive and confuse the people about the linguistic and Sharee’ah definitions of the word bid’ah, and they provide instances where the word has been used in a linguistic sense only to deceive the people into thinking that the censure and rebuke of innovation in the Sharee’ah sense is not absolute and general, and that it is permissible to innovate into the matters of worship. This is great deception indeed and a lie upon the Messenger himself and upon the Scholars of Islam whose words they twist.
Islam Is Sunnah 