How Do We Know What Is and What Is Not a Bid`ah?
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Shaykh `Alee Hasan `Alee `Abdul Hameed
This is a very important
point which when discussed clarifies detailed principles under the light of which an
action can be known as to whether it is a bid'ah or not. "This is because Allaah, the
Blessed and Exalted, will not accept an action until two conditions are fulfilled: ['Hujjah an-Nabee' (pg. 100) of our Shaykh al-Albaanee, may Allaah
preserve him. I say and it was upon these two principles that Shaykh al-Islaam ibn
Taymiyyah based his superb book 'al-Uboodiyyah' on.] Our Shaykh, al-Albaanee, may Allaah preserve him, said in his book
'Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz' (pg. 242), "Indeed the bid'ah which the Sharee'ah has textually stated to be
misguidance is (of a number of types): I say: as-Suyutee said in 'al-Amr bi al-Ittibaa' (pp. 92-93), "This differs in accordance to the different circumstances and to
the extent in which it contradicts the Sharee'ah. Sometimes this leads to that which would
necessitate forbiddance and sometimes it does not exceed the bounds of detestability. It
is possible for every skilled legal jurist to differentiate between the two types
especially if he has deep-rooted knowledge and faith. [FN. Rather all innovations in the religion are forbidden]. This category of vile innovation is sub-divided into two: The adherents to the deviated sects are of six types, and each type is
further divided into 12 sects - this making the 72 sects about which the Prophet (SAW)
informed would be in the Fire. We are not, at this juncture, going to detail them but the
one who sticks to the Sunnah and the Jamaa'ah and steers clear of the foundations and
offshoots of these innovations will be from the Saved Sect by the Permission of Allaah. So from the first type [i.e. (i)] is what a group of the ignoramuses
fell into - those that left following the Imaams of the Religion - those who belong to
Faqr whose reality is to be impoverished of faith by befriending women and being alone
with them. This is forbidden by the agreement of the Muslims and the one who
considers this to be lawful is a disbeliever. The one who does this, considering it of
little importance is a sinner, misguided and misguiding, having deserted the religion and
split off from the Jamaa'ah of the Muslim - may Allaah distance the one who does it - for
indeed looking at women who are haraam for him to look at and being alone with them and
listening to their words is haraam upon every mature person unless he be of the ties of
kinship. Haraam according to the Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims. This is not the place to detail the evidences concerning this, rather
the purpose is to clarify what constitutes bid'ah and what constitutes evidence and this
is not hidden from a Muslim." Then he said (pg. 153), "As for the second type that people think to be obedience to
Allaah and a means of drawing close to Him while it is not so, or leaving it is better
then enacting it - then this is what the Legislator has commanded to be done in a specific
form, at a specific time or in a specific place. Examples of this would be fasting during
the day and circumambulating the Ka'bah. Or what has been ordered to a specific person
such as the things specific to the Prophet (SAW) such that the ignoramus would find
analogy with himself and thereby do them while being forbidden from doing them, or he
makes analogy between one form of worship to another while not taking into consideration
time and place." Then our Shaykh said, I say: such as fasting continuously, or specifying the day of Jumu'ah
for fasting or praying the night and the likes of these. This is because in and of
themselves they are matters which draw one close to Allaah from the point of view that the
basis of them is worship but they do not draw one close to Allaah due to their being done
in this forbidden way. As-Suyutee said in 'al-Amr bi al-Ittibaa' (pg. 152) while mentioning
bid'ah, "
And this occurs in some of them due to their desire to
perform a great deal of worship and actions of obedience, so their desire leads them to do
this at times and in places that the Sharee'ah has forbidden them from doing so. From these are those that are forbidden and those that are disliked.
Ignorance and the adornment of Shaytaan puts these people in a dilemma by them saying:
These are actions of obedience, it is established that they were done at other times so we
shall do them continuously, for Allaah will never punish us for actions of obedience
irregardless of when we perform them!" Then our Shaykh said, I say: Abu Sulaymaan ad-Daaraane said, "It is not upon the one receives inspiration (ilhaam) that
something is from the good actions to enact it until he hears it from a text. So when he
hears it from a text he should enact it and praise Allaah for making what is in his heart
conform to the text." ['al-Baa'ith' (pg. 108) of Abu Shaamah.] And there was nothing said that was more beautiful than the saying of
al-Imaam Ibraaheem an-Nakha'ee, "If the Companions had wiped over their finger nails then I would
not have washed them due to the great virtue of following them" ['al-Ibaanah' (no.254) of ibn Battah. A similar narration was reported
by ad-Daarimee in his 'Sunan' (1/72)] Ibn Abee ad-Dunya reports in 'Kitaab al-Iyaal' (no.56) that Ataa said, "I asked Aa'ishah about aqueeqah saying, 'what is your opinion of
the one who sacrifices a slaughter camel?' She replied, "the Sunnah is better and
more excellent." I say: And what is their that is better to be followed!! Taqee as-Subkee was asked in his 'Fataawaa' (2/549) about a newly
invented matter that was performed by some of his contemporaries to which he replied, "All praise is due to Allaah. This is a bid'ah without any doubt
and none should have any doubt concerning this. It is sufficient to state that it was not
known in the time of the Prophet (SAW) and neither in the time of the Sahaabah, and it is
not known from any of scholars of the Salaf." These are golden words that cement what has preceded that the Sharee'ah
is sufficient and complete and that the right of legislation belongs to Allaah. It is not
permissible to overstep its limits or to invent new things in it. From the examples of this is what al-Haakim says in his 'Mustadrak'
(1/370) adding a comment to the hadeeth that is reported concerning the prohibition of
writing in graves [the basis of which is in 'Saheeh Muslim' (no. 970)], "This hadeeth is not to be acted upon! For indeed the Imaams of
the Muslims from the east to the west have words written on their graves, this being an
action that the khalaf took from the Salaf!" Adh-Dhahabee followed this statement up by correcting it and saying, "What you say is of no consequence! We do not know of a single
companion who did this rather it is something that was introduced by some of the taabi'een
and those who came after them because the prohibition did not reach them." A detailed discussion concerning this follows later. Then our Shaykh said, I say: as-Suyutee says in 'al-Amr bi al-Ittibaa' (pg. 141), "And from the bid'ahs and evil actions is resembling the
disbelievers and joining in with and agreeing to their Eids and accursed festivities as is
done by many of the ignorant Muslims
" Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah says in 'Iqtidaa as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem'
(pg. 214), "The generality of these actions that are taken from the
Christians and others that are not reported (in our Religion) - then Satan has adorned
them and made them seem attractive to those that claim Islaam and he has made their hearts
accept them and have a good opinion of them. So these (Muslims) have added to some and
taken away from others, they have put some forward and delayed others just as they used to
change some aspects of the True Religion. But due to these days and their likes having
been specified while the Sharee'ah has not done so, and that making them special in the
Religion is false and invalid rather the basis of their being special comes from the
religion of the disbelievers, then this specification is actually resembling them. And it is not possible that some ignoramus think that by changing these
aspects that they have derived from the disbelievers they have succeeded in opposing them
as occurred in the case of fasting on the Day of Ashura. This is because the basis of this
fast was legislated for us and they used to perform it but the form of our fast differs
from theirs. As for that which is in no way part of our Religion, rather it is from their
innovated, abrogated religion then it is not for us to resemble it - neither in its basis
nor its description." I say: One of the clearest examples of this that has been invented in
the past by many ignorant Muslims is the yearly celebration of the Mawlid of the Messenger
(SAW). In this they are resembling the Jews and Christians who do the likes of these
celebrations in their Eids and festive seasons!! I have refuted the doubts that these people raise in my introduction to
the book, 'al-Mawrid fee Amal al-Mawlid' by Taaj al-Faakihaanee and all praise is due to
Allaah. Then our Shaykh says: I say: Unfortunately the examples of this are abundant. From them is what an-Nawawee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, quotes
from Abu al-Hasan al-Qazwaynee in 'al-Adhkaar' (pg. 276) that he said, "It is recommended for the one on a journey recite 'li Eelaafi
Quraysh' because it would safeguard him from every evil"! And an-Nawawee endorsed this!! Our Shaykh, al-Allaamah al-Albaanee followed this up in 'Silsilah
ad-Da'eefah' (1/374) by saying, "This is legislating something in the Religion for which there is
no evidence apart from mere claim, so from where does he get that this would secure him
from every evil?! Indeed these sort of opinions for which nothing occurs in the Book or
the Sunnah would have been from the means of changing this Religion via ways that are not
known had Allaah not Promised to safeguard it." As-Sakhaawee said in 'Ibtihaaj bi Adhkaar al-Musaafir wa al-Haaj' (pg.
17), "I have not come across a hadeeth concerning this." Then our Shaykh says: I say: He also said in 'Hajjah an-Nabee' (pg. 102) while numbering the
difference aspects of bid'ah, "It is not permissible to depend upon weak ahaadeeth or to
attribute them to the Prophet (SAW) and in our opinion it is not permissible to act upon
such ahaadeeth. This is the opinion of a group of the scholars such as ibn Taymiyyah and
others
As for the ahaadeeth that are fabricated or have no basis then this
fact about them was not known by some of the legal jurists and hence they based legal
rulings upon them! These are from the core of bid'ah and newly invented matters." An example of this is the 'Salaah ar-Raghaa'ib' which is prayed on the
first Friday of Rajab. As-Suyutee says in 'al-Amr bi al-Ittibaa' (pg. 166), "Know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that exalting this day and
night as invented in Islaam after the 4th century, and the hadeeth concerning
it is fabricated by agreement of the scholars. The contents of this hadeeth concern the
excellence of fasting on that day and praying during that night and they have called it
'Salaah ar-Raghaa'ib'! As for what the researching scholars are upon - then it is to forbid
the singling out of this day for fasting and to forbid praying during the night with this
invented prayer and from everything that would contain exaltation of this day such as
feasts and displaying adornments etc. with the purpose that this day become of the same
level as others (normal) days." [Refer to: 'Iqtidaa as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem' (pg.283), 'al-Fataawaa
al-Kubraa' (1/177), 'al-Baa'ith' (pg. 39), 'Tabyeen al-Ajab' (pg.47), 'al-Madhkal'
(1/293), 'Masaajilah Ilmiyyah' of ibn Salaah and al-Izz bin Abd as-Salaam. Refer also to
'al-Mawdoo'aat' (2/124) and 'al-Laa'ee al-Masnoo'ah' (2/57).] Then our Shaykh said: I say: Allaah censured the disbelievers for their extremism in their
religion by saying, "O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion
and do not say about Allaah except the truth." (4/171) The Messenger of Allaah (SAW) warned from this by saying, "I warn you of extremism in the Religion for indeed those that
came before you were destroyed due to their extremism in the religion." [Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (5/268), ibn Maajah (no. 3029), Ahmad
(1/215, 347) with a saheeh sanad.] Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah says in 'Iqtidaa Siraat al-Mustaqeem'
(1/72), "Furthermore going to excesses with regards to the Prophets and
righteous has occurred amongst some groups of the worshippers and sufis to the extent that
many of these intermingled this with the belief of incarnation and ittihaad that ended
being more vile than the saying of the Christians or sometimes similar to it or sometimes
stopping short of it." All of this falls under the meaning of going to excesses in worship. The meaning of excess (gulu) is to transgress the proper bounds. From
the examples of this excess is what some people say in praise of the Prophet (SAW): Indeed the delight and harm of the world is yours to bestow From your knowledge is the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and Pen Can there be any excess more extreme then this?! Imaam ash-Shaatibee said in 'al-Muwaafaqaat' (2/242), "In the time frames set by the legislator for the employment of
the actions of worship, the obligatory and recommendations, to certain known times for
apparent or not so apparent reasons lies enough to cause certainty that the reason behind
the legislation is to keep the actions ongoing and constant. It is said concerning the saying of Allaah, "they did not
observe it in the way they should have done"[57:27] that indeed the lack of their
observing it lay in their abandoning it after starting it and continuing in it (for a
short time.) At this juncture we can derive a ruling for what the Sufis have
committed themselves to with regards to performing certain rituals and statements of dhikr
(wird) at certain set times
." I say: at this point is would be good to mention the book published by
al-Luknawee Abu al-Hasanaat, 'Iqaamah al-Hujjah alaa anna al-Ikthaar min at-Ta'bbud Laysa
bi Bid'ah.' He declares to be good what has been reported from some of the scholars and
Imaams with regards to exerting oneself to the utmost in worship such as staying up the
whole night for prayer, or reciting the whole Qur'aan in one rak'ah, or performing 1000
rak'ahs! The vast majority of these narrations are reported by isnaads that
cannot be depended upon! So are these quotes from the actions legislated by the Sharee'ah
or from the newly invented innovations?! I say: there is no doubt in the eyes of one who understands the meaning
of Sunnah and the correct meaning of Bid'ah, and whose heart has adorned for him the
continuous following of the Sunnah and made ugly the following of bid'ah that these ways
and mannerisms and setting of limits are all in opposition to the Sunnah of the Prophet
(SAW), in fact falling into that which has been forbidden from - going to excesses in the
religion and despicable innovation. Imaam adh-Dhahabee says in his amazing book 'Siyar al-A'laam
an-Nubalaa' (3/84-86) after mentioning the saying of the Prophet (SAW) to Abdullaah bin
Umru, "
then recite the Qur'aan in seven days and do not go beyond
this." [Reported by Muslim] "It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allaah (SAW)
that this was reduced to 3 nights and he forbade that the Qur'aan be recited in less than
this. [Reported by Abu Dawood (no. 1394), at-Tirmidhee (no. 2950), ibn Maajah
(no. 1347), al-Baghawee (4/498) from Abdullaah bin Umru that the Prophet (SAW) said, "the
person who recites the Qur'aan in less than three (nights) has not understood it."] This was in regards to the amount of Qur'aan that had thusfar been
revealed, and then after this saying of the Prophet (SAW) the remainder of the Qur'aan was
revealed. The least level of the meaning of prohibition is that it is reprehensible to
recite the whole Qur'aan in less than three nights. There is no understanding or
contemplation on the part of one who recites it in less than three nights. If it was read
and recited in a week and this was done constantly then this would be an excellent action
and the religion would be easy. By Allaah reciting one seventh of the Qur'aan during tahajjud,
alongwith preserving the prescribed supererogatory prayers, and the prayer of Duhaa and
the prayer of entering the Mosque, alongwith preserving the remembrances which are
authentically reported, the supplications upon sleeping and waking and at the ends of the
prescribed prayers and opening the fast, alongwith learning beneficial knowledge and
busying oneself with it sincerely for the sake of Allaah, alongwith enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil, guiding the ignorant and teaching him, reprimanding the sinner and
similar things, alongwith performing the obligatory actions and staying away from the
major sins, being frequent in supplication and seeking forgiveness and giving charity,
joining the ties of kinship, humility, and sincerity in all of what has been mentioned -
indeed of all this is a great activity. This is the station of the People of the Right and
the God-fearing Awliyaah of Allaah, for all of what has been mentioned is desired. Therefore when the servant busies himself with trying to finish the
whole Qur'aan in one night, the he has opposed the Upright Religion and becomes unable to
do much of what we have mentioned and he has not contemplated what he has recited. Here is the master, the servant, the Companion who used to say when he
grew old, "woe to me if only I had accepted the leeway given by the Messenger of
Allaah (SAW)" [As is reported by Bukhaaree] This because it was said to him by the Prophet (SAW) concerning the
optional fast, he kept on reducing (the time between fasts) to the point that he said, "fast
one day and break fast one day, this is the fast of my brother Dawood (AS)." [The same hadeeth as above] And he (SAW) ordered that part of the night should be slept in by
saying, "but I pray the night and I sleep, I fast and I break the fast, I marry
women and I eat meat, therefore the one who turns away from my Sunnah is not of me." [Reported by Bukhaaree and Muslim]. May Allaah inspire us and you to follow in the best of ways and make us
to keep away from desires and opposing (the Sunnah)." Then our Shaykh said: I say: Imaam Abu Shaamah said in 'al-Baa'ith' (pg. 165), "It is not permissible to specify an action of worship to a time
that has not been specified by the Sharee'ah, rather all the actions of righteousness are
applicable to all times, there is no specific time that is better than another with the
exception of what the Sharee'ah has declared to be so such as fasting the day of Arafah
and Aashurah, praying in the depth of the night and performing Umrah in Ramadaan. And from the places are those that the Sharee'ah has declared to be
better to perform actions of worship in such as the 10 days of Dhu al-Hajjah, Laylatul
Qadr which is better than a thousand months
In summary: it is not upon the servant to specify rather this is for
the Legislator (SAW), and this was the description of the worship of the Messenger of
Allaah (SAW)" [Refer to 'Iqtidaa' (pg. 308-309)] And the scholars, the dead and the living, have established the
principle that "what the Legislator (SAW) has generalised is to be acted upon in its
general way and it is not permissible to restrict it or limit it." ['al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Ilmiyyah li Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah' (pg.
73) of al-Ba'lee] I say: ibn al-Qayyim said in 'Igaatha al-Lufhaan' (pg. 371), "
And from these is that the Sunnah has declared to be
reprehensible is the singling out of Rajab and Jumu'ah for fasting so that this may not be
taken as a means of innovating in the religion by way of specifying a time that the
Sharee'ah has not specified for worship." Our Shaykh said in 'Hajjah an-Nabee (SAW) (pg. 103), I say: the examples of this are too many to enumerate, this depicts the
condition of many of the children of this time who are following their desires and the way
of the Khalaf. So upon this "it is not permissible to depart from the way of the
Salaf for it is the best and most complete of ways." ['Ikhtiyaaraat al-Ilmiyyah' (pg. 54) of ibn Taymiyyah]. It is necessary to distance oneself from those who oppose the salaf for
it is the most misguided and ignorant.
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