Bidah

Understanding its enmity to the Sunnah

On the Ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, in the year 10AH, our beloved Prophet (may peace
and blessing be upon him) stood and delivered what was his last sermon. He
turned to the muhajiroon (those who emigrated with him to Madinah) and the
ansaar (the people of Madinah, who became the hosts for the Prophet and his
companions) and sought to give them the most beneficial and potent advice
before his departure.

One of the things Rasulullah said was the following:

I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my Sunnah and if you
follow these you will never go astray. Toward the end of his sermon,
the Prophet asked O people, have I faithfully delivered unto you my
message?" they responded yes. He then said Be my witness, O Allah!
That I have conveyed your message to your people.

Rasulullah then recited the final verse to be revealed by Allah Taala:

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion
(Surah 5: 3)

In light of his advice, we face a dilemma. Unfortunately, many Muslims are taking
part in activities in religiosity that cannot be found within the Quran or ahadith.
These new matters are guised as good innovations that do not base from the
primary sources (Quran and sunnah) but from the hearts of men. Is this allowed
in Islam? Did the messenger explain this group of people and whether this is
allowed or not?

Allah says in His Book:

And We have revealed to you the Book, as an explanation of
everything. (Surah 16: 89)

Allah has given an explanation to everything, and where there arent any explicit
details, He also directs us to the places required in order to have the full details of
a briefly mentioned issue:
And whosoever obeys the messenger; obeys Allah. (Surah 4: 80)

As the verses and ahadith mentioned earlier state, the religion was completed in
terms of creed, worship, Islamic rulings and mannerisms. Having established this,
we need to look into the Sunnah to elaborate on the issue of bidah. In order to do
this we must ascertain what entails a bidah.

The linguistic meaning of the word bidah is unprecedented origination. There

are two types of innovation; one is in terms of new inventions, technology and
advances such as the car being a mode of transport. These are clearly
permissible as they are material and not part of the religion. The second type,
that of religion is the type which is being discussed; associating something as
part of religion when it is not established from the Quran and the Sunnah. Many
examples can be given for this; celebrations other than that legislated by Allah
and his messenger; adding to legislated prayers, e.g. offering five units of prayer
for zuhr rather than four; offering rituals in a different way to the manner in which
the Prophet informed or practiced; not doing something according to its time and
place, e.g. fasting on the fifteenth of Shabaan. The examples here are aplenty.

We cannot mention all the narrations about newly invented matters ascribed to
Islam as we do not have the capacity here. However, some of the key narrations
shall be mentioned.

Allah says:
"Verily this is My Straight path, so follow it and follow not (other)
paths, they will separate you away from His path. This He has
ordained for you that you may become pious." (Surah 6:153)

Also;
"And let those who oppose the Messengers way beware, lest
some conflict befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on
them." (Surah 24:62)

Jaabir (R) narrated Muhammad(S) said:

To proceed: The best speech is the Book of Allah and the best
guidance and example is that of Muhammad, and the worse of all
things are the newly invented things (in the religion), for every
innovation is a error and a misguidance." (Muslim)

"Every innovation is a going astray and every going astray is in the

fire." (Tirmidhi)

Also, the Prophet explained:

"Verily I shall precede you to the Fountain (Al-Kawthar). Whosoever
will pass by me shall drink (from it) and never get thirsty. People
whom I know and who will know me will certainly come to me for
 drink but there will be a barrier between them and me. Then I will
say, "verily they are of me. It will be said, You certainly do not
know what bidah (innovation) they made after you. Then I shall
say, "Be off those who made bidah after me. (Bukhari and Muslim)

As we know, in the religion, we deem the Sunnah of our Prophet (peace be upon
him) as the legislation of Allah. The sources of the Quran and Sunnah are divinely
from Allah:
Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has
erred. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire, it is only a revelation
revealed. (Surah 53: 2-4)

Thus Allah had inspired the Prophet to say what was then recorded as ahadith.
The most important narration with regards to innovation is the following
statement of the Prophet:
And the children of Israel split into seventy-two sects and my
Ummah shall split into seventy-three sects all of them in the fire
except one group." The Sahaba asked, Which one is that O
Messenger? He said, "It is the one to which I and my companions
belong." (Tirmidhi)
This is a clear warning that inevitably, the Muslims would become divided.
However, the truth is with those who refer to Allah and His messenger,
those who cling to that which the Prophet and his companions were upon.
Allah mentioned in His Book:
And say: Truth has come (i.e. Islamic monotheism) and batil
(polytheism) has vanished. Surely, batil is ever bound to vanish.
(Surah 17: 81)
Also, Abdullah Ibn Masood narrated, "The Messenger of Allah (S) drew a line
for us and then said, This is Allahs Straight Path. Then he drew lines
to its right and left, then he said, These are paths, upon every one
of them there is a devil calling towards it. (Ahmad)

These narrations, in their great number, elucidate the harmful reality of

innovation. Why is it so harmful and warned against so emphatically? The
connotations behind taking part in innovations are very dangerous. Do we know
better than Allah and His messenger as relates to the rituals and beliefs in the
deen? Did Allah and His Prophet not fulfill and complete for us al-Islam? Many
scholars state that doing so nullifies our acts as null and void, that while we do
things we think are good and rewarding, we are receiving nothing but sin:
Sufyaan ath-Thawree (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions: "Innovation
is more beloved to Iblees than sin, since a sin may be repented from
but innovation is not repented from" and "Whoever listens to an
 innovator has left the protection of Allaah and is entrusted with the
innovation (al-Nuam mentions this in al-Hilyah, 7-26)

When looking into the reason why this need for change in the deen developed,
one narration is mentioned in relation to Umar ibn al Khattab (may Allah be
pleased with him). He walked passed a group of people praying the taraweeh
prayer in a group. He then said what a good innovation!.

Many say this validates the notion of a good bidah. However, what Umar
meant with the statement was a linguistic use of the term bidah, not legal. The
issue of taraweeh in congregation is a Sunnah, not a bidah, as the Prophet did
lead some companions in that manner, but the Prophet stopped it as he felt that
it may lead to taraweeh becoming obligatory. So, naturally when Umar saw
some Muslims reviving a Sunnah, he found it good. This does not allow room for
further elaborating a doctrine of bidah hasanah as many have done.

What is the methodology of the saved sect? The group that will be saved as in
the narration of the Prophet
Mentioned earlier?

It is quite simple. Allah says in the Quran:

Say (O Muhammad): Produce your proof, if you are truthful.
(Surah 2: 111)

If any issue arises where someone tells us to celebrate the birthday of our
Prophet, or to take part in dhikr groups etc, then we need to ask for the evidence
for it. Is it in the Quran or Sunnah? Is it something that the companions did or
advised us to do? The messenger is the best example for us and his companions
are the best of the Muslims, they are upon the truth and we should follow them
towards that truth. Allah says:
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger
(Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority.
(And) If you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah
and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is
better and more suitable for final determination. (Surah 4: 59)