Bid'ah
Encyclopedia
Bid‘ah is any type of innovation
in Islam
. It linguistically means "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". In contrast to the English term "innovation", in Arabic, the word bid'ah generally carries a negative connotation. For instance, the idol-worshiping Arabs condemned the teachings of Muhammad as an innovation and in defense of himself, he was ordered to declare, "I am no novelty (bid') among messengers." (Qur'an 46:9) It however can also have positive implications. In the Qur'an, God is referred to as the Originator (2:117), the word بديع (Badi') being from the same trilateral root the term bid'ah is derived from. It was also used classical Arabic literature (adab) as a form of praise for outstanding compositions of prose and poetry.. In explaining the differing connotations the word can have, Umar Faruq Abd-Allah has explained,
Though innovations in worldly matters, such as science, medicine and technology are generally acceptable and encouraged, bid‘ah within the religion is considered a sin. The Islamic prophet
, Muhammad
, stated as such:
Similar statements are found in other verses of the Qur'an and other Hadith
as well.
Scholars generally have divided bid'ah into two types: innovations in worldly matters and innovations in religious matters. Some have additionally divided bid'ah into lawful and unlawful innovations, the details of which are discussed below.
Introducing and acting upon a bid‘ah in religious matters is a sin and considered one of the enormities in Islam that is obligatory to immediately desist and repent from.
that was not originally included in the message that Islamic tradition claims was revealed
to Muhammad and opposes established forms.
There is much criticism of bid‘ah in the Qur'an and Sunnah
, according to Sunni Islam, with Muhammad, his companions, and predecessors all warning against innovation and its people - particularly the four Sunni Imam
s, Abū Ḥanīfa, Malik ibn Anas
, Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i
, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
.
Muhammad said:
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar
said: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good."
Ibn 'Abbaas also said: "Indeed the most detestable of things to Allaah are the innovations."
Sufyan Al-Thawri 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-Fudayl bin 'Iyaad mentions: "I met the best of people, all of them people of the Sunnah
and they used to forbid from accompanying the people of innovation".
Hasan al-Basri mentions: "Do not sit with the people of innovation and desires, nor argue with them, nor listen to them".
Ibraaheem ibn Maysarah mentions: "Whoever honours an innovator has aided in the destruction of Islaam."
Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari mentions: "The innovators are like scorpion
s. They bury their heads and bodies in the sand and leave their tails out. When they get the chance they sting; the same with the innovators who conceal themselves amongst the people, when they are able, they do what they desire."
Abu Haatim said: "A sign of the people of innovation is their battling against the people of Narrations."
Abu 'Uthmaan as-Saaboonee said: "The signs of the people of innovation are clear and obvious. The most apparent of their signs is their severe enmity for those who carry the reports of the Prophet."
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen
, a prominent modern-day scholar, wrote: "And there is no such thing in Islaam as bid’ah hasanah (good innovation)."
When a religious innovation is implemented, it is generally felt that the innovator is assuming that the Sunnah is not good enough, that he must resort to something "better." Even though this statement would be an admission of disbelief
- there are some innovations that contain shirk and there are some which allow someone to remain a Muslim, while his action is rejected (regardless of any sincerity it might have had).
Others, however opine that an action which has a precedent in the Qur'an or Sunna and does not contradict any established rulings cannot be deemed a bid'ah by the mere fact it did not exist in specific form during the Prophet's time, even if it is religious in nature. In explanation of a famous statement attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab, Imam al-Shafi`i, stated:
The latter is the expressed position of three of the four accepted schools of Sunni jurisprudence, with some of the most widely recognized authorities declaring as much. The Hanbalis
, however understand bid'ah to be either legal (and thus impermissible) or linguistic - the latter being something which has a precedent in the law. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
, for instance, states in commentary of the hadith, "Beware of newly introduced matters, for every innovation is a straying,"
Despite the general understanding of standing scholarly disagreements (ikhtilaf
), the notion of lawful innovation is a polarizing issue in the Islamic world. A practical example of this is the debate over the permissibility of the mawlid
or commemoration of the Prophet's birthday. All scholars agree that such celebrations did not exist in the early period of Islamic history, and yet mawalid commemorations are a common element in Muslim societies around the world. Even so, Sunnis scholars are divided between emphatic unconditional condemnation and conditional acceptance of the celebration with the former claiming it is a bid'ah and the latter arguing it is a bid'ah hasana.
, mustahabb
, makruh
or haram
and/or that contradicts the Qur'an or hadith.
Any new good practice that is practiced that does not contradict the Qur'an or hadith is permissible. However, it is not permissible to say that a new good practice (that does not contradict the Qur'an or hadith) is obligatory or highly recommended.
As a general rule in Shi'a belief, anything is permissible except whatever is prohibited through divine revelation such as the Qur'an or hadith.
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. It linguistically means "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". In contrast to the English term "innovation", in Arabic, the word bid'ah generally carries a negative connotation. For instance, the idol-worshiping Arabs condemned the teachings of Muhammad as an innovation and in defense of himself, he was ordered to declare, "I am no novelty (bid') among messengers." (Qur'an 46:9) It however can also have positive implications. In the Qur'an, God is referred to as the Originator (2:117), the word بديع (Badi') being from the same trilateral root the term bid'ah is derived from. It was also used classical Arabic literature (adab) as a form of praise for outstanding compositions of prose and poetry.. In explaining the differing connotations the word can have, Umar Faruq Abd-Allah has explained,
Though innovations in worldly matters, such as science, medicine and technology are generally acceptable and encouraged, bid‘ah within the religion is considered a sin. The Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
, Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, stated as such:
Similar statements are found in other verses of the Qur'an and other Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
as well.
According to Sunni Islam
In early Islamic history, bid'ah referred primarily heterodox doctrines (as evidenced below). However, in Islamic law, when used without qualification, bid'ah denotes anything newly invented matter that is without precedent and is in opposition to the Qur'an and Sunna..Scholars generally have divided bid'ah into two types: innovations in worldly matters and innovations in religious matters. Some have additionally divided bid'ah into lawful and unlawful innovations, the details of which are discussed below.
Introducing and acting upon a bid‘ah in religious matters is a sin and considered one of the enormities in Islam that is obligatory to immediately desist and repent from.
In worldly matters
Some Sunni Muslim scholars have divided bid‘ah in worldly matters into two types .- Innovations that are purely good - these are permissible under Islamic law. This can include anything from inventions such as watches, to customs and culture, given they don't violate ShariaShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
. - Innovations that are purely evil - these are forbidden under Islamic law. Examples of this type of bid'ah include alcohol, or, in modern times, the discovery and synthesis of new intoxicants.
In religious matters
Religious innovation means inventing a new way of worshipping GodGod in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
that was not originally included in the message that Islamic tradition claims was revealed
Wahy
Wahi is the Arabic word for revelation. In Islamic context, it refers to the revelations of God to his prophets, for all humankind. In Islam, the Qur'an is considered a wahi given to Muhammad.-Awha:...
to Muhammad and opposes established forms.
There is much criticism of bid‘ah in the Qur'an and Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
, according to Sunni Islam, with Muhammad, his companions, and predecessors all warning against innovation and its people - particularly the four Sunni Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s, Abū Ḥanīfa, Malik ibn Anas
Malik ibn Anas
Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī 'Āmir al-Asbahī is known as "Imam Malik," the "Sheikh of Islam", the "Proof of the Community," and "Imam of the Abode of Emigration." He was one of the most highly respected scholars of fiqh in Sunni Islam...
, Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i
Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i
Abū ʿAbdullāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs al-Shafiʿī was a Muslim jurist, who lived from 767 CE to 820 CE. He was active in juridical matters and his teaching eventually led to the Shafi'i school of fiqh named after him. Hence he is often called Imam al-Shafi'i...
, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh...
.
Muhammad said:
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar
Abdullah ibn Umar was the son of the second Caliph Umar ibn Khattab. He was a prominent authority in hadith and law, and was known for his neutrality toward factions engaged in the first civil war within the Muslim community ....
said: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good."
Ibn 'Abbaas also said: "Indeed the most detestable of things to Allaah are the innovations."
Sufyan Al-Thawri mentions: "Innovation is more beloved to Iblees
Devil (Islam)
In Islam, the Devil is known as or . According to the Qurʾān, God created Iblis out of "smokeless fire or from the pure flame of fire" and created man out of clay...
than sin, since a sin may be repented
Repentance in Islam
The word Tawbah in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what God has prohibited and returning to what He has commanded. The subject of repentance is one which concerns all people who believe in God, and is central to Islamic belief as well. It...
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-Fudayl bin 'Iyaad mentions: "I met the best of people, all of them people of the Sunnah
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
and they used to forbid from accompanying the people of innovation".
Hasan al-Basri mentions: "Do not sit with the people of innovation and desires, nor argue with them, nor listen to them".
Ibraaheem ibn Maysarah mentions: "Whoever honours an innovator has aided in the destruction of Islaam."
Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari mentions: "The innovators are like scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s. They bury their heads and bodies in the sand and leave their tails out. When they get the chance they sting; the same with the innovators who conceal themselves amongst the people, when they are able, they do what they desire."
Abu Haatim said: "A sign of the people of innovation is their battling against the people of Narrations."
Abu 'Uthmaan as-Saaboonee said: "The signs of the people of innovation are clear and obvious. The most apparent of their signs is their severe enmity for those who carry the reports of the Prophet."
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen
Sheikh Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen at-Tamimi an-Najdi was one of the most prominent Sunni Islamic scholars of the latter half of the twentieth century...
, a prominent modern-day scholar, wrote: "And there is no such thing in Islaam as bid’ah hasanah (good innovation)."
When a religious innovation is implemented, it is generally felt that the innovator is assuming that the Sunnah is not good enough, that he must resort to something "better." Even though this statement would be an admission of disbelief
Kafir
Kafir is an Arabic term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever"...
- there are some innovations that contain shirk and there are some which allow someone to remain a Muslim, while his action is rejected (regardless of any sincerity it might have had).
Lawful and unlawful innovations
The criterion that qualifies a particular action as a bid`ah in the religion is a debate amongst Sunni scholars. There are some who argue for a definition that entails anything not specifically performed or confirmed by the Prophet. This is essentially the stance taken by Muhamamd ibn al-Uthaymeen as quoted above. Arguing for this position, Muhammad ibn Salih al-Munajjid, a famous Saudi Arabia scholar declares:Others, however opine that an action which has a precedent in the Qur'an or Sunna and does not contradict any established rulings cannot be deemed a bid'ah by the mere fact it did not exist in specific form during the Prophet's time, even if it is religious in nature. In explanation of a famous statement attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab, Imam al-Shafi`i, stated:
The latter is the expressed position of three of the four accepted schools of Sunni jurisprudence, with some of the most widely recognized authorities declaring as much. The Hanbalis
Hanbali
The Hanbali school is one the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. The jurisprudence school traces back to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal but was institutionalized by his students. Hanbali jurisprudence is considered very strict and conservative, especially regarding questions of dogma...
, however understand bid'ah to be either legal (and thus impermissible) or linguistic - the latter being something which has a precedent in the law. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
Ibn Rajab
Zain ad-Din, Abu al-Faraj, 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-Barakat Mas'ud as-Sulami, al-Baghdadi, al-Hanbali, also known as Ibn Rajab, which was a nickname he inherited from his grandfather who was born the month of Rajab, was a Muslim...
, for instance, states in commentary of the hadith, "Beware of newly introduced matters, for every innovation is a straying,"
Despite the general understanding of standing scholarly disagreements (ikhtilaf
Ikhtilaf
Ikhtilaf is an Islamic scholarly religious disagreement, and is hence the opposite of ijma.Islam teaches that when there is a scholarly disagreement on a certain issue, it is impermissible to condemn a person who follows a position that is different from one's own...
), the notion of lawful innovation is a polarizing issue in the Islamic world. A practical example of this is the debate over the permissibility of the mawlid
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
or commemoration of the Prophet's birthday. All scholars agree that such celebrations did not exist in the early period of Islamic history, and yet mawalid commemorations are a common element in Muslim societies around the world. Even so, Sunnis scholars are divided between emphatic unconditional condemnation and conditional acceptance of the celebration with the former claiming it is a bid'ah and the latter arguing it is a bid'ah hasana.
According to Shia Islam
According to Shia Islam the definition of bid'ah is anything that is introduced to Islam as either being fardFard
also is an Islamic term which denotes a religious duty. The word is also used in Persian, Turkish, and Urdu in the same meaning....
, mustahabb
Mustahabb
Mustahabb is an Islamic term referring to recommended, favored or virtuous actions.-Definition:Mustahabb actions are those whose status of approval in Islamic law falls between mubah and wajib...
, makruh
Makruh
In Islamic terminology, something which is makruh is a disliked or offensive act . Though it is not haram and therefore not a sin, a person who abstains from this action will be rewarded. Muslims are encouraged to avoid such actions when possible...
or haram
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
and/or that contradicts the Qur'an or hadith.
Any new good practice that is practiced that does not contradict the Qur'an or hadith is permissible. However, it is not permissible to say that a new good practice (that does not contradict the Qur'an or hadith) is obligatory or highly recommended.
As a general rule in Shi'a belief, anything is permissible except whatever is prohibited through divine revelation such as the Qur'an or hadith.
Sunni View
- The Perfection of the Sharia and an Exposition of the Reprehensible Innovations That Have Crept Into Islam
- Innovation in Light of the Perfection of the Shari'ah
- Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen on innovations
- Expounding Bid'ah
- Bid’ah: a Detailed Explanation from Living Islam
- The Concept of Bid'a by Nuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim Keller is an American Muslim translator of Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic law, as well as being authorised by Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri as a sheikh in sufism in the Shadhili Order...
- Innovation and Creativity in Islam by Dr. Umar Fard Abd-Allah