How Do We Know What Is and What Is Not a Bid`ah?
Contributor: Translated by Abu Rumaysah
Creator: Shaykh `Alee Hasan `Alee `Abdul Hameed
Date: 2007-07-07
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=267
Language: en
Subject: sunnah
Title: How Do We Know What Is and What Is Not a Bid`ah?
Created on: Sat Jul 07 13:23:38 -0400 2007
Updated on: Sat Jul 07 13:23:38 -0400 2007
Version: 1
Abstract: ... worship but are actually from the habits of the disbelievers." 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: "What some of the scholars, especially the later ones, have textually stated to be recommended while there is no evidence for this." 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: "Every action of worship whose manner of performance has only come via a weak or fabricated hadeeth." 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: "Going to excesses in worship." 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 be... [Full Article...]
