Bidah.

Com
A Concise Explanation of the Shariah Definition of Bidah
and Its Proofs From the Prophetic Sunnah
Posted by Abu.Iyaad on Tuesday, July, 19 2011 and filed under Foundations

This article should be read alongside this one (on the completion and perfection of the Shariah) and
this one (al-Shatibi's definition of bidah).
Ahl al-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 bidah (). In this article we will present the Prophetic definition of bidah. Before
proceeding into the main subject of the article, we will quickly mention the linguistic definition of bidah.

The Linguistic Definition of Bidah

The linguistic definition of bidah is provided by () , "Something
invented without having any prior example." This is based upon its usage in the Qur'an in
the saying of Allaah, (
) , "Say: "I am not a new thing amongst the

Messengers" (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 the saying of Allaah, (
), "The originator of the heavens and the

earth" (2:117), meaning the one who originated them without them having any prior
example. This definition of bidah 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 bidah is "anything which has no prior example for it." And there
are from the Salaf those who used the word bidah specifically upon its linguistic meaning
(not its Shariah 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 Shariah).
Shariah definitions of words differ from linguistic meanings because the Shariah may
restrict, qualify, expand, or attach conditions (to the linguistic meaning) to give a new
conceptual meaning which is employed by the Shariah to address the people. Examples
include, prayer (), belief, faith (), charity ( )amongst others, all of which have
intended Shariah 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 Shariah Definition of Bidah is Founded Upon Five Statements of the Messenger (alayhis
salaam)
The conception of the word bidah ( )as intended by the Shariah 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.
1. The First Hadeeth of Aa'ishah
Both al-Bukhari and Muslim relate the hadeeth of Aa'ishah (radiallaahu anhaa), which is the foundation
of the definition of bidah in the Shariah:

: :

Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which does not belong to it, will
have it rejected.
Al-Shatibi's definition of bidah (see article here) is in fact founded upon this hadeeth, since this
hadeeth has provided three very important conditions or restrictions which have made the
meaning of bidah intended by the Shariah to be something unique. As such, nothing is considered a
bidah in the Shariah sense except when these conditions are met.
These three conditions are:
( )- Introducing something new
( )- Ascribing it to the religion
( ) - Absence of Shariah evidence [for this newly-introduced matter] in either a
general way or a specific way
These three qualifications are found in the hadeeth itself:
First, he (alayhis salaam) said, (

) , 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. Second, he (alayhis salaam) then qualified and
restricted this by saying () , which has now made it specific to the religion, so this
newly-invented thing must be ascribed to the Shariah 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 Shariah (like
stealing, fornicating gambling and so on), since no one takes them as being from the
religion when falling into them. Third, it could be the case that this newly-invented thing
may have a basis in the Shariah, so he (alayhis salaam) further qualified the affair and
said (
) , which means, as explained by the Scholars, that it has no support from the
Shariah, neither in a general sense (a general evidence) or in a specific sense (a specific

evidence). An example of a general, non-specific evidence would be in the case of the

compilation of the Qur'an into a single book (mushaf), since this comes under a general
foundation in the Shariah which is the preservation of the religion (as one of the five
essential matters it came to protect, religion, life, intellect, wealth, honour). So the
compilation of the Qur'an exits from the Shariah definition of bidah. And an example of
specific evidence would be that of the Tarawih prayer being prayed in congregation that
was initiated by Umar bin al-Khattaab. This has a direct, specific evidence (the Prophet
led the people in congregational Tarawih prayer for three nights in Ramadan in the
mosque), and thus it exits from being a bidah in the Shariah sense. The same would
apply to all legislated matters which have been forgotten or abandoned, and which are
revived, they do not come under bidah with its Shariah 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 saying of
Umar bin al-Khattaab () , "What an excellent innovation this is" about his reinstituting the Tarawih prayer in congregation in the mosque.
This is the same understanding of bidah that is found in the explanations of the overwhelming majority
of Scholars such as Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and others. And everything that
comes under this definition is what is intended by the Messenger (alayhis salaam) in his saying (

), "Every innovation is misguidance." Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:

So his saying (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) 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 (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam),
"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 Shariah meaning and
from [the examples of that] is the saying of Umar (radiallaahu anhu) when he gathered
the people together for praying in Ramadan behind a single imaam in the mosque.
Jami' al-Ulum al-Hikam of Ibn Rajab in explanation of the hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah
(2/128).

And Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said:

And what is intended by his saying "Every innnovation is misguidance" is whatever
is newly-introduced and has no evidence in the Shariah in neither a general way nor a
specific way. Fath al-Bari (13/253).
And he also said:

" "
" "


And "the newly invented matters" (), with the fathah on the daal, is the plural
of novelty ( )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 Shari'ah
as innovation (). As for what has a basis indicated by the Shari'ah then it is not an
innovation. For "innovation" in the usage of the Shari'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. Fath al-Bari (13/253).
2. The Second Hadeeth of Aa'ishah
Muslim relates the hadeeth of Aa'ishah (radiallaahu anhaa) with his wording, in addition to the one
above, that the Prophet (alayhis salaam) said:

Whoever did an action which is not upon our affair will have it rejected.
3. The Third Hadeeth of Ai'shah (through Ibn Isa)
And Abu Dawud relates in his Sunan, from Ibn Isa, that the Prophet (alayhis salaam) said:

Whoever worked an affair in discrepancy with ours will have it rejected. Sahih. See
Sahih al-Jami al-Saghir (no. 6369)

The second and third hadeeths 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 Shariah 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 Shariah. Thus, both the bidah haqiqiyyah (proper
innovation) and bidah idafiyyah (relative innovation) - [see this article] - are both clarified in the
Sunnah, warned against, and rejected.
4. The Hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah
There occurs in the well known hadeeth of al-Irbaad bin Saariyah (radiallahu anhu) about the
Prophet's farewell sermon:

,
And beware of the newly-introduced affairs, for every newly-introduced affair is an
innovation, and every innovation is misguidance. Reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and alTirmidhi.

This hadeeth establishes that everything which falls under the confines of the first three ahaadeeth bidah haqiqiyyah, bidah idafiyyah and which meet the three conditions of a) introducing, b) ascribing
and c) absence of general or specific evidence -is a misguided innovation (
) . There are no
exceptions to this because the precise nature of the bidah intended has already been qualified by the
Messenger (alayhis salaam) in what has preceded. Thus, the word (
) 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 Shariah and as intended by the Shariah, which has narrowed
down, restricted and qualified the linguistic meaning.
The Hadeeth of Jabir bin Abdullaah
Al-Nasaa'ee relates with his wording, from Jaabir bin Abdullaah (radiallaahu anhu) the following:

:

:

The Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) used to say when delivering a
sermon:
To proceed: Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allaah 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-Nasa'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 bidah in the Shariah,
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 Shariah definitions of
the word bidah, 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 Shariah 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.
Refer to:
al-I'tisam of al-Shatibee
Qawa'id Ma'rifat al-Bida' of Muhammad al-Jizani.
Further related reading:
Imaam al-Shatibee Explaining bidah haqiqiyyah and bidah idafiyyah - (see here)
Innovation Is of Two Types, Haqeeqiyyah (Essential, Proper) and Idaafiyyah (Relative) - (see
here)
Imam al-Shatibi's Comprehensive and Definitive Definition of Bid'ah - (see here)
The Completion and Perfection of the Shari'ah - (see here)