bid`ah (innovation)

by khaleel mohammed

".... the worst of affairs is that of innovations, and each innovation is a

wrongdoing, and each wrongdoing is in the hellfire." [muslim, an-nasa�i]

this pronouncement, according to a hadith reported by jabir, is part of the

preamble with which allah�s messenger customarily began his friday sermon. the
arabic word generally used for "innovation" is bid`ah. indeed, so well known is
it that both non-arab and arab muslims are familiar with it, even though they
may not know its meaning. and the reason this word is so famous is because allah�s

messenger never ceased to exhort against its evil.

what then is bid`ah? before any attempt is made to explain it, the law regarding
islamic arabic terminology should be explained. that is, every word has a
lexical meaning and a jurisprudential meaning. for example, the word shahadah
literally means "a statement of witness." if someone saw a violation of law and
reported this to the police, his "statement of witness" is said to be his
shahadah. but in islamic terminology, the term shahadah refers to the "attestation

that there is no being worthy of worship in truth except allah (s.w.t) and that
muhammad (s.a.a.w) is his messenger." nikaah literally means "sexual intercourse."

and since the marriage contract essentially legalizes this intercourse, nikaah
is the jurisprudential term used for this contract.

bid`ah, in lexical definition, is something that has no antecedent example.

therefore, it is an invention, an innovation. it comes from the root word bada`a.
allah uses a derivative of this root in the qur,an: "bringer into being (badee`)
of the heavens and earth. . . ." [sura al baqarah/the cow/2:117], because,
before allah decreed their existence, there was nothing like them.

in following this lexical meaning of the word, an aeroplane, an automobile, a

gun, etc., are all examples of bid`ah. in jurisprudence, however, bid`ah is the
term applied to any act (of religion) that has no source legislation in the qur�an

or sunnah [subul us salaam, al hafiz ibn hajar al asqalani]. and this, according
to absolute unanimity of the scholars, is the bid`ah that is forbidden.

yet for some strange reason, when interpreting bid`ah, a lot of muslims fail to
apply the earlier mentioned law regarding islamic terminology. there are muslims
who go as far as saying that since the automobile is bid`ah, and since the
prophet forbade bid`ah, we should not use automobiles! why is it that they do
not go to the scholars of religion to seek an explanation? does allah (s.w.t)
not say in the qur'an:

"o ye who believe! obey allah, and obey the messenger and those in authority
among you . . . " [sura an nisa�/women/4:59]

"those in authority among you," as explained by dr. taha al-alwani, with source
references, "are the scholars able to deduce judgements and leaders entrusted by
the umma and have authority regarding allah�s shari`ah, and stick to it without
falsification." [introduction to kaifa nata `aamal ma �al qur�an, dr. yusuf al
qardawi].

and to further elucidate the matter for those who deliberately seek to change
the meaning of allah�s message, shaykh ali al tantawi explains the matter thus.
all our affairs are divided into:

al umoor al dunyawiyah (worldly affairs).

al umoor al deeniyah (religious affairs).

in our worldly affairs, bid`ah is absolutely necessary for progress; and in our
religious affairs, bid`ah is totally forbidden. the fundamental fiqh rule -- the
general rule in all things except religious affairs is that it is allowable --
and, if applied to our subject shows how islam regards bid`ah; that is, it is
forbidden in any type of worship or other religious matters, but allowable in
all others.

there are still those who, out of ignorance, seek to disparage the �ulama� and
reject hadith, claiming that only the clear words of the qur�an will convince
them. how then do they continue with their innovations when allah (s.w.t) tells
us in the qur�an:

"this day i have completed for you your religion, completed my favor upon you,
and have chosen for you islam as your religion." [sura al ma�idah/the
table/spread/5:3]

are they assuming that allah (s.w.t) did not know what he was speaking about
when he used the word "completed?" are they assuming that abul qasim [prophet
muhammad] (s.a.a.w) did not complete his duty? or are they assuming that anyone
can add on to what allah (s.w.t) has deemed to be al islam?

we can see what bid`ah has done to the other religions. it was "bid`ah" in
doctrine that led to the deification of christ, and likewise it was bid`ah in
law that led to the concept that allah consults with the rabbis in planning the
affairs of this world.

say: o people of the book! exceed not in your religion, going beyond truth, nor
follow the vain desires of people who went astray before you, who misled many,
and strayed from the even way. [sura al ma�idah/the table spread/5:77]

bid`ah is now so widespread, so rampant, that people take it to be sunnah and

treat sunnah as if it is bid�ah. examples of prevalent bid`ah are: the "40-day
work" for the deceased, ta�azim for the prophet and his companions, and communal
recitation of the qur'an.

islam is so simple, so beautiful. why burden ourselves with rituals that cause
us pain in both worlds? so, do we seek guidance from those who do not know or
from allah (s.w.t) and his messenger? how do we compare those who invent new
rituals in our religion with the prophet of whom allah (s.w.t) says:

ye have indeed in the messenger of allah a fine conduct for anyone whose hope is
in allah and the final day, and who engages much in the remembrance of allah ....
[sura al ahzab/the clans/33:21]

posted september 16, 1998. this article was printed in the december 1993 issue
of the voice of islam newsletter. (this newsletter is published by the islamic
society of the washington area).