What is Innovation (Bid’ah)?
In the lexicon, bid’ah is used for two meanings.
➊ A new thing that has been created without any previous example. Accordingly, Allah Almighty’s statement is also in this sense.
قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ
Say, “I am not a new prophet.”
Meaning, I am not the first messenger; rather, many messengers were sent before me, and after some time, I was also sent. And at another place in the Holy Quran, it is stated:
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
Meaning, the One who creates the heavens and the earth in a new way.
Because He created the heavens and the earth in a manner that had no previous example.
➋ The second meaning of bid’ah is to become tired or exhausted. For example, when a camel sits on the road due to illness, weakness, or fatigue, it is said: ابدعت الابل meaning the camel sat down due to tiredness, etc.
The Jurisprudential Meaning of Bid’ah :.
There is some difference of opinion among scholars regarding the determination of the jurisprudential meaning of Bid’ah. Some consider Bid’ah to be the opposite of Sunnah, while other scholars believe that anything introduced after the era of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is Bid’ah, whether it is good or bad.
The comprehensive definition of Bid’ah, as narrated by Imam Shatibi, is that Bid’ah refers to a method introduced in religion that takes the form of Shariah and is intended to seek nearness to Allah Almighty, but there is no authentic and Shariah-based evidence regarding the validity or the original basis of this method.
Definition of Bid’ah from the Language of Prophethood :.
It is narrated from Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would deliver a sermon, he would first praise Allah in a manner befitting Him, and then say:
من يهده الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له وخير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدى هدى محمد وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة
Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whoever He misguides, none can guide him. The best speech is the Book of Allah, the best path is the path of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the worst matters are those newly invented in the religion; every innovation is misguidance.
In another noble hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the Friday sermon:
أن خير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدى هدى محمد وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة
The best speech is the Book of Allah, the best path is the path of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the worst deeds are those newly invented, and every innovation is misguidance.
Reflect on this noble hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained by contrasting his Sunnah and way with innovation that whatever is newly invented against my Sunnah and the religion I brought is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and misguidance leads to the Hellfire.
As he (peace be upon him) said at another place:
من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد
Meaning, whoever introduces something in our religion that was not part of it, that thing will be rejected.
In a hadith it is said:
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
Whoever does an action which we have not commanded, that action is rejected and unacceptable.
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة
Keep yourself away from newly invented innovations; indeed every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance.
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ما ليس فيه فهو رد
Whoever introduces something into our religion that is not part of it, it is rejected.
The hadith of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is:
عن جابر بن عبد الله ، قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أما بعد فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدى هدى محمد وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: After praise and thanks to Allah, the best speech is the Book of Allah, the best path is the path of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the worst deed is to introduce a new matter in the religion, and every innovation is misguidance.
The words of Sunan an-Nasa’i are as follows; I will quote the last part of the hadith:
كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة وكل ضلالة فى النار
Every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance, the end of which is Hellfire.
In Ibn Majah, there is a noble hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
عن العرباض بن سارية قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فإياكم والأمور المحدثات فإن كل بدعة ضلالة
Hazrat Arabadh bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Avoid new things in religion because every new matter is misguidance.
The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not even like to respond to the greetings of innovators:
It is narrated from Hazrat Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man came to Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: So-and-so sends you greetings. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I have heard that this man has innovated in religion, so if he has indeed innovated, then do not return his greeting from me.
There is Allah’s curse on those who spread innovations:
عن عاصم قال قلت لأنس أحرم رسول الله المدينة قال نعم ما بين كذا وكذا لا يقطع شجرها من أحدث فيها حدثا فعليه لعنة الله والملائكة والناس أجمعين
Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) if the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared Medina a sanctuary? He said yes, from such and such place to such and such place no tree should be cut. Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever introduces an innovation here, upon him is the curse of Allah, His angels, and all people.
In the noble hadith, it is stated that the one who innovates will bear the burden of others as well:
عن كثير بن عبد الله بن عمرو بن عوف المزني قال حدثني أبى عن جدي أن رسول الله قال من أحيا سنة من سنتي فعمل بها الناس كان له مثل أجر من عمل بها لا ينقص من أجورهم شيئا ومن ابتدع بدعة فعمل بها كان عليه أوزار من عمل بها لا ينقص من أوزار من عمل بها شيئا
Kaseer bin Abdullah bin Umar bin Awf al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) said that my father narrated from his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Whoever revives one of my Sunnahs and people act upon it, the one who revived it will receive the reward equal to all those who acted upon it, without diminishing their own rewards. And whoever introduces an innovation and people act upon it, the innovator will bear the sins of all those who act upon that innovation, while the sinners themselves will not have any reduction in their own punishment.
There is Allah’s curse on those who support innovators.
عن على رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لعن الله من ذبح لغير الله ولعن الله من سرق منار الأرض ولعن الله من لعن والده ولعن الله من آوى محدثا
Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah has cursed the one who slaughters an animal in the name of other than Allah, who steals the signs of the earth, who curses his parents, and who gives refuge to an innovator.
Reflect that there is a curse on those who give refuge to innovators, so how much curse will be on the innovator himself, due to which others also become cursed. Muslims should protect themselves from this accursed act.
The Fate of the One Who Calls Towards Misguidance:
عن أبى هريرة أن رسول الله قال من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئا ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الإثم مثل آثام من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من آثامهم شيئا
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Whoever invites people to guidance will receive the reward equal to those who follow that guidance, without diminishing their reward in the least. Similarly, whoever invites people to misguidance will bear the sin of all those who follow that misguidance, without diminishing their sins in the least.
According to the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him), innovation (bid’ah) is a great misguidance. All those who invite towards it are criminals, and all those who follow their invitation are also criminals and will not escape Allah’s punishment. Those who invite towards the truth and guidance sent by Allah and those who accept it are deserving of great reward.
It is narrated from Hazrat Arabadh bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين عضوا عليها بالنواجذ وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل بدعة ضلالة
Hold firmly to my Sunnah and the way of my rightly guided Caliphs. Hold fast to it firmly and avoid innovations in religion, for every innovation is misguidance.
In this blessed hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) commands adherence to the Sunnah as well as avoidance of innovations. One should always pray to Allah that He enables Muslims to follow the Sunnah and protects them from innovation and misguidance, because following innovation leads to Hellfire, and following the Sunnah leads to Paradise.
Allah does not accept any act of an innovator, and the innovator is also expelled from Islam.
It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لا يقبل الله لصاحب بدعة صوما ولا صلاة ولا صدقة ولا حجا ولا عمرة ولا جهادا ولا صرفا ولا عدلا يخرج من الإسلام كما تخرج الشعرة من العجين
Allah does not accept the fasting, nor the prayer, nor the charity of an innovator; neither his Hajj nor Umrah nor his Jihad is accepted; nor does He accept any obligatory or voluntary act of worship performed by an innovator. Rather, the one who innovates is expelled from Islam just as a hair is removed from kneaded dough.
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah does not accept the repentance of an innovator until he abandons the innovation.
From these prophetic instructions, the severity of innovation can be clearly understood. After this, it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to sincerely strive to avoid the great sin of innovation and to make an effort to learn the definition of innovation so that after recognizing innovation, he can easily keep himself away from acts of innovation.
Summary of the Definition of Innovation (Bid’ah) in the Light of the Sayings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ :.
We can briefly define innovation (bid’ah) as adding something new to the religion, and in more detail, we can say that adding an act to the religion for which there is no evidence from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the righteous companions, while the doer considers it a deed of reward and a means of salvation for himself, is called innovation.
The religion of Islam is a complete code of life and a guideline for all fields of life, and the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the best example and model. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said that there is nothing that brings you closer to Paradise and distances you from Hellfire except that I have commanded you to follow it, and there is nothing that brings you closer to Hellfire and distances you from Paradise except that I have forbidden you from it.
The religion of Islam was completed during the life of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and there is no room left for any addition in it, as Allah Almighty says:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.”
So what is the harm in it after all?
A misconception is presented that if this practice is not proven from the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, then what harm is there if the deed is good? But remember, innovation (bid’ah) always appears in the guise of goodness. This does not mean that because this act appears good to people, it is a good deed.
Hearing such things, even those who adhere to the Sunnah fall prey to it and initially become confused. They say, “Sir, the work we are doing is a good deed, so what is wrong with doing it? Indeed, it is not proven from the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم or the Companions رضی اللہ عنھم, but if there is no harm or defect in it, then why do you prevent us from it?” There is no doubt that there is no harm in doing good deeds. There is also no doubt that a good deed is praiseworthy wherever and whenever it is done. There is also no doubt that those who prevent good deeds are disobedient and sinful.
But…! The question is, what exactly is virtue?
Who will tell what is good, what is reward, what is recompense, and what is sin and evil? And then who will decide that this is the way to do good, this is the means to attain such reward, and these are its limits and conditions? If every person defines goodness and its method according to their own perspective, then religion will become a joke. The purpose of the Prophets’ missions will be lost. Only the Noble Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, can determine what the way of doing good is and what its limits are. No one else can be given this authority. During the time of the Companions, many incidents occurred in which some people did good deeds involving the remembrance of Allah and worship, yet they were stopped. When they were told that this method was not established from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, they immediately ceased.
We present below some examples of actions that apparently had no harm and were good deeds, but because they were not established from the Prophet, peace be upon him, the Companions did not allow them to become customary. For example, in a long narration, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, says that before the Fajr prayer, we used to sit at the door of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, and when he left the house, we would accompany him to the mosque. One day, while we were sitting, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him, came and asked, “Has Abu Abdur-Rahman (Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him) gone out?” We replied, “No.” Upon hearing this, Abu Musa also sat down until Ibn Mas’ud came out, and we all stood up towards him. Then Abu Musa addressed him and said:
“O Abu Abdur-Rahman, I have just come from the mosque having seen something new.” Ibn Mas’ud asked, “What is it?” Abu Musa replied, “If life permits, you will also see it. The matter is that some people have formed circles inside the mosque waiting for the prayer. Everyone has pebbles in their hands, and in each circle, one person instructs them to say الله اكبر one hundred times, so everyone says الله اكبر one hundred times. Then he says to say الحمد لله one hundred times, so they say الحمد لله one hundred times. Then he says to say سبحان الله one hundred times, and they say سبحان الله one hundred times.”
Upon hearing this, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him, “What did you say to those people?” Abu Musa replied, “I thought I should first know your opinion, so I said nothing there.” Ibn Mas’ud said, “Why did you not tell them to count their sins? I give you an open guarantee that your good deeds will not be lost.” Saying this, Ibn Mas’ud proceeded towards the mosque and stood near one of those circles and asked, “What is happening here?” People replied, “O Abu Abdur-Rahman, these are pebbles on which we are counting takbirs, tahleels, and tasbihs.”
Ibn Mas’ud said, “Instead of this, count your own sins, and I take responsibility that not a single one of your good deeds will be lost.” It is astonishing for the Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon him, that while the Companions of your Prophet, peace be upon him, are still present in large numbers, while the clothes left by your Prophet, peace be upon him, are not torn, and his utensils are not broken, you have perished so quickly. By the One in whose hand is my life, you are either following a Shariah better than the Shariah brought by Muhammad, peace be upon him, which is impossible, or you are opening the door to misguidance.” People replied, “O Abu Abdur-Rahman, by Allah, our intention in this practice was nothing but good.” Ibn Mas’ud said, “Many seekers of good never reach goodness.” Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There will be a people who will recite the Qur’an, but it will not go beyond their throats.” By Allah, I do not know, perhaps most of them are among you.” Saying this, Ibn Mas’ud returned from there. The narrator of the hadith, Amr ibn Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, says that we saw those common people of those circles fighting alongside the Khawarij against us in the Battle of Nahrawan.
Dear readers, this work consists of the following points:
The One who initiated the practice did not remain heedless of explaining the method of practice. When Allah Almighty prescribed dhikr and adhkar, He also specified the method of dhikr and adhkar. Accordingly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to count tasbih on his right hand and said that on the Day of Judgment, the tasbih will bear witness. An additional innovation (bid’ah) is also misguidance. An additional innovation is when the proof of the original practice exists, but there is no evidence for the manner and method, and it is called additional because it is neither explicitly against the Shariah nor against the Sunnah method.
Thus, those people who used to sit in circles in the mosque and recite tasbih on pebbles had neither uttered any blasphemous statement nor committed any bad deed; rather, they were engaged in the established remembrance of Allah, which is a legitimate and recommended act. But because this practice was contrary to the method taught by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Sunnah, as the Prophet ﷺ did not teach dhikr in this manner, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, strongly reprimanded those people and said, “Count your own sins.” The practice that is according to the method of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the actions of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, will be accepted by Allah, otherwise it will be rejected.
Those who say that this act is good and there is no harm in doing it should reflect. This also proves that reprimanding and forbidding actions contrary to the method of the Messenger ﷺ is the Sunnah of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, was especially among those Companions who strongly reprimanded innovations and kept the people of innovation away from themselves.
The Practice of Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him)
Once, a person sneezed and after sneezing recited الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله. Hazrat Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما immediately stopped him and said:
ما هكذا علمنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بل قال إذا عطس أحدكم فليحمد الله ولم يقل وليصل على رسول الله
The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم did not teach us this way; rather, he said that when someone sneezes, they should say الحمد لله, and it was never commanded to recite والصلوة والسلام على رسول الله.
It is understood that the Companions رضي الله عنهم would refute anyone who violated the authentic Sunnah, and sometimes their refutation was strict regardless of who the person was. Some people say that this is not proven from the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, so what harm is there in it if the statement is good? About such people, Allah Almighty says:
قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا
Say, “Shall We inform you of those who are in greatest loss concerning their deeds? Those whose effort is lost in worldly life while they think that they are doing well in work.”
Every person in the world who is caught in innovation considers it a good deed in their own mind and thinks that actively participating in it is a cause of reward and salvation for themselves.
An innovator will neither be able to reach the Pond of Kawthar nor will they receive the intercession of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “At the Pond of Kawthar, I will wait for you. Some of you will come whom I will recognize, but when I try to take them, they will be stopped from me. I will say, ‘O Lord, these are my followers.’ Allah will say, ‘What new things did they innovate in the religion after you?'”
Believe it or not, O soul, you have the choice
We are called good or bad by others
The Real Truth Behind Hafizur Rahman Qadri’s Arguments in Favor of Innovation :
Qadri Sahib correctly defines innovation. But at the same time, he begins to promote his Barelvi philosophy. He writes that the blessed Hadith states that every innovation is misguidance, meaning starting a new act of worship within the religion is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hellfire.
He further says that if, hypothetically, the meaning of the blessed Hadith is accepted as he understands it, then this definition would also apply to the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, as they also introduced new acts, for example, compiling the Quran.
The Answer :
The compilation of the Quran is not an innovation because, due to the large number of Hafiz (memorizers) among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) being martyred in the war, the Companions compiled the Quran to preserve it. This task was taken by Allah Almighty from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) because it is stated in the Quran:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.
Thus, the beginning of the compilation of the Quran was done through the suggestion of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and by the efforts of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). Before this, the Quran was written in the form of parchments, as Allah Almighty says:
يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُطَهَّرَةً
That is, the Messenger of Allah recites purified parchments.
The only difference was that the parchments were scattered and separate; they were gathered together. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not compile the Quran on their own initiative; rather, like the promise of preserving the Quran, this was also the fulfillment of Allah’s promise regarding the compilation of the Quran:
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ
Indeed, it is upon Us to collect it and to recite it.
The preservation of the Quran is a goal, and its compilation is the means to achieve that goal, as Allah Almighty has stated, and the Companions acted upon this and compiled the Quran.
The second answer is that this task was carried out by the command of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them), whose obedience and following was commanded by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Hazrat Arabadh bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين عضوا عليها بالنواجذ وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل بدعة ضلالة
Hold firmly to my Sunnah and the way of my rightly guided Caliphs. Hold fast to it and beware of newly invented matters in religion, for every innovation is misguidance.
From this blessed hadith, it is proven that accepting the actions of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) is obedience to the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), because in this hadith the actions of the Companions who were the Rightly Guided Caliphs are removed from the category of innovation. The deeds of these Companions are not innovations but are part of the Sunnah. Therefore, it is absolutely incorrect for Qadri Sahib to involve the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in innovation; following them is following the Sunnah. Moreover, all the Companions were unanimous on the compilation of the Quran, which is indeed a consensus and a proof, because it is inconceivable, may Allah protect us, that this sacred group could agree upon any misguidance or error.
The accomplishment of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding the compilation of the Quran is an act recognized by reason. In fact, any rational person would not hesitate to accept it. It is also a principle that whatever the Companions unanimously agree upon cannot be declared an innovation. The Companions are free from innovations; therefore, the objection of innovation regarding the compilation of the Quran is invalid.
After explaining the above points, it becomes clear that innovation opposes the actions of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) because innovation does not consider the interests of Shariah but is linked to the personal interests of those who introduce innovations.
What the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did were acts acceptable to reason. For a follower of the Sunnah, it is clear that using the actions of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) as evidence for innovation is incorrect; rather, the actions of the Companions themselves serve as proof against the innovators and refute their beliefs.
Qadri Sahib’s Second Argument:
He writes that the Taraweeh prayer was not performed in the blessed physical life of the Prophet of the Worlds, the Light Manifested, peace be upon him, in the way we are performing it today. During the blessed month of Ramadan, the Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, said that standing at night is a voluntary prayer for you. He further writes that in this regard, performing the Taraweeh prayer in congregation is an innovation, and reading the entire Quran in it is also an innovation, as almost everyone is doing this.
First Response:
Taraweeh prayer, Salat al-Layl, is a prescribed act and is explicitly proven from the text of the Hadith, as Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
أن النبى لما أحيا بالناس ليلة فى رمضان صلى ثماني ركعات وأوتر
Meaning, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the people in night vigil during one night of Ramadan, he prayed eight rak’ahs and then offered Witr.
Not only this, but performing Taraweeh prayer in congregation is also proven from the Sunnah because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) led the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in congregational Taraweeh prayer for three nights. After three nights, he stopped the congregation out of fear that the night prayer might be made obligatory upon his Ummah, as narrated by Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
ولكن خشيت أن تفرض عليكم فتعجزوا عنها
Meaning, I stopped the congregational prayer out of fear that it might be made obligatory upon you and then you would not be able to perform it.
But when the revelation ceased, that concern also disappeared which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had regarding the congregational Taraweeh prayer becoming obligatory, because a cause arises and ceases according to the existence or non-existence of its reason. Therefore, when the cause was removed, the Sunnah of performing Taraweeh prayer in congregation remained intact. This continued until the time of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who ordered and enforced performing eleven rak’ahs in congregation according to the Prophetic Sunnah, thus reviving this Sunnah once again.
Second Answer:
This practice was done by the Rightly Guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them, whose following was commanded by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
It is understood that the actions done in following the Rightly Guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them, fall under the ruling of Sunnah, not the evidence of Sunnah. Qadri Sahib’s claim that congregational Taraweeh prayer is an innovation is a result of his lack of reflection.
Qadri Sahib’s Third Argument:
It is written that the second call to Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) was during the apparent blessed life of the Prophet of the Worlds, the Manifest Light, peace be upon him, there was only one call to Jumu’ah. During the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with them), there continued to be only one call. When the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) came, he (may Allah be pleased with him) felt that people had become very busy with their businesses; the time between the call to prayer before the sermon and the prayer itself was short, and people found it difficult to wrap up their business and join the congregation. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) instituted the second call to Friday prayer, which is an innovation (bid’ah). Almost all Muslims perform this innovation.
Answer:
Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), because he is a rightly guided Caliph whose following was commanded by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself, accepting his words is acting upon the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him). His actions fall under the category of Sunnah, not innovation. Moreover, giving a second Adhan on Friday is not necessary; in hundreds of our mosques, only one Adhan is given. If someone today follows the method of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and limits themselves to one Adhan for Friday, then it is not only permissible but, according to some, the preferred practice.
Qadri Sahib writes:
After the recitation of the Holy Quran, at the end, the reciters read صدق الله العظيم, whereas this is not Sunnah but was introduced much later.
In response, it is stated:
If this practice is not proven from the Sunnah or from the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), then it is an innovation (bid’ah). What is the need to do such acts? How can one innovation become evidence for another? What the Prophet (peace be upon him) did is Sunnah; what he did not do, not doing it is Sunnah. Follow the Sunnah and try to avoid innovations.
Qadri Sahib writes:
In the time of the Master of the Worlds (peace be upon him), animals were used for riding; now mostly vehicles and airplanes are used for riding. Although these are also innovations, there are countless such innovations that we use in daily life; no one can avoid them.
The answer:
Apparently, this matter seems very weighty, but the person who knows the correct definition of innovation (bid’ah) and can recognize it will never fall into this misconception. This misconception is propagated by those who either are not familiar with the definition of innovation or deliberately want to deceive people. Because we have already clarified at the beginning that innovation is called that which is introduced into religion as a new thing with the intention and consideration of reward and merit. The words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, are very clear: من احدث فى امرنا هذا meaning, in our religious matters, whoever introduces something new, not in worldly matters. Now, there is no person in the world who considers riding an airplane or a car as a source of reward or salvation. These are all worldly inventions and have no relation to religion. The mention of rides is in the Holy Quran, as it is stated:
وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And horses and mules and donkeys for you to ride and as adornment. And He creates that which you do not know.
In this blessed verse, the phrase وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ is stated, meaning He will create rides other than these animals that you do not know. This refers to the most modern rides that will come until the Day of Judgment, which have already been invented or will be invented until the Day of Judgment, whether airplanes, cars, or any other rides. Allah Almighty has mentioned all these rides in His Quran. How can this be considered innovation?
Qadri Sahib writes that:
Writing books of Hadith, such as the compilation of blessed Hadiths like Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, the explanation of Hadiths, translations of the Holy Quran, rhetoric, the science of the names of narrators (Ilm al-Rijal), and other sciences which are very necessary for understanding the Quran and Hadith—all these works came into existence after the physical blessed life of the Master of the Worlds, the Manifest Light, peace be upon him, and these fall under the category of innovations (Bid’ah).
The answer:
Qadri Sahib should know that the writing and commissioning of the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had already begun during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Accordingly, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explained issues regarding human rights and the sanctity and respect of Makkah on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah in 8 AH, a Yemeni man requested, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, please have these rulings written down for me.” So the Prophet ﷺ ordered: اكتبو الابي شاه “Write down the Hadith for Abu Shah.”
From this blessed Hadith, it is understood that the Prophet ﷺ had these particular issues written down upon the request of the Yemeni questioner. This proves that the compilation and writing of Hadith had already begun during the Prophetic era ﷺ, and it was further developed with great care during the time of Hazrat Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a Hadith to the tribe of Jahniyah instructing them not to derive benefit from the dead.
Similarly, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) collected Hadith related to judicial rulings, which were known as the Book of Qadaaya (Judgments).
In the last part of his life, the Prophet ﷺ had all the Hadith related to Zakat matters written down in a book called Kitab al-Sadaqah (Book of Charity). However, before it could be sent to the authorities, the Prophet ﷺ passed away. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) implemented it during their respective caliphates and arranged for the collection of Zakat accordingly.
In his final period, the Prophet ﷺ sent a large collection of Hadith to the people of Yemen through Hazrat Amr ibn Hazm (may Allah be pleased with him).
From these blessed Hadith, it is clear that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself ordered and encouraged the writing of his sayings and instructions. Therefore, the writing and commissioning of Hadith was initiated by the Prophet ﷺ himself and carried on by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is the Sunnah of the Messenger and the Sunnah of the Companions. To call this an innovation (bid’ah) is sheer ignorance. If we call the instructions and blessed Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ an innovation, then what will remain of our religion? Those who themselves are innovators see innovation in everything. Their love for Sunnah is less and for innovation is more, which we will explain at the end.
According to Qadri Sahib, the Types of Bid’ah :
Qadri Sahib writes that the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have described three types of good bid’ah:
➊ Permissible Bid’ah
➋ Recommended Bid’ah
➌ Obligatory Bid’ah
And they have described two types of bad bid’ah:
➊ Disliked Bid’ah
➋ Forbidden Bid’ah
Further details are written below.
The Answer :
Qadri Sahib has made a failed attempt to find a way to avoid the warning of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding innovation by saying that there are many types of innovations: one is bad innovation (bad bid’ah) and the other is good innovation (good bid’ah).
In reality, the division of innovation itself is an innovation. The common people are greatly deceived by this. The truth is that there is no basis for this division at all. First of all, after the statement of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: كل بدعة ضلالة “Every innovation is misguidance,”
there is no room for this division that some innovations are good and some are bad. Secondly, the term bad innovation itself is misplaced. Whatever is truly bad, there is no doubt about its illegitimacy. Then what is the status of a self-made division?
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has said that every innovation is misguidance, and misguidance leads to Hellfire. And would innovation not be misguidance even if divided? As for those matters on which there is consensus, the prayer of Taraweeh led by Sayyiduna Farooq-e-Azam رضي الله عنه was a legitimate matter. The compilation of the Holy Quran was a legitimate matter when Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه practically implemented it. When Siddiq Akbar رضي الله عنه and Farooq-e-Azam رضي الله عنه attained felicity, only grammar, syntax, meanings, and expression were legitimate matters. Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه attained felicity in writing, teaching, and narrating Hadith. All these actions were ongoing during the time of the Companions رضي الله عنهم. The command to accept the words of the Rightly Guided Caliphs رضي الله عنهم was given by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself, which is part of the command of Sunnah.
Emphasizing these matters to prove innovation is a backdoor for one’s own self-made innovations, which is extremely dangerous and leads to enmity with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and love for innovation. May Allah Almighty grant all Muslims the ability to truly love the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. آمين يارب العالمين
