This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Aamad Mustafa ﷺ.
Classification of Bid'ah
It is not correct to divide bid'ah into سيئة (bad) and حسنة (good), because every bid'ah is سيئة (bad), no bid'ah is حسنة (good).
Consider the evidences:
Evidence Number 1
The very definition of bid'ah is that its origin is not in the Quran, Sunnah, and Ijma, so how can something without evidence be good?
◈ Allama Shatibi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 790 AH), writes:
إن هذا التقسيم أمر مخترع، لا يدل عليه دليل شرعي ، بل هو نفسه متدافع، لأن من حقيقة البدعة أن لا يدل عليها دليل شرعي، لا من نصوص الشرع، ولا من قواعده .
"The division of bid'ah itself is an innovation and bid'ah, because there is no Shariah evidence for this division, rather the definition of bid'ah itself rejects this division; the definition of bid'ah is that no Shariah text or Shariah rule indicates it."
Reference: (Al-I'tisam: 246/1)
Evidence Number 2
◈ The command of Allah Almighty is:
وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ
"Do not invent a lie against Allah or say about something, 'This is lawful' or 'This is unlawful' without knowledge. Those who invent lies against Allah will never succeed."
Reference: (Surah An-Nahl: 116)
◈ Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 774 AH), writes:
يدخل فى هذا كل من ابتدع بدعة ليس له فيها مستند شرعي أو حلل شيئا مما حرم الله أو حرم شيئا مما أباح الله بمجرد رأيه وتشبيهه .
"Every person who initiates an innovation without any Shariah evidence or proof is the one confirmed by this verse. Such a person, based solely on his own opinion and desires, declares what Allah has forbidden as lawful and what He has made lawful as forbidden."
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 779/2)
To initiate an innovation means to lie against Allah, so can a lie against Allah be classified as good or bad?
Argument Number 3
◈ Allah Almighty said about the Jews:
وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
"They say, 'We will be burned in the fire for a few days.' Say, O Muhammad, 'Have you taken a covenant with Allah that He will not break, or do you speak about Allah what you do not know?'"
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah: 80)
It is understood that speaking about religious rulings and matters without evidence is slander and false accusation against Allah. What else can it be called other than lying about Allah? And this is exactly what happens in innovation (bid'ah), where something that Allah has not called religion is called religion. Therefore, under no circumstances can lying about Allah be considered a good deed.
Proof Number 4
◈ Allah Almighty's command is:
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ
"O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about Allah except the truth."
Reference: (Surah An-Nisa: 171)
In this verse, exaggeration in religion is prohibited, and innovation (bid'ah) is a form of exaggeration. Therefore, such forbidden acts cannot be called good deeds; they are evil.
Proof Number 5
◈ Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
شر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة .
"Innovation is the most open misguidance, and every innovation is misguidance."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 867)
Explaining the meaning of this hadith, Allama Qurtubi رحمه الله (d. 671 AH) says:
يريد ما لم يوافق كتابا أو سنة، أو عمل الصحابة رضي الله عنهم .
"The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم meant every act that is not in accordance with the Book, Sunnah, and the practice of the Companions."
Reference: (Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 87/2)
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله (d. 852 AH) states:
المراد بقوله: كل بدعة ضلالة، ما أحدث ولا دليل له من الشرع بطريق خاص ولا عام .
"Every innovation is misguidance, meaning every new thing for which there is no specific or general evidence in the Shariah."
Reference: (Fath al-Bari: 254/13)
Evidence Number 6
◈ Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد .
"Whoever introduces into our religion something that is not part of the Book, Sunnah, or consensus, it is falsehood."
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2697, Sahih Muslim: 1718)
Any action not proven by the Book, Sunnah, and consensus of the Ummah is an innovation and falsehood, and falsehood cannot be good.
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728 AH) says:
إن المحافظة على عموم قول النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: كل بدعة ضلالة، متعين، وأنه يجب العمل بعمومه، وأن من أخذ يصنف البدع إلى حسن وقبيح، ويجعل ذلك ذريعة إلى أن لا يحتج بالبدعة على النهي فقد أخطأ .
"The Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Every innovation is misguidance. It is obligatory to act upon this and also obligatory to apply it generally. Those who divide innovations into bad and good and argue that forbidding a certain act is not in the religion, therefore it is a good innovation, are clearly in error."
Reference: (Majmu' al-Fatawa: 370/20 - 371)
Proof Number 7
◈ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه says:
كل بدعة ضلالة، وإن رآها الناس حسنة .
"Every innovation is misguidance, even if people call it good."
Reference: (As-Sunnah lil-Marwazi: 24, Al-Madkhal ila As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 191 and its chain is authentic)
The noble companion declares every innovation as misguidance and clearly states that no innovation is good.
Proof number 8
◈ Sayyiduna Muadh bin Jabal رضي الله عنه says:
إياكم وما ابتدع، فإن ما ابتدع ضلالة .
"Avoid innovations, for innovation is misguidance."
Reference: (Sunan Abi Dawood: 4611, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym: 233/1 and its chain is authentic)
Imam Hakim رحمه الله
Reference: (460/4, 270/3)
declared this statement authentic according to Imam Muslim’s condition, and Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله agreed with him.The companion of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم declares every innovation as misguidance, therefore there is no goodness or beauty in innovation.
Proof number 9
◈ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
إياي والبدع فى دين الله .
"Avoid introducing innovations in the religion of Allah."
Reference: (Al-Bida' wal-Nahy Anha by Muhammad bin Waddah Al-Qurtubi: 75, and its chain is authentic)
The esteemed companion absolutely forbids innovations, therefore every innovation is prohibited and bad. Even if some innovations were good, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says to avoid bad innovations and continue with good innovations.
Proof Number 10
◈ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say in every sermon:
كل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالة، وشر الأمور محدثاتها .
"Every new matter in the religion is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and the worst of deeds are innovations."
Reference: (Al-Bida' wal-Nahy Anha by Al-Qurtubi: 61, Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani: 100/10, and its chain is authentic)
When every innovation is misguidance, how can it be correct to call misguidance good?
Proof Number 11
◈ Allama Shatibi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 790 AH), writes:
إجماع السلف الصالح من الصحابة والتابعين ومن يليهم على ذمها كذلك، وتقبيحها والهروب عنها وعمن اتسم بشيء منها، ولم يقع فى ذلك منهم توقف ولا مثنوية فهو بحسب الاستقراء إجماع ثابت يدل على أن كل بدعة ليست بحق، بل هي من الباطل .
"The pious predecessors, the noble companions, the great followers, and the followers of the followers are unanimous in condemning innovation and innovators, considering them blameworthy and keeping away from them. There is no hesitation or exception proven from the predecessors regarding this matter. In our research, there is consensus on calling every innovation false and unjust."
Reference: (Al-I'tisam: 141/1)
The texts in which the condemnation of innovations has been mentioned are general; no specification or division is proven among them.
Argument Number 12
◈ The command of Allah Almighty is:
وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا
The Christians invented monasticism as an innovation in religion, which We had not prescribed for them; yet they did it seeking the pleasure of Allah, but they did not observe it properly.
Reference: (Surah Al-Hadid: 27)
This verse indicates that adding to the religion on one's own is an innovation. Allah Almighty has condemned this reprehensible act of the Christians.
◈ Abdul Rahman bin Umar, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that in the presence of Imam Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi, may Allah have mercy on him, the efforts of the innovators in worship were mentioned, to which he said:
لا يقبل الله إلا ما كان على الأمر والسنة، ثم قرأ: وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ فلم يقبل ذلك منهم، ووبخهم عليه، ثم قال: الزم الطريق والسنة .
"Allah Almighty will only accept that action which is according to Tawheed and Sunnah." Then he recited this verse: وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ
Reference: (Surah Al-Hadid: 27)
They invented monasticism, which We had not prescribed for them. Allah did not accept their action but rebuked them for it. Then the Imam said: Hold firmly to Tawheed and Sunnah."
Reference: (Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani: 8/9 and its chain is Hasan)
