The Reality and Explanation of Jāhiliyyah, Kufr, Shirk, and Bidʿah

Source: Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth

◈ Question:​

What are Jāhiliyyah, Kufr, Shirk, and Bidʿah? Please explain.

✿ Jāhiliyyah​

• The condition in which a person remains before entering into Islam and faith is called Jāhiliyyah.
• Likewise, ignorance itself or being attributed to ignorance is also termed Jāhiliyyah.

✿ Kufr (Disbelief)​

Kufr includes:

• Denying any verse of the Qur’an or part of it.
• Denying any hadith or Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, or part of it.
• Denying any other matter of belief or religion.
• Abandoning any of the pillars of Islam.
• Adopting any of the distinctive features of the disbelievers.

All of these are considered Kufr.

• Sometimes the term Kufr is also used in the sense of dūna kufr (lesser kufr), referring to sins and acts of disobedience, especially major sins.

✿ Shirk (Polytheism)​

• Associating anyone with Allah in any form is Shirk.
• This association can occur in:
  ① His Essence
  ② His Names and Attributes
  ③ Worship and Obedience
  ④ Authority and Control
  ⑤ Or in any other aspect

✿ Bidʿah (Innovation)​

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:


«وَكُلُّ مُحْدَثَۃٍ بِدْعَۃٌ، وَكُلُّ بِدْعَۃٍ ضَلَالَۃٌ، وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَۃٍ فِي النَّارِ»
(Every newly introduced matter in religion is a bidʿah, every bidʿah is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.)
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 868; Sunan al-Nasāʾī)



Conclusion:

• Jāhiliyyah is the state of ignorance before Islam.
• Kufr is denial of divine revelation or core tenets of faith.
• Shirk is associating partners with Allah in any form.
• Bidʿah is any religious innovation not established by the Qur’an and Sunnah — and all bidʿah leads to misguidance and ultimately to the Fire.