The Reality of Bidʿah and Clarification of Permissible and Impermissible Matters in Sharīʿah
Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith, Vol. 01, p. 569
❖ Question
① If every new thing in religion is a bidʿah, then please clarify how the following are permissible:
◈ Congregational Tarāwīḥ prayer
◈ Two adhāns for Jumuʿah prayer
◈ The dome over the grave of the Prophet ﷺ
◈ Compilation of the Qur’an
◈ Diacritical marks and translation of the Qur’an
◈ Minarets of mosques
These questions are often raised by people of innovation to justify their invented practices, such as “Eid Milād,” and also customs like “Qul,” “Daswān,” and “Chālīswan,” which they label as bidʿah ḥasanah and consider means of reward.
② It is established from Qur’an and Ḥadīth that praying for the deceased and giving charity on their behalf is permissible. Then why is it considered bidʿah to raise hands for supplication or to give charity with arrangement? Please explain.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
① The Difference Between Established Acts in Sharīʿah and Bidʿah
◈ Congregational Tarāwīḥ prayer:
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ led Tarāwīḥ in congregation for three nights. Its practice throughout Ramaḍān is also established from his sayings.
◈ Recitation of the Qur’an with diacritical marks and arrangement:
In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the Qur’an was written down systematically, proving that its compilation and applying diacritical marks fall within the Sharīʿah framework.
◈ Translation of the Qur’an:
Since the Qur’an and Ḥadīth are for all mankind, their translation is necessary for non-Arabs who cannot understand without it. Allāh says:
{وَأُوْحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ} [Al-Anʿām 19]
{قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا} [Al-Aʿrāf 158]
And the ḥadīth: {بُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً} [Muttafaq ʿalayh]
◈ The dome over the grave of the Prophet ﷺ:
The dome is essentially the structure of a room. The grave of the Prophet ﷺ was originally made inside a chamber, not that a room was built over it later. Moreover, his grave itself remains unplastered.
◈ Minarets of mosques:
Builders do not regard them as a religious obligation but merely as architectural convenience.
◈ Two adhāns for Jumuʿah prayer:
This practice is established from ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (RA), just like shortening prayer during travel or forbidding combining Ḥajj and ʿUmrah in the same journey is also reported from him. The question then arises: why do Barelvis not accept these actions, though they too are from ʿUthmān (RA)?
② Duʿā and Charity for the Deceased
◈ Praying for the deceased and giving charity on their behalf is proven from Qur’an and Sunnah.
◈ The deceased is eligible for the prayers and charity of his children and relatives.
◈ However, it must be remembered:
◄ Setting specific dates, places, gatherings, or particular forms for duʿā and charity has no basis in Qur’an and Sunnah.
◄ Innovators turn these acts into ritualized forms such as Qul, Daswān, Chālīswan, etc., which have no Sharʿī foundation.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
