This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book In Search of Truth.
Definition of Innovation:
Linguistic Definition: It is derived from ،،بدع،،, which means to create something in a manner that has no prior example, and from this Allah Almighty's command: [بَدِیۡعُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ] The Originator of the two heavens and the earth.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah:117)
Meaning the one who creates them in a manner that has no prior example.
And Allah Almighty's command: [قُلۡ مَا کُنۡتُ بِدۡعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ] Say! I am not the first among the messengers to bring a message from Allah to the people.
Reference: (Al-Ahqaf:9)
Rather, many messengers have passed before me.
And the example is: ،،ابتدع فلان بدعة،، (meaning) He has created a way that no one has done before him.
There are two types of Initiation and Creation:
[1] Initiation and creation in customs such as new inventions, for example: electricity, telephone, car, airplane, refrigerator, etc., and this is permissible, because in customs the original ruling is permissibility, that is, to do any act to earn reward.
[2] Introducing a new thing in religion is forbidden. This is because religion is originally based on adherence, meaning to remain established on the original. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever introduces into our religion something that is not part of it, it is rejected.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Reconciliation, Chapter: If they agree on an unjust reconciliation... etc: 2697], [Muslim, Book of Judgments, Chapter on Annulment of False Rulings and Rejection of Innovations: 1718
And in another narration:
Whoever does something for which there is no ruling from us, it is rejected.
Reference: Bukhari, Commentary, Book of Sales, Chapter on Deception and Those Who Say This Sale is Not Permissible.], [Muslim, Book of Judgments, Chapter on Annulment of False Rulings and Rejection of Innovations: 18/1718
There are two types of innovation in religion:
The first type:
An innovation related to speech and belief, such as the statements and beliefs of Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah, Rafidah, and all misguided groups.
The second type:
Innovation in acts of worship, such as worshipping Allah in an unlawful manner, and it has several types:
[1] The act of worship itself is an innovation, such as inventing a form of worship that has no basis or origin in the Shariah. For example, Ghausiyah prayer, unlawful prayers, unlawful fasting, or unlawful festivals like Eid Milad, etc.
[2] The second type is when there is excess in a legitimate act of worship, such as performing a fifth rak'ah in the Zuhr or Asr prayer.
[3] When it is in the manner of performing worship, meaning it is done in an un-Islamic way. For example, performing legitimate remembrances and supplications collectively with loud voices and melodious tones, or being so harsh on oneself in worship that it goes beyond the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ.
[4] When a legitimate act of worship is assigned to a specific time which the Shariah has not specified. For example, giving special emphasis to prayer and fasting on the night and day of the 15th of Sha'ban, because prayer and fasting are originally legitimate, but assigning them to a specific time requires evidence.
The ruling on all types of innovation from a religious perspective:
In religion, every innovation is forbidden and a cause of misguidance and error. Because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Avoid all newly invented matters in the religion, for every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Fire.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad:17145, Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Sunnah, Chapter on Adherence to the Sunnah:4607
And also because of the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. [من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس فيه فهو رد] Whoever introduces into our religion something that does not belong to it, it is rejected.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Reconciliation, Chapter: If they agree on an unjust reconciliation... etc.:2697
And in another narration it is said. [من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد] Whoever does an action that is not related to the religion, it is rejected and unacceptable.
Reference: Muslim, Book of Judgments, Chapter: Annulment of invalid rulings and rejection of innovations:1718
So these hadiths indicate that innovation in religion is a new thing and an innovation (bid'ah), and every innovation is misguidance and rejected. This means that innovations in acts of worship and beliefs are forbidden. However, this prohibition varies according to the nature of the innovation. Some innovations are explicitly disbelief, such as circumambulating graves to seek nearness to the owner of the grave, offering sacrifices and vows at graves, asking for favors and intercession from them, or the statements of extremist Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah. Some innovations are means of polytheism, such as building structures over graves, praying there, and asking for supplications. Some innovations are sinful in belief, such as the statements of the Kharijites, Qadariyyah, and Murji'ah, and their beliefs that oppose established proofs. Some innovations are sinful acts and disobedience, such as abstaining from marriage, the innovation of fasting while standing in the sun, and the innovation of castration or being castrated to avoid sexual desire and intercourse.
Whoever divides innovation into good and bad innovations is in error and contradicts the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (كل بدعة ضلالة)
Reference: Muslim, Book of Friday Prayer, Chapter on Shortening the Prayer and Sermon:867
.Because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has declared all innovations as misguidance, and this person says that not every innovation is misguidance, rather some innovations are good and virtuous.
Hafiz Ibn Rajab mentioned in his
Reference: book Jami' al-'Ulum wa al-Hikam
the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: (فإن كل بدعة ضلالة) and said that this statement of the Prophet ﷺ is among the comprehensive words from which nothing is excluded. It is a great principle in the fundamentals of religion and is similar to the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: (من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد).
Reference: Bukhari:2697, Muslim:1718
Therefore, whoever invents something new and attributes it to the religion, and there is no original basis or reference for it in the religion, then he is misguided. And the religion is free and separate from it, whether it concerns matters of belief or outward and inward actions and sayings.
Those who call it a good innovation have no argument or evidence except for Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه's statement about Taraweeh that (نعم البدعة هذه) What a good innovation this is.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Taraweeh, Chapter on the Virtue of Standing in Ramadan:2010
These people also say that many things have become customary for which the predecessors did not object, such as compiling the Quran in book form and writing and compiling Hadith. The answer to this is that these things have a basis in Shariah; they are not new. As for the statement of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), it refers to linguistic innovation, not religious innovation. So, when something has a basis in Shariah and can be referred to, calling it an innovation means a linguistic innovation, not a religious one. Because, religiously, innovation is that which has no basis in Shariah to refer to. The Quran being compiled in the form of a book has a basis in Shariah, because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ commanded writing, but it was written in a scattered manner. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) collected it in one Mushaf for preservation.
And the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ led the Taraweeh prayers for the companions رضي الله عنهم for a few nights, but eventually stopped leading in congregation out of fear that it might become obligatory. The companions رضي الله عنهم continued to pray separately in groups both during the life of the Prophet ﷺ and after his death, until Caliph Umar رضي الله عنه gathered all the people behind one imam during his caliphate, just as they used to pray behind the Prophet ﷺ. This is not an innovation in the religion.
Writing down hadith is also established in the Shariah, because the Prophet ﷺ permitted some companions رضي الله عنهم to write down hadith. Generally, during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, writing was discouraged out of fear that it might get mixed up with the Quran.
But when the Prophet ﷺ passed away, this danger was averted because the Quran was completed and had been preserved before the Prophet’s ﷺ death. After that, the Muslims began compiling the Sunnah to protect it from being lost. May Allah reward them best on behalf of Islam and the Muslims, for they preserved the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ from being lost and from the manipulations of those who sought to confuse it.
It should be known that the common innovations related to knowledge and worship appeared during the last period of the rightly guided caliphs’ rule, as the Prophet ﷺ foretold. He said: [من يعش منكم بعدي فسيرى اختلافا كثيرا، فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين]
Those of you who live after me will see many differences, so hold firmly to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me, and adhere to it.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Sunnah, Chapter on Adherence to the Sunnah:4607], [Musnad Ahmad:17145], [Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Sunnah (Introduction):43], [Sunan al-Tirmidhi:2676], [Musnad al-Shamiyyin al-Tabarani:2017
So first appeared the innovations of denial of predestination, denial of action, Shi'ism, and Kharijites. These innovations emerged in the second century Hijri while the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, were still present. They confronted these innovations, then the innovation of the Mu'tazila appeared, and various trials appeared among the Muslims. Then differences arose in thoughts. There was a tendency towards innovations and self-indulgence.
The innovations of Sufism and building over graves appeared after the best eras had passed, and as time went on, various kinds of innovations continued to increase.
Places where innovations appeared:
Islamic countries differ in the appearance of innovations. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said that the great cities where the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, settled and from which the lamps of knowledge and faith were lit are five. Both the Harams, that is Makkah and Madinah, both in Iraq, that is Basra and Kufa, and Sham. From these very places, the rays of the Quran and Hadith, jurisprudence and worship, and other Islamic matters emerged, and except for Madinah al-Nabawiyyah, from these cities came the doctrinal innovations.
Shi'ism and Arja began in Kufa, which later spread to other cities, and from Basra emerged Qadariyyah and Mu'tazilah along with incorrect and corrupt forms of worship, which later spread to other cities. Sham was the stronghold of Nasibism and Qadariyyah, while Jahmiyyah appeared from the direction of Khorasan and is the worst of all innovations. The emergence of innovations occurred in relation to the distance from the city of the Prophet, and when sectarianism arose after the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه, the emergence of necessary innovations took place. However, Madinah al-Nabawi was protected from the emergence of these innovations, although there were some people there who harbored innovations in their hearts, but in the eyes of the people of Madinah, they were disgraced and humiliated. Because in Madinah there was a group of Qadariyyah and others, but these people were humiliated and defeated. In contrast, in Kufa there was Shi'ism and Arja, in Basra there were innovations of Mu'tazilah and ascetics, and in Sham there was the expression of disassociation from Ahl al-Bayt; these things were apparent and public in those places. It is authentically established from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that the Dajjal will not enter Madinah. Until the time of the students of Imam Malik, knowledge and faith remained apparent and dominant there, and these people belong to the fourth century Hijri. As for the times of the three best centuries, absolutely no innovations appeared in Madinah al-Nabawi, nor did any innovations in the matters of religious beliefs emerge from there as they did from other cities.
Causes of the Emergence of Innovations:
Undoubtedly, salvation from falling into innovation and misguidance lies in firmly adhering to the Book and Sunnah. Allah Almighty says:
[وَ اَنَّ ہٰذَا صِرَاطِیۡ مُسۡتَقِیۡمًا فَاتَّبِعُوۡہُ ۚ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِکُمۡ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِہٖ]
And this is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from His way.
Reference: (Al-An'am:153)
The Holy Prophet ﷺ made this clear in the narration of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud رضي الله عنه. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew a line before us and said: This is the path of Allah. Then he drew several lines on its right and left and said: These are many paths, and on each of these paths is a devil calling towards himself.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad:4142, Al-Nasa'i in Al-Kubra, Book of Tafsir, Chapter on the Saying of Allah Almighty: "And indeed this is My path": 11109, Sahih Ibn Hibban:3665
Then the Prophet ﷺ recited this verse:
[وَ اَنَّ ہٰذَا صِرَاطِیۡ مُسۡتَقِیۡمًا فَاتَّبِعُوۡہُ ۚ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِکُمۡ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِہٖ ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ وَصّٰکُمۡ بِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ]
And that this religion is my straight path, so follow this path and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from the way of Allah. Allah has given you this emphatic command so that you may be conscious of Him.
Reference: (Al-An'am:153)
So whoever turns away from the Book and Sunnah, misleading paths and new innovations will draw him towards themselves. The summary of the causes of the emergence of innovations is presented in the following matters: ignorance and lack of knowledge of religious rulings, following desires, showing fanaticism for opinions and individuals, adopting the resemblance of disbelievers and imitating them. These causes will be explained in some detail.
Ignorance and lack of knowledge of religious rulings:
As time passed and people moved away from the traces of the Prophethood, knowledge decreased and ignorance became widespread, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ informed in this hadith: The person who lives among you will see many differences.
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Sunnah, Chapter on Adherence to the Sunnah:4607
And in His statement as well, that Allah Almighty will not take away knowledge from the servants by snatching it, but He will end the scholars and thereby end the knowledge. Until when He does not leave any scholar alive, people will appoint the ignorant as leaders (Muftis), and these people will issue fatwas without knowledge when asked about issues, thus they themselves will be misguided and will misguide others.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter: How is knowledge taken away:100
So only knowledge and scholars can give a strong response to innovation (Bid'ah), and when there is a lack of knowledge and scholars, opportunities arise for the flourishing of innovations and the activity of innovators.
Following Desires:
Whoever turns away from the Book and Sunnah will follow his desires. Allah Almighty says:
[فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ یَسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡا لَکَ فَاعۡلَمۡ اَنَّمَا یَتَّبِعُوۡنَ اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ ہَوٰىہُ بِغَیۡرِ ہُدًی مِّنَ اللّٰہِ]
If they do not obey you, then be sure that they are only following their desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his own desire without guidance from Allah?
Reference: (Al-Qasas:50)
And He said: [اَفَرَءَیۡتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰـہَہٗ ہَوٰىہُ وَ اَضَلَّہُ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی عِلۡمٍ وَّ خَتَمَ عَلٰی سَمۡعِہٖ وَ قَلۡبِہٖ وَ جَعَلَ عَلٰی بَصَرِہٖ غِشٰوَۃً ؕ فَمَنۡ یَّہۡدِیۡہِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ اللّٰہِ]
Have you seen the one who has made his own desires his god, and despite understanding, Allah has led him astray, sealed his ears and heart, and placed a veil over his eyes? Now, who can guide such a person after Allah?
Reference: (Al-Jathiyah:23)
And these innovations are the result of following desires.
Showing bias towards the opinions of specific people:
Supporting someone's opinion is a great obstacle between a person and following reason and recognizing the truth. Allah Almighty says:
[وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمُ اتَّبِعُوۡا مَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ قَالُوۡا بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَاۤ اَلۡفَیۡنَا عَلَیۡہِ اٰبَآءَنَا]And when it is said to them, "Obey what Allah has revealed," they say, "No, we will follow that which we found our forefathers doing."
Reference: (Al-Baqarah:170)
And nowadays, this is the condition of the bigots, whether they are some followers of the Sufi religion or the Qaboori people; when they are told to follow the Book and Sunnah and to abandon things contrary to both, these people use their religions, spiritual guides, and ancestors as arguments and present them as proof.
Resembling the disbelievers:
Imitating the disbelievers is among the things that lead most to innovations, as mentioned in the hadith of Abu Waqqad Laithi. He says that we set out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ towards Hunayn, and our time of disbelief was still recent. There was a berry tree for the polytheists where they used to stay and sharpen their weapons, called Dhāt Anwāṭ. Our path passed by the berry tree. We said, "O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), make for us a Dhāt Anwāṭ like theirs." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: __ARABIC_16! It is just like the people of Moses (ﷺ) said: ARABIC_17__ "Make for us a god like their gods."
Reference: (Al-A'raf:138)
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will surely follow the ways of the former peoples.
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Tribulations, Chapter on abandoning the customs of those before you:2180
This hadith clearly states that it was the imitation of the disbelievers that prompted the Children of Israel and some companions to make such a wrong demand from their Prophet ﷺ, that he appoint for them a deity other than Allah to worship and seek blessings from. This is exactly what is happening today, because many Muslims have adopted the ways of disbelievers in committing shirk and innovations. Such as celebrating birthdays, designating specific days and weeks for certain acts, holding gatherings and processions for commemorative items and occasions, erecting commemorative pictures and statues, organizing mourning assemblies, innovations in funerals and constructions on graves, un-Islamic acts on graves, and calling upon others besides Allah.
The stance of the Muslim Ummah regarding innovators:
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah have always refuted the innovators and denied their innovations, and have prohibited them from doing so. A few examples of this are being presented before you:
[1] It is narrated from Sayyida Umm Darda رضی اللہ عنہا that she said: Abu Darda (رضي اللہ عنہ) came to me in a state of anger. I asked: What is the matter? He said: By Allah! Among these people, I do not know anything about the religion of Muhammad ﷺ except that all of them pray.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adhan, Chapter on the virtue of Fajr prayer in congregation: 650
[2] It is narrated from Amr bin Yahya that he said: I heard from my father, who narrated from his father, that we were sitting at the door of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood رضي الله عنه before the morning prayer, and when he came out, we all went with him to the mosque. At that moment, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari رضي الله عنه came and asked, "Has Abu Abdul Rahman رضي الله عنه not come out yet?" We said no, so he also sat until he came out. When he came out, we all stood up. Abu Musa رضي الله عنه said, "O Abu Abdul Rahman! I have just seen something in the mosque that displeased me greatly and الحمدللہ I only saw good in it." He asked, "What is it?" He replied, "If you stay there, you will see it too." He said, "I saw some people sitting in circles in the mosque, waiting for the prayer. In each circle, there was one man holding pebbles in his hand. When he said, 'Say اللہ اکبر a hundred times,' everyone said اللہ اکبر a hundred times, and when he said, 'Say لا الہ الا اللہ a hundred times,' they said لا الہ الا اللہ a hundred times. When he said, 'Say سبحان اللہ a hundred times,' they said سبحان اللہ a hundred times." He said, "Why did you not tell them to count their sins? And you would have taken a guarantee that none of your good deeds would be wasted." Then he left, and we also followed him until we stood near one of those circles and said, "What are you doing here?" They replied, "O Abu Abdul Rahman, these are pebbles with which we count Takbeer, Tahleel, Tasbeeh, and Tahmeed." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood رضي الله عنه said, "Count your faults yourselves; I guarantee you that none of your good deeds will be wasted. O Ummah of Muhammad! Woe to your destruction, how quickly your ruin has come. These are the companions, their group is present, the clothes of the Prophet ﷺ have not yet worn out, nor have his utensils broken. By the One in Whose hand is my life! Are you on a path better than the path of Muhammad ﷺ, or are you opening the doors of misguidance?" They said, "By Allah! O Abu Abdul Rahman! Our intention is only good." He said, "Many seekers of good never attain it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us a hadith that a people will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go beyond their throats. And by Allah, I do not know, perhaps most of them are from among you." Saying this, he returned from there.
Umar ibn Salamah says that we saw him on the day of Nahrawan fighting with the Kharijites with spears against us.
Reference: Sunan al-Darimi: Hadith 210], [Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: Hadith 8636
[3] A man came to Imam Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, and asked, "From where should I assume Ihram?" He replied, "From the Miqat that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ designated, assume Ihram from there." The man said, "What if I assume Ihram from a place farther than that?" Imam Malik said, "I do not consider that good." The man asked, "What do you find wrong with that?" He said, "I fear you will fall into fitnah (trial)." The man said, "What fitnah can there be in wanting more good?" Imam Malik replied, "Allah the Exalted says: [فَلۡیَحۡذَرِ الَّذِیۡنَ یُخَالِفُوۡنَ عَنۡ اَمۡرِہٖۤ اَنۡ تُصِیۡبَہُمۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ اَوۡ یُصِیۡبَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ]
Say: 'Let those beware who oppose the command of the Messenger (ﷺ), lest a calamity should befall them or a painful punishment be inflicted on them.'
Reference: (An-Nur:63)
Then he said: And what greater trial can there be than that you have distinguished yourselves with a favor that was not granted to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
These are a few examples, and by the grace and mercy of Allah Almighty, scholars of every era have continued to reject the innovators.
