This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Aamad Mustafa ﷺ.
What is Bid'ah?
◈ Allama Aini Hanafi (d. 855 AH) writes:
هي ما لم يكن له أصل فى الكتاب والسنة وقيل: إظهار شيء لم يكن فى عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا فى زمن الصاصحابة رضي الله عنهم
"In religion, innovation (bid'ah) refers to every new act which has no basis in the Book and Sunnah. Another definition is an act that was not found during the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the righteous companions (may Allah be pleased with them)."
Reference: (Umdat al-Qari: 37/25)
◈ Allama Shatibi (d. 790 AH) writes:
طريقة فى الدين مخترعة تضاهي الشريعة يقصد بالسلوك عليها المبالغة فى التعبد لله سبحانه
"An approach derived in resemblance to the Shariah, whose purpose is exaggeration in worship, is called innovation (bid'ah)."
Reference: (Al-I'tisam: 30/1)
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 728 AH) states:
إن البدعة هي الدين الذى لم يأمر الله به ورسوله، فمن دان دينا لم يأمر الله ورسوله به فهو مبتدع بذلك، وهذا معنى قوله تعالى: أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ
Innovation is that religion which Allah and His Messenger have not commanded, and which has no ruling in the Shariah; whoever acts upon it is an innovator. This is the meaning of Allah’s statement: أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ
Reference: (Surah Ash-Shura: 21)
"Have they taken as partners those who have created for them a religion which Allah has not permitted?"
Reference: (Al-Istiqaamah: 5/1)
◈ He also states:
إن البدعة ما لم يشرعه الله من الدين فكل من دان الشيء لم يشرعه الله فذلك بدعة وإن كان متأولا فيه
"Innovation is a method which Allah Almighty has not prescribed, so every act which Allah has not legislated is innovation, even if it is adopted on the basis of interpretation."
Reference: (Al-Istiqaamah: 428)
◈ Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 795 AH) writes:
المراد بالبدعة ما أحدث مما لا أصل له فى الشريعة يدل عليه وأما ما كان له أصل من الشرع يدل عليه فليس ببدعة شرعا وإن كان بدعة لغة
"Innovation means that thing which has no origin or proof in the Shariah. However, if there is an origin and proof in the Shariah, it is not a Shariah innovation, even if linguistically it is called innovation."
Reference: (Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam: 193)
◈ He also writes:
من تقرب إلى الله بعمل، لم يجعله الله ورسوله قربة إلى الله، فعمله باطل مردود عليه، وهو شبيه بحال الذين كانت صلاتهم عند البيت مكاء وتصدية، وهذا كمن تقرب إلى الله تعالى بسماع الملاهي ، أو بالرقص، أو بكشف الرأس فى الإحرام، وما أشبه ذلك من المحدثات التى لم يشرع الله ورسوله التقرب بها بالكلية، وليس ما كان قربة فى عبادة يكون قربة فى غيرها مطلقا، فقد رأى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم رجلا قائما فى الشمس، فسأل عنه، فقيل: إنه نذر أن يقوم ولا يقعد ولا يستظل وأن يصوم، فأمره النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقود ويستظل، وأن يتم صومه، فلم يجعل قيامه وبروزه للشمس قربة يوفي بنذرهما. وقد روي أن ذلك كان فى يوم جمعة عند سماع خطبة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو على المنبر، فنذر أن يقوم ولا يقعد ولا يستظل ما دام النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يخطب، إعظاما لسماع خطبة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولم يجعل النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك قربة توفى بنذره، مع أن القيام عبادة فى مواضع أخر، كالصلاة والأذان والدعاء بعرفة، والبروز للشمس قربة للمحرم، فدل على أنه ليس كل ما كان قربة فى موطن يكون قربة فى كل المواطن، وإنما يتبع فى ذلك ما وردت به الشريعة فى مواضعها
"An act through which Allah has not made a means of nearness to Him, seeking nearness through it is invalid and rejected. Just as the polytheists of Makkah used to worship by whistling and clapping in the Ka'bah. The example of seeking nearness through innovative acts is like someone seeking nearness to Allah by musical instruments, dancing, or by keeping his head uncovered except for the Ihram, or by considering other innovations as means of nearness to Allah and following them. If an act is done as a good deed in one form of worship, it does not mean that it will be good in other forms of worship. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw a man standing in the sun and asked the reason; he said he had vowed not to sit but to remain standing, and not to come into the shade, and to fast in that state. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to sit and come into the shade but to complete the fast. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not consider standing in the sun as a good deed that must be fulfilled as a vow. Narrations mention that this man had vowed on a Friday while listening to the Prophet’s sermon on the pulpit, that he would stand respectfully and not come into the shade as long as the Prophet was delivering the sermon. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not consider it a good deed that must be fulfilled. Although standing during prayer, adhan, and the standing at Arafah including supplication, and facing the sun during Ihram are acts of worship. This proves that an act which is lawful in one worship may be forbidden in another, so following the Shariah is necessary to know the permissibility or impermissibility of an act."
Reference: (Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam: 178/1)
◈ Allama Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hasan Shamni Hanafi (d. 772 AH) writes:
ما أحدث على خلاف الحق المتلقى عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من علم أو عمل أو حال بنوع شبهة واستحسان وجعل دينا قويما وصراطا مستقيما
"Knowledge, action, or any state which is fabricated in opposition to the truth transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) due to doubt, and is called a good innovation (bid'ah hasanah) and declared as the upright religion and the straight path, is innovation."
Reference: (Radd al-Muhtar 'ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar known as Fatawa Shami: 560/1, Hashiyat al-Tahthawi 'ala Maraaqi al-Falah, p. 303, Durar al-Hukkam Sharh Ghurar al-Ahkam by Mulla Khusru: 85/1)
◈ Allama Sharif Jurjani (d. 816 AH) writes:
البدعة: هي الأمر المحدث الذى لم يكن عليه الصحابة والتابعون، ولم يكن مما اقتضاه الدليل الشرعي
"Innovation is a new act upon which neither the companions nor the followers acted, nor is there any Shariah evidence requiring it."
Reference: (Kitab al-Ta'reefaat p. 43)
◈ Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Sahib writes:
The Shariah meaning of innovation (bid'ah) is that belief or actions which were not present during the apparent lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but were invented later. The conclusion is that innovation in Shariah is of two types: innovation in belief and innovation in practice.
Reference: (Jaa al-Haqq, p. 204)
