Q156: The questioner asks: What is the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation)? What is the ruling on introducing innovations into the religion, and what is an example of it? A156: Introducing innovations into the religion is forbidden, strictly forbidden, and the innovator is sinful, and his deed is rejected. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد 'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected. Sahih Muslim 1718a In another narration: من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا، فهو رد He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected. Sahih Muslim 1718b And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: عليكم بسنتي، وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي، تمسكوا بها وعضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإيَّاكم ومحدثات الأمور، فإن كل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالة You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error. Sunan Abi Dawud 4607 . In another narration: وكل ضلالة في النار and every going astray is in the Fire Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578 . From this, the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation) is derived: it is what is introduced into the religion that is not part of it, such as performing a worship or a dhikr (remembrance of Allah) for which there is no evidence from the Shari'ah, neither from the Book nor from the Sunnah. This is bid'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to command adherence to the Book and the Sunnah in every one of his Friday sermons, and warn against bid'ah, saying (peace and blessings be upon him): إن أحسن الحديث كتاب الله، وخير الهدي هدي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وشر الأمور محدثاتها The best talk (speech) is Allah's Book 'Qur'an), and the best way is the way of Muhammad, and the worst matters are the heresies Sahih al-Bukhari 7277 So bid'ah is evil, and it distances one from Allah. Even if its practitioner claims to draw near to Allah and intends good, the criterion is not intentions and purposes, but rather conformity to the Shari'ah. A Muslim must not do anything except with evidence from the Shari'ah, and must not draw near to Allah or worship Him except with what He has prescribed. The religion is built on two foundations: sincerity to Allah, and following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

Defining Bid'ah

Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

Q156: The questioner asks: What is the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation)? What is the ruling on introducing innovations into the religion, and what is an example of it?
A156: Introducing innovations into the religion is forbidden, strictly forbidden, and the innovator is sinful, and his deed is rejected. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.

من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد

Sahih Muslim 1718a

In another narration:

He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.

من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا، فهو رد

Sahih Muslim 1718b

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.

عليكم بسنتي، وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي، تمسكوا بها وعضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإيَّاكم ومحدثات الأمور، فإن كل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالة

Sunan Abi Dawud 4607Sahih (Al-Albani)

. In another narration:

and every going astray is in the Fire

وكل ضلالة في النار

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam)

.
From this, the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation) is derived: it is what is introduced into the religion that is not part of it, such as performing a worship or a dhikr (remembrance of Allah) for which there is no evidence from the Shari'ah, neither from the Book nor from the Sunnah. This is bid'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to command adherence to the Book and the Sunnah in every one of his Friday sermons, and warn against bid'ah, saying (peace and blessings be upon him):

The best talk (speech) is Allah's Book 'Qur'an), and the best way is the way of Muhammad, and the worst matters are the heresies

إن أحسن الحديث كتاب الله، وخير الهدي هدي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وشر الأمور محدثاتها

Sahih al-Bukhari 7277

So bid'ah is evil, and it distances one from Allah. Even if its practitioner claims to draw near to Allah and intends good, the criterion is not intentions and purposes, but rather conformity to the Shari'ah. A Muslim must not do anything except with evidence from the Shari'ah, and must not draw near to Allah or worship Him except with what He has prescribed. The religion is built on two foundations: sincerity to Allah, and following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

Source www.alifta.gov.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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