Is it recommended to read the book *Al-Bida'* by Ibn Waddah al-Andalusi, and what are the most important books that clarify religious innovations (bid'ah) and warn against them?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: Is it recommended to read the book *Al-Bida'* by Ibn Waddah al-Andalusi? And what are the most important books that clarify religious innovations (bid'ah) and warn against them?

Answer:
Yes, the book by Ibn Waddah (may Allah have mercy on him), despite its small size, is an important and useful book. Reading it benefits the Muslim without a doubt. There are many books written on religious innovations (bid'ah), including this book by Ibn Waddah, and *Al-I'tisam* by al-Shatibi. The book *Al-I'tisam* by al-Shatibi, and *Al-Ba'ith 'ala Inkar al-Bida' wa al-Hawadith* (*The Inciter to Denouncing Innovations and New Occurrences*). This is also one of the good concise works by Abu Shama. This book by Abu Shama is a good book, except that (may Allah have mercy on him), when he came to the Mawlid, he praised it. He said it was good and did not classify it as an innovation. This is an error on his part, but the book is good. Also, *Al-Sunan wa al-Mubtada'at fi al-Athkar wa al-Salawat* by al-Hawamadi al-Misri, al-Khadir or al-Khadir al-Hawamadi al-Misri; this is good. And *Al-Sunan wa al-Mubtada'at* by Ali Mahfuz al-Misri, which was a required text at al-Azhar. All of these are good, beneficial books. Yes.