The Meaning of the Hadith: Every Innovation is a Bid'ah

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This is a questioner for the program, Abu 'Adil, who asks: What is the meaning of "Every innovation is a bid'ah"? Does that mean that a new, invented thing is a bid'ah? And what is the meaning of the jurisprudential maxim: "Averting harm takes precedence over seeking benefit"?

Answer:
Yes, "Every innovation is a bid'ah" is the text of the hadith. The intended meaning of "innovation" here is in religion, meaning one does something in the realm of religious devotion and worship of Allah without any evidence from the Shari'ah, from the Qur'an or from the Sunnah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So this is the condemned bid'ah. It is obligatory for a person to restrict himself to the sunnahs (recommended practices) established in the Book and the Sunnah, and not to add anything from himself or from others for which there is no evidence, and to draw near to Allah with it, for this distances him from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Indeed, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not worshipped except by what He has prescribed, through the tongue of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This contains a prohibition of bid'ah and acting upon it, and it contains an exhortation to disapprove of it and stay away from it. As for innovations in ordinary matters, such as food, drink, vehicles, and clothing, this is not forbidden. New things among the permissible matters do not contain prohibition; rather, it is a blessing from Allah (Exalted is He), and this does not fall under worship. So it is not a bid'ah from the legal perspective, but it is called a bid'ah from the linguistic perspective.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,