The Ruling on Dividing Religious Innovation (Bid'ah) into Good and Bad

The questioner:
The first question: What is Your Eminence the Shaykh’s opinion on classifying religious innovations (bid'ah) into recommended innovations, forbidden innovations, and so on? What is the evidence for those who hold this classification, along with an explanation of the statement of the Messenger

The Shaykh:
Some people, some of the later jurists, have gone to the extent of classifying bid'ah (religious innovation) into good, bad, obligatory, forbidden, and permissible. This classification has no basis; it has no foundation. There is nothing good in bid'ah; they are all misguidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said Therefore, it is not permissible to object to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The one who classifies them and says some are misguidance and some are a matter of misguidance is objecting to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came with a comprehensive phrase, saying This is a general, comprehensive statement; it is not permissible to make assumptions about it. As for what some people think is bid'ah, but is actually what Allah has prescribed, that is not bid'ah. For example, building mosques is not bid'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also compiled the mushafs (written copies of the Qur'an) and arranged them; this is a matter of clarifying the words of Allah, not bid'ah, but rather a means of clarifying the words of Allah and distinguishing what is raised (in recitation) and what is lowered, because some of the common people do not know how to do that, and some words may contain grammatical ambiguity. Similarly, the compilation of the mushafs, and the building of study circles, all of these are not bid'ah, but rather what Allah has prescribed and what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called for. Indeed, Allah commanded us to preserve His Book and to teach our children, and this is a matter of education and clarification, so it is not among the innovations. Likewise, establishing date gardens and endowments (waqf) are not innovations, but rather a form of ongoing charity. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said , First, regarding the wisdom of the ages, if people endow houses for imams or mu'adhdhins (callers to prayer), or hostels, or other things for teaching, explanation, guests, the poor, and the needy, this is among the righteous deeds, among the ongoing charities that fall under what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged, such as benefiting people, guiding them, giving charity to them, supporting them, and showing mercy to them. This is all an analogy, not an obligation. Yes.

The questioner:
Yes, and what?

The Shaykh:
This is what was narrated from 'Umar regarding the matter of tarawih (the Ramadan night prayer) in terms of language. Just as he said it was an innovation of the two heavens in terms of language, because he gathered them behind an imam, whereas they had not previously been gathered behind an imam for tarawih. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with them for three nights and four, then left them alone for fear that it would become obligatory upon them. So 'Umar gathered them behind one imam, and he went out one night while they were praying, so this gathering was an innovation in meaning, i.e., in terms of language. However, he knew that it was a sunnah (recommended practice), and for this reason he did it and called for it, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, so it is undoubtedly a sunnah, a sunnah and an act of devotion, not an innovation in the religion. Yes.