Is bid'ah (religious innovation) among the major sins?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is bid'ah (religious innovation) among the major sins?

Answer:
Bid'ah (religious innovation) varies; some of it is kufr (disbelief), some is shirk (associating partners with Allah), such as supplicating to other than Allah or slaughtering for other than Allah; this is shirk-based bid'ah. Some of it is misguidance and fisq (open sinfulness), and some is a sin. Bid'ah is of three types: bid'ah of kufr that makes its doer a disbeliever, such as the bid'ah of shirk with Allah (Mighty and Majestic); bid'ah of fisq that does not make one a disbeliever, but is fisq, such as ta'wil (figurative interpretation) of some attributes out of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence) or ignorance, following those who interpret them while thinking this is correct; this is bid'ah that leads to fisq; and bid'ah of sin that does not reach the level of a major sin. Yes.