The Criterion for Religious Innovation
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What is the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation)? And is that which contradicts the Book and the Sunnah called a good bid'ah?Because the Shaykh al-Islam says: That which contradicts the Book is bid'ah, and that whose contradiction is not known may not be called bid'ah; because we find some groups exaggerating, for example, in dhikr (remembrance of Allah),Meaning: in specific adhkar, for example, in the morning or in the evening, by adding to these adhkar. Is this called bid'ah?
The criterion for bid'ah—may Allah bless you—is that a person worships Allah with what Allah has not prescribed. This is the criterion, not that he does what Allah has not prescribed, but that he worships. So bid'ah pertains to worship, and as for other than worship, it has no connection to it. If a person worships Allah with what He has not prescribed in terms of belief, speech, or action, we say: this is bid'ah. But if it is among non-worship matters, then innovate whatever you wish.And no one says: This is bid'ah. Therefore, now we have many innovations in ordinary matters, is that not so? We write on computers now and on typewriters, and we record on recorders, and this was not known in the time of the Companions, but this is not worship; rather, it is among ordinary matters and means.
As for worshipping Allah, such as those who worship Allah the Exalted by negating the attributes by which Allah described Himself, these are innovators. They worship Allah the Exalted by affirming a likeness for Him, saying: We believe in the attributes as being similar to our attributes. These are also innovators.
So the criterion for bid'ah, then, what is it? (Worshipping Allah with what He has not prescribed in terms of belief, speech, or action, whether in the essence of the worship or in its manner) If a group of people pray in congregation and then say: We will remember Allah the Mighty and Majestic with the adhkar of the prayers all together,We all say: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar,We said: this is bid'ah. Bid'ah in what? In the essence of the worship or in its manner? In its manner.
The criterion for bid'ah—may Allah bless you—is that a person worships Allah with what Allah has not prescribed. This is the criterion, not that he does what Allah has not prescribed, but that he worships. So bid'ah pertains to worship, and as for other than worship, it has no connection to it. If a person worships Allah with what He has not prescribed in terms of belief, speech, or action, we say: this is bid'ah. But if it is among non-worship matters, then innovate whatever you wish.And no one says: This is bid'ah. Therefore, now we have many innovations in ordinary matters, is that not so? We write on computers now and on typewriters, and we record on recorders, and this was not known in the time of the Companions, but this is not worship; rather, it is among ordinary matters and means.
As for worshipping Allah, such as those who worship Allah the Exalted by negating the attributes by which Allah described Himself, these are innovators. They worship Allah the Exalted by affirming a likeness for Him, saying: We believe in the attributes as being similar to our attributes. These are also innovators.
So the criterion for bid'ah, then, what is it? (Worshipping Allah with what He has not prescribed in terms of belief, speech, or action, whether in the essence of the worship or in its manner) If a group of people pray in congregation and then say: We will remember Allah the Mighty and Majestic with the adhkar of the prayers all together,We all say: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar,We said: this is bid'ah. Bid'ah in what? In the essence of the worship or in its manner? In its manner.