We have become accustomed to distributing some food and eatables to the neighbors as charity on the middle of Sha'ban every year. Is this practice a religious innovation?
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The questioner : We have become accustomed to distributing some food and eatables to the neighbors as charity on the middle of the month of Sha'ban every year. Is this practice a religious innovation?
The Shaykh : Yes, this practice is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because it was not practiced in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. And whatever a servant does to draw near to Allah that was not practiced in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions is a religious innovation (bid'ah), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Even if it were assumed that a person said: "I do not intend to draw near to Allah by this, but it is a custom we have become accustomed to."
We say: Designating a custom to a specific day that repeats every year makes that day like a festival. It is well known that there is no festival in the Islamic Shari'ah except what is established in the Shari'ah, such as the festival at the end of Ramadan ('Id al-Fitr) and the festival of sacrifice ('Id al-Adha). Likewise, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) is the festival of the week. As for the middle of Sha'ban, it is not established in the Islamic Shari'ah that it is a festival. So if it is taken as a festival in which charities are distributed or gifts are sent to the neighbors, this is taking it as a festival.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, this practice is a religious innovation (bid'ah), because it was not practiced in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. And whatever a servant does to draw near to Allah that was not practiced in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions is a religious innovation (bid'ah), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me, and beware of newly invented matters
عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي ، وإياكم ومحدثات الأمورWe say: Designating a custom to a specific day that repeats every year makes that day like a festival. It is well known that there is no festival in the Islamic Shari'ah except what is established in the Shari'ah, such as the festival at the end of Ramadan ('Id al-Fitr) and the festival of sacrifice ('Id al-Adha). Likewise, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) is the festival of the week. As for the middle of Sha'ban, it is not established in the Islamic Shari'ah that it is a festival. So if it is taken as a festival in which charities are distributed or gifts are sent to the neighbors, this is taking it as a festival.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.