What is the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation)? Is anything that does not contradict the Book and the Sunnah called a good bid'ah? And are additions to the dhikr (remembrance of Allah) considered bid'ah?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, what is the definition of bid'ah (religious innovation)? And is what contradicts the Book and the Sunnah called a good bid'ah?
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Because the Shaykh al-Islam says: What contradicts the Book is bid'ah (religious innovation), and what it is not known to contradict may not be called bid'ah.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Because we find some groups exaggerate, for example, in the dhikr (remembrance of Allah), meaning in specific dhikr—such as in the morning or in the evening—and they add to these dhikr. Is this called bid'ah?
The Shaykh : The criterion for bid'ah (religious innovation)—may Allah bless you—is that a person worships Allah with what Allah has not prescribed. This is the criterion; it is not that he does what Allah has not prescribed, but that he worships. So bid'ah pertains to worship; non-worship matters have 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, he may innovate whatever he wants, and no one says: this is bid'ah. For this reason, we now have many innovations in ordinary matters, is that not so? We write on computers and typewriters now, and we record on recorders. This was not known in the time of the Companions, but this is not worship; 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 what is the criterion for bid'ah (religious innovation)? If a group, for example, prays and then says: We will remember Allah the Mighty and Majestic with the dhikr of the prayers all together, we say all together: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) all together, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) all together, and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) all together. We say: this is bid'ah. Bid'ah in what? In the origin of the worship or in its manner? In its manner. Yes, you have
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Because the Shaykh al-Islam says: What contradicts the Book is bid'ah (religious innovation), and what it is not known to contradict may not be called bid'ah.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Because we find some groups exaggerate, for example, in the dhikr (remembrance of Allah), meaning in specific dhikr—such as in the morning or in the evening—and they add to these dhikr. Is this called bid'ah?
The Shaykh : The criterion for bid'ah (religious innovation)—may Allah bless you—is that a person worships Allah with what Allah has not prescribed. This is the criterion; it is not that he does what Allah has not prescribed, but that he worships. So bid'ah pertains to worship; non-worship matters have 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, he may innovate whatever he wants, and no one says: this is bid'ah. For this reason, we now have many innovations in ordinary matters, is that not so? We write on computers and typewriters now, and we record on recorders. This was not known in the time of the Companions, but this is not worship; 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 what is the criterion for bid'ah (religious innovation)?