What is the difference between bid'ah (religious innovation) and the Sunnah?
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Question:
Your Eminence, there must be a clear and precise boundary distinguishing between bid'ah (religious innovation) and the Sunnah, between what belongs to the religion and what belongs to worldly affairs?
Answer:
Worldly affairs do not contain bid'ah (religious innovation), even if they are called bid'ah. People’s inventions of cars, airplanes, computers, or the like of what people have invented, or the telephone or the telegram, none of this is called bid'ah. Even if it is called bid'ah in the linguistic sense, it is not included in the bid'ah of the religion. Because bid'ah in the language means: a thing that had no prior example. An invention is called bid'ah in the language, such as "the Creator of the heavens," meaning: their Inventor (Glorified and Exalted is He). So in the language, it is applied to what had no prior example. And if something in the world is called bid'ah, meaning it is criticized, and even if it is called bid'ah in the linguistic sense, it is not denounced; because it is not in the religion, it is not in the acts of worship. So if, for example, the invention of the car, or the computer, or the airplane, or the like is called bid'ah, this is in the linguistic sense, and it is not blameworthy, and it is not denounced against people.
What is denounced from people is what they have introduced in the religion, such as innovated prayers or other innovated acts of worship. This is what is denounced in the religion; because the Shari'ah must be kept pure from bid'ah (religious innovation). The Shari'ah is what Allah and His Messenger legislated, not what people have introduced in the religion of Allah, such as prayer or fasting, or anything else that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not legislate. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Your Eminence, there must be a clear and precise boundary distinguishing between bid'ah (religious innovation) and the Sunnah, between what belongs to the religion and what belongs to worldly affairs?
Answer:
Worldly affairs do not contain bid'ah (religious innovation), even if they are called bid'ah. People’s inventions of cars, airplanes, computers, or the like of what people have invented, or the telephone or the telegram, none of this is called bid'ah. Even if it is called bid'ah in the linguistic sense, it is not included in the bid'ah of the religion. Because bid'ah in the language means: a thing that had no prior example. An invention is called bid'ah in the language, such as "the Creator of the heavens," meaning: their Inventor (Glorified and Exalted is He). So in the language, it is applied to what had no prior example. And if something in the world is called bid'ah, meaning it is criticized, and even if it is called bid'ah in the linguistic sense, it is not denounced; because it is not in the religion, it is not in the acts of worship. So if, for example, the invention of the car, or the computer, or the airplane, or the like is called bid'ah, this is in the linguistic sense, and it is not blameworthy, and it is not denounced against people.
What is denounced from people is what they have introduced in the religion, such as innovated prayers or other innovated acts of worship. This is what is denounced in the religion; because the Shari'ah must be kept pure from bid'ah (religious innovation). The Shari'ah is what Allah and His Messenger legislated, not what people have introduced in the religion of Allah, such as prayer or fasting, or anything else that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not legislate. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.