بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيم
Now we will outline a few principles, which will assist in easily differentiating between Sunnat and Bid`ah. The mother of all principles is the one I have mentioned above, that to understand anything to be part of the Deen which was not practiced by the Salf as-Saaliheen, is a Bid`ah. Now, we will list some corollary principles:
Firstly, the Shariah has stipulated certain acts for certain occasions.
Secondly, it is a Bid`ah to stipulate conditions for those things which the Shariah has left general.
Therefore it is a Bid`ah to specify a particular time and a particular way and to understand it as being necessary.
Thirdly, it is incumbent to carry out an act of Ibaadat in the way prescribed by the Shariah. It is Haraam and Bid`ah to veer from and change this prescribed way.
Fourthly, it is a Bid`ah to perform those Ibaadaat in a congregational form which the Shariah has specified to be individually performed.
From this we understand the ruling of performing congregational Salaat on the nights of Baraat, Mi`raj and Qadr.
Or for example, the Shariah has not stipulated that Thikr, Tasbeeh, Durood Shareef etc. be read congregationally. In fact, whatever a person can read individually he should do so. Now to gather for performing these Thikrs is a Bid`ah.
Citing from Muheet, Fataawa Aalimgiri states:
“The recitation of Surah Kaafiroon until the end in congregational form is Makrooh because it is a Bid`ah. This act has neither been reported from the Sahaabah nor the Tabieen.” [Page 217]
Fataawa Bazaaziya states, citing from Fataawa Qaazi Khaan:
“It is Haraam to raise the voice in Thikr. It has been authentically reported from Ibn Mas`ood that he heard a group of people who were gathered in the Masjid reciting Kalimah Tayyibah and Durood Shareef in a loud voice. He approached them and said: ‘we have not seen this during the era of Nabi [صلى الله عليه وسلم]. I do not regard you except as Bid`atees. He continuously repeated this until he expelled them from the Masjid.” [Page 378, vol. 6]
From this we understand that the practice which is in vogue nowadays where people recite in loud voices Kalimah Tayyibah and Durood and salaam in the Masaajid, is a Bid`ah. It is incumbent to cleanse the Masaajid from these innovations.
I am certain that big, big Bid`ahs spring up from such sources. The root of all these sources is as I have mentioned earlier, i.e. it is a Bid`ah to introduce as part of the Deen something which was not reported from Nabi [صلى الله عليه وسلم], the Sahaabah or the Taabieen.
Sufficing upon this we will hereunder list a few important rules:
Firstly, some people authenticate Bid`ahs by narrating false and incorrect narrations.
Secondly, that act of practice which in itself is permissible, but there is a possibility of it becoming associated and mixed up with a Bid’ah, or if it becoming associated and mixed up with a Bid’ah, or if it will become accepted as a Sunnah, then it would not be permissible to execute such an act.
There are numerous examples in the Ahaadith and Fiqhi Kitaabs to substantiate this principle. Amongst them is the ruling of our Ahnaaf Ulama that it is Makrooh to make a Sajdah Shukr after Salaah. [Fataawa Aalimgiri, page 123, vol. 1/ Shaami, page 40, vol. 12]
Thirdly, if an act which is Mustahab or permissible, but such stress and emphasis is placed thereupon that it gradually becomes regarded as being incumbent, and those who do not practice thereupon are rebuked and censured, then such an act becomes a sin and Bid’ah.
Fourthly, it is extremely necessary to omit such acts wherein there is imitation of the kuffaar, fujjaar and Bid`atees. Because Nabi [صلى الله عليه وسلم] has in many Ahaadith prohibited imitating the kuffaar and fujjaar (open sinners).
Fifthly, if there is a doubt in any particular action regarding its being either a Sunnat or Bid`ah, then to omit a Sunnah is better than to commit a Bid`ah [Bahrur Raa`iq, page 21, vol. 2].
It is stated in Raddul Mukhtaar on page 642, vol. 1:
“If a ruling (regarding a certain act) is suspended between it being a Sunnat or Bid`ah, then it is preferable to leave out a Sunnat than to perpetrate a Bid`ah.”
I will conclude here on the final bequest of Hadhrat Imaam Rabbaani Mujaddid Alfe Thaani [رحمه الله]:
“In the opinion of this humble servant, another path to gaining proximity to Allaah Ta`ala is to follow and adhere to the Sunnat of Nabi [صلى الله عليه وسلم] and to stay far from any sign of Bid`ah or custom. That person who does not abstain from Bid`ah-e-Hasana just as he abstains from Bid`ah-e-Sayyi`a, will not even get the fragrance of this achievement (proximity to Allaah Ta`ala). To accomplish this nowadays is relatively difficult, because all over there are oceans of Bid`ah wherein people are drowned. Who dares to oppose Bid`ah? Or bring alive a Sunnat?
In this era the Ulama are the ones who initiate the Bid`ah customs and destroy the Sunnat. Those Bid`ahs which have penetrated on all fronts, are not only given consent, in fact, they are even granted the Fatwa of being virtuous. People are even guided towards Bid`ahs.” [Maktubat 54, part 2]
Written by: Mufti Afzal Elias
Edited by: Friends of Deoband
