Understanding Bid’ah: The Dangers of Innovation in Islam

Recognizing and Avoiding Innovation (Bid’ah) in Islam

Alhamdulillah, Islam is a clear and pure religion whose teachings, rulings, and issues are as evident as the daylight. However, among the followers of Islam, the Sufis and innovators (Bid’ah) have not only defamed this pure religion in the eyes of non-Muslims, but they have also made it difficult for ordinary Muslims. Leaving aside the original religion, these innovators invented new practices and superstitions in religion, strictly adhered to them, and misled the people into believing that this was the true religion. They convinced the masses that whoever practices these innovations is the true Sunni, and anyone who does not is an heretic, apostate, and blasphemy against the Prophet, may Allah protect us.

It is indeed surprising and astonishing that the original religion has been discarded, and those who follow it are labeled as rebels, apostates, blasphemers, and people of incorrect beliefs, while new innovations are considered the true religion, and the innovators themselves call themselves the true Sunnis.
؎ “The name of reason has been given to madness, and madness is called reason—whatever you wish, your beauty makes it happen.”

When it comes to the dangers and threats faced by Islam, what the Jews and Christians could not achieve, these innovators have done—creating threats for Islam and distorting its true face by introducing new innovations. While non-believers and idolaters try to harm Muslims, it is the innovators who are causing the real harm to Islam. In this regard, innovators pose the greatest threat to Islam. It is in light of this danger that I am making an effort today to explain the concept of innovation to simple Muslims in a clear manner, so that the reality of innovation is revealed to them. I hope this will help even some innovators realize their mistake and cease from harming Islam, or at least protect themselves from harm.

There is a long list of innovations, and it is difficult to mention all of them. However, some innovations are very famous and well-known, which help in identifying the true nature of the innovators. I will mention a few of these to explain their reality. You will notice that some Muslims kiss their thumbs when the Prophet’s name is mentioned, recite self-invented salutations before the adhan, perform Fatiha reading, celebrate the Prophet’s birthday (Mawlid), gather at shrines for celebrations, hold processions, hang flags, place flowers and sheets on graves, give adhan there, perform Tawaf around them, bow down and pray or read the Qur’an at these graves. Similarly, they celebrate the mourning (Tazia), call upon the dead, seek intercession from non-Allah, vow offerings to non-Allah, observe rituals like Qul, Teejah, Satta, Daswan, Akiswan, Chahalam, Giyara, observe fasts written in books, thousand-day fasts, prayers like Um Daud, Salat al-Raghaib, Ghousiya prayers, Qadri concluding prayers, celebration of the night of Mi’raj, pledging allegiance to saints, using amulets, charms, and talismans, mourning songs, bad omens, and self-made invocations (like Darood Ghousiya, Darood Taj, Darood Tanjina, Darood Lakhi, etc.). These are distinctive acts and deeds of innovators. All these acts, and hundreds like them, have been invented by innovators in the name of religion, and they are considered to be part of religion. They revolve their lives around these, and it is by doing these that innovators eventually meet their end.

Now, after mentioning some of the innovations, let’s move on to the main topic, which is: How can we recognize that all these actions are innovations, and how should we explain to an innovator that these actions will lead them to Hell? Let us first examine the correct definition of innovation, and we will also learn the definition directly from the words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

It is narrated by Aisha (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
مَن أَحْدَثَ في أَمْرِنَا هذا ما ليسَ فِيهِ، فَهو رَدٌّ (صحيح البخاري:2697،صحيح مسلم:1718،سنن أبي داود4606، سنن ابن ماجه:14، مشكوة المصابيح:140)
Translation: Whoever introduces something into this matter of ours (Islam) which is not part of it, it is rejected.

This same Hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim in the following way:
مَن عَمِلَ عَمَلًا ليسَ عليه أمْرُنا فَهو رَدٌّ (صحيح مسلم:1718)
Translation: Whoever performs an action that is not part of our command (i.e., introduces an innovation), it is rejected.

Regarding this Hadith, Imam Nawawi (RA) wrote: “This Hadith is one of the great principles of Islam and one of the most comprehensive sayings of the Prophet (PBUH), and it is a clear rejection of innovations and new inventions.” (Sharh Muslim li-Nawawi, 2/15, Hadith 1718).

The Innovations of the Innovators According to the Hadith of the Messenger:

Looking at the full words of the Hadith of the Messenger and reflecting on the words of Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله), how does this Hadith clearly refute innovations (Bid’ah)?

مَن أَحْدَثَ: One who invents or introduces an act according to his own desire and will.

في أَمْرِنَا هَذَا: Here, ‘Amr’ refers to the religion, meaning someone introduces a new act into the religion based on their own discretion.

ما ليسَ فِيهِ: What is not part of the religion. The Barelwi scholar, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi, explains “ما ليسَ فِيهِ” as being contrary to the Quran and Hadith. (Source: Da’wah Islami’s website: Types of Bid’ah)

فَهو رَدّ: So that act is rejected and void for the innovator.

Now, with the explanation of this Hadith, let us take one example from these innovations and evaluate it according to the standards of the religion. For example, some Muslims kiss their thumbs when the name of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is mentioned and believe it is a religious act that should be performed, thinking it earns reward. When we search for this act in the Quran and Hadith, we find that it is neither mentioned in the Quran nor in any Hadith. This means that someone has invented this practice, considering it a part of the religion. This is what is called an innovation (Bid’ah), which is rejected in the sight of Allah and His Messenger.

Now, let us address some common doubts of the innovators to better understand the reality of Bid’ah. I will mention three major doubts and one significant misconception.

First Doubt: When we tell the innovators that kissing the thumb is an innovation, celebrating the Milad is an innovation because there is no command for these actions in the Quran or Hadith, they reply: “In the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), there were no cars, buses, trains, or planes. You use them, is that not innovation? You were not present in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), so you are also innovators.”

Answer: To address this doubt, let’s reflect on the above Hadith again. In the explanation of this Hadith, I summarized four points. The first point is that any act introduced by someone based on their own will is innovation, as clearly stated in the words “من عمل عملا.” The second point is that these new acts are innovations in religion, not in worldly matters. The third point is that these inventions must not be from the Quran or Hadith. The new act that is not in the Quran or Hadith is rejected (مردود). The innovator says, “There were no trains in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), why do you ride them? Is this not innovation?” We would respond that we never said that using something that was not present in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is innovation. We have always defined innovation as the invention of new acts in the religion, which are not found in the Quran or Hadith. So, let us ask: Is a train an act or a tool? It is a tool, and innovation pertains to actions, not tools. The second point is that the invention of a train pertains to worldly affairs, not religious matters. A simple person would acknowledge this. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) defined innovation in religious matters, not in worldly affairs.

Second Doubt: Another common doubt is: “You say that such and such an act is an innovation, but another scholar says it is a religious act and rewards are earned from it. Whom should we believe? You are a scholar, and so is he. How do we know who is right?”

Answer: To clarify this doubt, I will explain using examples of religious practices. When you pray, you first make the intention, then say the Takbir and fold your hands, stand in Qiyam, perform Ruku, then Sujood, completing one Rak’ah. You do the same for the second Rak’ah, then sit in Qadah and end with Tasleem after completing the prayer. Why do you pray in this manner? Is it because someone else told you to or because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught you to pray in this way? Indeed, it is because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught us how to pray. He said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Similarly, when you perform Hajj, you begin with the Day of Tarwiyah (8th of Dhu al-Hijjah), then travel to Mina, then to Arafat on the Day of Arafah, and so on. Why do you do this? Is it because some saint told you, or because Allah and His Messenger ordered it? You do it because Allah and His Messenger ordered it. As the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Take your rituals from me.” (Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghir)

We follow the teachings of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) because he is the best example, as Allah says: لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ (Al-Ahzab: 21). Allah also commands: أطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول (An-Nisa: 59), “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.”

So, if a scholar teaches you something based on personal opinion or without evidence from the Quran and Hadith, his words should be disregarded because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade innovations. You should only accept the words of a scholar who bases his teachings on the Quran and Hadith because the religion is based on these sources.

Third Doubt: A third common doubt raised by the public is: “If someone does an act with the intention of earning reward, what harm is there? Their intention is good.”

Answer: The response to this is that good intentions alone are not enough; the action must also conform to the Sunnah. Otherwise, it will be considered an innovation, which is rejected by Allah and His Messenger. This is evident from a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (5063), where three great companions—Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, and Uthman ibn Maz’oon—came to ask about the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) worship. After hearing about his practice, they thought to do more than what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did: one wanted to pray all night, another to fast every day, and the third to abstain from marriage. When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) heard of this, he said: “By Allah, I am the one who fears Allah the most and I am the most pious, but I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.”

Even though these companions had good intentions, their actions went against the Sunnah, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told them that anyone who deviates from his Sunnah is not truly following him. This shows that actions, even with good intentions, must follow the Sunnah; otherwise, they are innovations.

The Fallacy of the Division of Innovations into ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’:

Innovators spread a misconception that Islam does not forbid all innovations, but only bad ones, and that there are good innovations (Bid’ah Hasanah) and bad innovations (Bid’ah Sayyi’ah). They argue that the innovations they practice are ‘good’ and rewardable, while others are ‘bad’ and punishable.

In reality, this division of innovations is a false and fabricated concept, just like the innovations themselves. Any mention of a ‘good’ innovation is based on the linguistic meaning of the word, but in the Shari’ah, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) condemned all innovations. He said: “The best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst of matters are those that are newly invented, and every new thing is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to the Fire.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i: 1579)

This Hadith makes it clear that any new act in the religion is considered an innovation. Therefore, the idea that there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ innovations is incorrect and contradicts the Hadith of the Messenger.

Finally, let’s also understand the ruling on the innovators (Bida‘tiyyah). These people claim that they love the Prophet more than anyone else, that they recite more blessings (salawat) upon him, and therefore, they believe they will be with the Prophet in the Hereafter, that they will receive his intercession, and will enter Paradise. With such claims, a Barelvi poet, Jameel-ur-Rahman Rizvi Qadri, expresses in his naats:

؎میں وہ سنی ہوں جمیل قادری مرنے کے بعد – میرا لاشہ بھی کہے گا الصلاۃ والسلام

(I am that Sunni, Jameel Qadri, after death – even my corpse will say, ‘Salat and Salaam)

Now, consider the reality of these claims in light of the last mentioned hadith. On one hand, the teaching of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that the Qur’an is the truest of books and the best of ways is the way of Muhammad (peace be upon him), but these people mention the name of the Prophet but follow innovations in religion. Those who introduce and practice innovations in the religion, deviating from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), can they truly be lovers of the Prophet? Absolutely not. The claim of the innovator to be a true lover of the Prophet is hollow and false. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to Hell. How can someone who engages in actions that lead to Hell expect intercession from the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Not only this, but Allah will also inform the Prophet in the Hereafter about the innovations of these innovators. When they approach the Haudh al-Kawthar (the Basin of Al-Kawthar), they will be driven away. In Sahih Bukhari, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

لَيَرِدَنَّ عَلَيَّ ناسٌ مِن أصْحابِي الحَوْضَ، حتَّى عَرَفْتُهُمُ، اخْتُلِجُوا دُونِي، فأقُولُ: أصْحابِي! فيَقولُ: لا تَدْرِي ما أحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ (صحيح البخاري:6582)

Translation: “Some of my companions will come to the Basin, and I will recognize them, but they will be pulled away from me. I will say, ‘These are my companions!’ and it will be said to me, ‘You do not know what they have introduced after you.'”

What a strange condition of the innovators! They spent their lives chanting “Ya Rasulullah,” celebrating Milad, holding processions, putting up flags, standing in honor of the Prophet, reciting collective blessings upon him, and kissing their thumbs. Yet, the result is that in the Hereafter, they will be distanced from the Prophet and from the Haudh al-Kawthar.

؎ نہ خدا ہی ملا نہ وصال صنم نہ ادھر کے ہوئے نہ ادھر کے ہوئے۔

(Neither did I find God, nor the union with the beloved; I became neither this side nor that side)

To those who have deviated, knowingly or unknowingly, it is requested that they still have time to repent from their past sins and follow the true path of loving the Prophet (peace be upon him). In the Hereafter, they can drink from the Haudh al-Kawthar by acting according to the Book of Allah, the Qur’an, and the beloved Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). May Allah make this article a means for the lost people to return to the right path.

Note: Those who wish to listen to the video lecture on this topic can find it on the author’s YouTube channel, uploaded on 5th February 2022, titled “Recognizing Innovation (Bad’ah).”