BIDAH IN ISLAM Nabi Sallalahu alai wa salam has said that before the end of days ignorance will spread and fitan will escalate. Many of the issues which the Ummah are facing are due to the absence of sound and classical knowledge of Deen, the new ideologies which have sprung up in the near past such and others who have become more widespread such as those who deny the Ahadaaeth, those that speak ill of the Sahaba, those that reject the understanding of the overwhelming understanding of the ulama of the ages and hold firm to a few rare views of certain individuals which contradict the majority. Those that take the apparent meanings out of context and are ignorant of true Arabic grammar and usool fiqh etc For example a person who is not qualified or is unaware of the different rulings of an imperative command and regarding them all as an obligatory command in all conditions. Many times a person is unaware of which verses and traditions have been abrogated and which have not. Sole study and research bereft of the guidance of a qualified righteous teacher leads one to claim that everyone albeit oneself is astray. A person who is unaware of the difference existing amongst the Fuqaha is truly very far from the shores of knowledge. من لم يعرف اختلاف الفقهاء لم يشم رائحة الفقه There are various reasons which led the islamic jurists to derive diverse rulings, sometimes it would be due to the different qira’ahs, difference in understanding the texts of the noble qur’an and hadeeth, there principles would sometimes differ etc (Atharul Ikthilaaf fel qawaaidel usooleya fe ikhtilaafel fuqaha). For example Imaam Abu Haneefa Rahimahullah basis of rulings would be the Noble Qur’aan, this was also the method of Sayidina Umar, Sayidina Abdullah bin Masood, Sayidina Ali radiyallahu anhum. For example once Fatima bint Qays radiyallahu anha had narrated that a women who has been given an irrevocable divorce would not be entitled to expenditure. Sayidina Umar radiyallahu anhu refused to accept her statement and said that I will not leave the Noble Qur’an and Sunnah for the statement of person who perhaps had remembered correctly or not. Umar radiyallahu anhu had given preference to the verses of surah Talaaq over a solitary narration, this was also the method of the Ahnaaf. (Qaamosol Fiqh vl 1. pg 350) Another example which elucidates towards the reasons why difference of opinions had occurred is the following verse: يتربصن بانفسهن ثلاثة قروء From the above verse it has been mentioned that a women who has been divorced and has not reached the age of menopause and is not pregnant should remain in Iddat for the duration of three Quroo. The word Quroo has a dual meaning, the meaning of Tuhr (Purity) and Haidh (Menses). According to the Arabic law of nahw (syntax) some gave preference to the meaning of tuhr and others preferred haidh due to the law of kaas (meaning that due to the recommended method of Talaaq taking place in purity and that if a women’s iddat where to be calculated with three purities than it will not be possible to practice on the word three in totality ). Therefore we are commanded in the noble qu’raan to follow those who have knowledge and not to base everything on our understanding: فاسئلوااهل الذكر ان كنتم لا تعلمون Very briefly below is a few words on an important topic which many are confused about, the issue of innovation in Deen. ( Below is taken from the Darul Ifta archives). We need to remember that our Deen is a complete way of life and its teachings are based on divine revelation. Allah Taala clearly indicates towards this in the following verse: اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام دينا (القرآن) Today I have perfected your Deen for you (leaving no room for additions or omissions), completed my bounty upon you (because Islam is a complete and everlasting code of life) and chosen for you Islam as your Deen. The Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam in his final Hajj on the day of Arafah asked his companions who were gathered to listen to his speech: ألا هل بلغت؟ قالوا: بلى يا رسول الله ، قال أللهم اشهد! ، فليبغ الشاهد منكم الغائب The Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam asked: Did I convey the Deen of Allah Taala to you? The Sahabah replied: yes O messenger of Allaah. The Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: O Allah you bear witness! and then addressing the people He said: Then let those who are present amongst you convey the message to those who are absent. Therefore we come to know from the above that the Quraan and Ahaadith are witness and testify to the completion of the Deen of Islam. After bearing in mind what has been mentioned, we turn our attention towards the concept of Bidat (innovation). What is a Bidat and how does one classify something as a bidat? What is it that draws the line between a Sunnat and a bidat? Allamah Abdul Hai Lakhnawi (RA) writes in Iqamatul Hujjah: قلنا للبدعة معنى لغوي عام: وهو المحدث مطلقا عادة أو عبادة لأنها اسم من الإبتداع بمعنى الإحداث. ومعنى شرعي خاص هو: الزيادة فى الدين أو النقصان منه الحادثان بعد الصحابة بغير إذن الشارع لا قولا ولا فعلا ولا صريحا ولا إشارة. (إقامة الحجة ص ٢٢) Bidat is of two types: A) Bidat used linguistically and generally irrespective of the fact that it be related to religion or with any other worldly factor. The reason being, that the word bidat is a noun from ibtida which has the same meaning as ihdaath (innovation). B) The Shari meaning of bidat (which is reprehensible) is to increase or decrease something in the Deen after the Sahabah without the permission of the legislator. This is irrespective of whether it be verbally or by action, be it explicitly or implicitly. This definition of bidat clearly outlines that those matters which relate to a persons worldly affairs dont come under the category of bidat as they dont concern the Deen. To understand this statement, let us look at the Hadith of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam where he said to the Sahabah: أنتم أعلم بأمر دنياكم You are more knowledgeable regarding your worldly matters. Therefore not every bidat is reprehensible. Yes, where the boundaries of Shariah are violated i.e. additions and omissions are made, the Shariah declares this as incorrect and says: من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد (بخارى من حديث عائشة) Whoever innovates anything into our matter (religion) shall be rejected. From the above discussion, we come to know that the word bidat is used in two ways, linguistically and specifically. The former meaning is acceptable and the latter is reprehensible. Let us now move on to the concept of bidat e hasanah and its reality. If you recall what we mentioned above under the definition of bidat, bidat is a general word used linguistically and specifically (in the terms of Shariah). When the word bidat is used in the terms of Shariah, there is no distribution of bidat into sayyiah and hasanah as anything innovated into Deen is sayyiah. But when it is used linguistically, then some things are classified as bidat e hasanah and bidat e sayyiah. In the collection of Ahadith, those Ahadith which condone bidaat and announce them as means of deviation, do they encompass all bidaat regardless of whether they are general or specific? The Hadith of Irbaad ibn Sariyah (Radiyallahu anhu): إياكم ومحدثات الأمور ، فإن كل محدثة بدعة ، وكل بدعة ضلالة (أبو داؤد والترمذي) The Hadith of Jabir (Radiyallahu anhu): شر الأمور محدثاتها، وكل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالة (مسلم) The Hadith of Aisha (Radiyallahu anhu): من أحدث فى أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد (بخارى من حديث عائشة) The common message portrayed in all three of these Ahadith is to refrain from innovation as they are misguiding. If one says that these Ahadith encompass all bidaat regardless of whether they pertain to Dunya or Deen then this statement contradicts the Hadith: أنتم أعلم بأمر دنياكم The Iraab of the Quran and its compilation, the rules of Tajweed etc all were invented after the era of the Khairul Quroon yet nobody till today condoned these things and said they were bidaat! Will the islamic institutions in the world be also termed as a bidaat due to them not exisiting in the time of Nabi Sallallahu alai wa salam? Rather the Ummah accepted these things whole heartedly and thought of it as good. Therefore one must acknowledge that not all Muhdathaat (innovations) are wrong. Rather, some like those mentioned above are commendable. To substantiate our statement, we quote the text of the Fuqaha: وقال ابن حجر العسقلاني: البدعة في العرف مذمومة ، بخلاف اللغة ، فإن كل شيء على غير مثال يسمى بدعة سواء كان محمودا أو مذموما. Ibn Hajar Asqalani (RA) says: Bidat in the terminology of the Shariah is reprehensible, contrary to when its used linguistically, where everything innovated without a prior example is called bidat regardless of whether it is commendable or reprehensible. Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi (RA) writes in his Sharh of Mishkaat: كل ما ظهر بعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فهو بدعة، وكل ما وافق السنة وقواعدها أو قيس عليها فهو بدعة حسنة، وكل ما خالفها فهو بدعة سيئة وضلالة. All those things which emerged after the demise of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam are bidaat. If it is in accordance to the Sunnat and its principals, or it has been deduced from it, then it will be a bidat e hasanah. If on the contrary, it contradicts the Sunnat it will be a bidat e sayyiah. Imam Gazali (RA) writes in Ihyaa-ul Uloom: ليس كل ما أبدع منهيا عنه ، بل المنهي عنه بدعة تضاد سنة ثابتة ويرفع أمرا من الشرع (هذه الأقوال الثلاثة مأخوذ من الكتاب المسمى ب الإتباع والإبتداع) Not every innovated thing is prohibited. Only those are prohibited which are contrary to an established Sunnat and diminish the hukm of Shariah. To summarize the discussion, we conclude with an example of bidat e hasanah. In the time of Hazrat Umar (Rahimahullah) Taraweeh Salaat was read with congregation whereas in the time of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam it was performed with congregation for a few days and then discontinued for a specific reason. At one time, upon seeing the people assembled in Taraweeh Salaat, Hazrat Umar (RA) said: نعمت البدعة هذه Indeed this is a good innovation Was Taraweeh Salaat an innovation which didn’t exist in the time of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam? Not only did it exist, but the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam emphasized on reading it and personally performed it himself as well. Therefore there remains no doubt in the fact that Taraweeh Salaat is no innovation. Then what did Hazrat Umar (Rahimahullah) mean by nimatil bidatu hazihi? He meant that as this congregation is not against the teaching of Shariah, it is no more then a bidat linguistically speaking. AND ALLAAH TAAALA KNOWS BEST Compiled by Mufti Irshad Motara
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 09:12:22 +0000
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