Assalamualaikum I would like to know whether the following quotes from the Mujaddid portray and accurate picture of his view on Bidah. If they are out of context, can any knowledgable brothers/sisters who have access to his maktoobat, post an alternate view of his on Bidah. Hadrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani (R.A.) said” Quote: “MAY ALLAH TAALA GRANT THE ULAMA OF THE TIME THE TAUFEEQ OF NOT HAVING THE AUDACITY TO DESCRIBE ANY BID’AH AS BEING HASAN (BEAUTIFUL) EVEN IF THE BID’AH IN THEIR SIGHT APPEARS TO BE LIKE THE GLITTERING RAYS OF MORNING LIGHT BECAUSE IN ANYHING OTHER THAN THE SUNNAH, THE DECEPTION OF SHAITAAN PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE.” [Maktoob 23, Daftar 11] Imam Rabbani-Mujatadi Alf-e-Thaani (R.A.) writes: “This Faqeer pleads in humility, sincerity and earnest to Allah Taala in open and secret that which has been newly introduced into Deen and those bid’ats which have been cooked up and that which was not prevalent in the time of Rasulullah (S.A.W.) and the Kulafaah-e-Rashideen (R.A.) even if be the likeness the whiteness of the brightness of the morning – Allah Taala does not catch this Faqeer and those who are connected to him in those new invented things – And does not make us crazy (dazzle) on its beauty (eternal) by the Barakaah of Rasulullah (S.A.W.). (Daftar 1, Maktoob 186) Hadrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani (R.A.) said: “The fortunate and highly successful one is the man who in this forlorn stage of Islam revives a Sunnah from among the shunned Sunnahs and wards off a bid’at from among the bid’ah in vogue…. The signs of Qiyaamah have cast their dazzle. The Sunnah because of its distance (in time) from the age of Nabi (S.A.W.) has become hidden. As a result of falsehood, bid’ah has manifested itself. The time therefore, calls for such a valiant warrior who will aid the Sunnah and vanquish bid’ah.” [Maktoob 23, Daftar 11] Imam Rabbaani (R.A.) said: “In the past, Islam was powerful and it could carry the darkness of bid’ah. It is, therefore, quite possible that engulfed by Noor of Islam (i.e. past Islam), the darkness of some innovated practices was lit up and appeared to dazzle (with reflected glitter), hence such practices were described as hasanah and noor. But in the prevalent times, Islam is weak and does not posses the strength to bear the darkness of bid’ah.” [Maktoob 23, Daftar 11] Hadrat Mujaddid Ali Thanvi (R.A.) says" “As long as man does not abstain from such ‘bid’ah hasanah’ which is in reality ‘bid’ah sayyiah’ evil innovation, he will be deprived of fragrance of this wealth of Imaan. Today, the comprehension of the tenth has become most difficult because the entire world is drowning in the ocean of bid’ah. People are reclining and taking comfort in the darkness of bid’ah practices. Who today has the ability to eliminate bid’ah and revive Sunnah? The majority of the Ulama of this age (i.e. the age in which Hadrat Mujaddid lived 4 centuries ago) are engaged in establishing bid’at and eliminating Sunnah….” [Maktoob 54, Daftar 11, addressed to Sayyid Shah Muhammad] " Gatherings of Meelaad as-Shareef with the recitation of Holy Quraan with good (melodious) voice and Naats and Qasidaas are recited for Huzoor Sallallaho alayhi wa sallam then what is the hesitation ? " [Ahmed Sirhindi, Maktobaat, Volume 1, First Chapter, Maktoob number 42, page 154] Syed Abul Hasan Nadwi's writes in his 'saviours of the spirit': When he was asked whether there was any objection to such gatherings (Milad) if they were not attended by any ritual against the approved religious practices, he answered: ''This poorling is of the opinion that unless this practice is completely given up, the interested persons would not cease taking advantage of it. If the practise is declared lawful, it would gradually lead to finding justification for other innovations also. Even a small mistake becomes a prelude to grave errors.'' Maktubat Vol. III No 72 to Khwaja Hosam-ud-Din And a long quote: 'The happiest, the most fortunate person is he who recovers one of the forgotten sunnats and annihilates one of the widespread bid'ats in a time when irreligiousness is on the increase. We are now in such a time when a thousand years have elapsed after the Best of man kind [Hadhrat Muhammad], As we get farther from the time of happiness of our Prophet, the sunnats are gradually being covered and, lies being on the increase, the bid'ats are spreading. A hero is needed who will uphold the sunnats and stop, expel the bid'ats. To spread bid'ats is to demolish Islam. To respect those who make up and commit bid'ats, to deem them great will cause Islam to perish. It is declared in a hadith, "He who says 'great' about those who commit bid'ats has helped the demolition of islam". The meaning of this should be given die consideration on. Utmost energy should be spent in striving for uncovering one Sunnat and annihilating one bid'at. For strengthening Islam any-time, especially when Islam has become so weak, it is necessary to spread the sunnats and demolish the bid'ats. The former Islamic savants, having seen maybe some beauty in the bid'ats, gave some of them the name of hasana [beautiful]. But this faqir [Imaam-Rabbini means himself] do not follow them in this respect; I do not regard any of the bid'ats as beautiful. I see all of them as dark and cloudy. Our Prophet declared: "All bid'ats are aberration, deviation from the right way". In such a time as this when Islam has become weak, I see that salvation and escaping Hell is in holding fast to the Sunnat; and destruction of the din is, no matter how, in falling for any bid'at. I understand that each bid'at is like a pickaxe to demolish the building of Islam and all sunnats are like brilliant stars to guide you on a dark night. May Allahu ta'ala give enough reasonableness to the hodjas of our time so that they will not say that any bid'at is beautiful or permit any bid'at to be committed. They should not tolerate bid'ats even if they seem to illuminate darknesses like the rising of the sun! For, the satans do their work easily outside the sunnats. In the early times, Islam being strong, the darknesses of bid'ats were not conspicuous, but, maybe, along with the world-wide powerful light of Islam, some of those darknesses passed as bright. Therefore they were said to be beautiful. Whereas, those bid'ats did not have any brightness or beauty, either. But now, Islam having become weak and disbelievers' customs and even the symptoms of disbelief having become settled [as fashion] among Muslims, each bid'at has displayed its harm, and Islam, without anyone noticing it, has been slipping away. Our hodjas should be most vigilant in this respect, and they should not pioneer the spreading of bid'ats by saying, "it is permissible to do so and so", or "such and such things is not harmful", and putting forward the old fatwas. Here is the place for the saying, 'The din will change in process of time". It is wrong for disbelievers to use this saying as tongs for demolishing Islam and settling the bid'ats and disbelief. The bid'ats having covered all the world, this age roosts like a dark night. The sunnats being on the decrease, their lights blink like fire-flies flying here and there in dark night. As the committing of bid'ats increases, the darkness of the night has been increasing and the light of Sunnat has been decreasing. But the increasing of the sunnats would decrease the darkness and increase the light. He who wishes may increase the darkness of bid'at, thus strengthening the devil's army! And he who wishes may increase the light of Sunnat, thus strengthening the soldiers of Allahu ta'ala! Know well that the end of the devil's army is calamity, loss. He who is in the army of Allahu ta'ala will attain endless bliss." Mujaddid is quoted as saying: “I vehemently prohibit the practice of Moulood because it is contrary to our Path (Shariah). I prohibit whatever is in opposition to our Path, whether the contrary [b]act be simaa’, riqs (Spiritual dance and music), poetry, music, and Moulood practices.” (If anybody knows the reference to the last two quotes please could you state it ).