I will like to further clarify the term Bid'ah, as described by Shaikh Sirajuddin Mujaddidi Naqshbandi (shaikh of Hazrat Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi) as I read once. (Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi r.a is most revered by deobandi shuyukh as well, like shaikh Zulfiqar Ahmed). One of his murids asked him why the graves at the Dargah Musa Zai sharif were made of bricks which was a Bid'ah, whereas the sacred graves at Sirhind sharif were not cemented? The shaikh replied in his letter (His letters are translated in Urdu and published), that Bid'ah is of five types: 1. Bid'ah Wajib: That is compulsory. 2. Bid'ah Mustahib: That which is recommended. 3. Bid'ah Mubah: That which is allowed. 4. Bid'ah Makruh: That which is considered bad. 5. Bid'ah Haram: That which is strictly forbidden. He said making the graves cemeted is due to certain reasons, otherwise it is Bid'ah. The reasons are that the clay at the dargah sharif is such that the grave does not remain solid after a few months. And maintaining a grave is necessary in Islam to remember the dead, therefore the graves are cemented so they do not get destroyed. He also said that making cemented homes and masajid is also Bid'ah, as this was not present at the time of Holy Prophet (s.a.w). Likewise, making place of wuzu with the masjid is also a Bid'ah. but this type of Bid'ah is mubah: allowed. I don't remember the exact words: that is a long maktub and I read it long time ago. But this is something I thought to be related with the current discussion. For the compulsory Bid'ah, I will like to quote an example from myself: During the Jihad with Musailma Kazzab during the Khilafah of sayyidna Abu Bakr r.a, Sahaba heard the other side raise the slogan of "Allaho Akbar". Since this was also the slogan of Muslims, and both slogans were similar, so the Amir of Muslims changed their slogan to "Ya Muhammadah" in order to differentiate between Muslims and the other side. This was need of the time, although it was a Bid'ah. If I am wrong in something, please correct me. Thanks