[nilliraq]

A sufi against bidah hasanah. This is a one-off.

The idea could be hard to grasp if you think Tazkiyah is synonymous with bid'ah.

[Bxbhtjnr]

(Vol 1) Letter 186 to Khwajah ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Mufti al-Kabuli in Encouraging Adherence to Sunnah and Avoidance of Bid‘ah and that every Bid‘ah is Misguidance

I ask Allah – glorified and exalted is He – with humbleness and contrition, helplessness and poverty, humility and brokenness, in secret and in openness, to not try this feeble one with those who unite near Him or rely on Him in performing every innovated practice of bid‘ah in the religion, of that which was not present in the time of the best of humanity and the time of the rightly guided caliphs (upon him and upon them blessings and peace), even if that act is like the breaking of dawn in clarity, and [I ask Allah] that He does not try us with approving of that innovator, [and I ask this] through the sanctity of the select master and his righteous progeny (upon him and upon them blessing and peace).

Some people say bid‘ah is of two types: good and bad. Thus, good bid‘ah is every righteous deed which arose after the time of our Prophet and the time of the rightly guided caliphs (upon him and upon them blessings and peace) and does not eliminate a Sunnah practice; while bad bid‘ah does eliminate a Sunnah practice.

This needy one has not seen any goodness or light in any bid‘ah, and he has not sensed in them anything besides darkness and dirt. Whoever, in the present time, supposedly finds praise and light in an innovated matter due to a weak insight, he will learn tomorrow after gaining sharpness in vision, that it has no advantage at all besides in regret and loss.

[poetry not translated]

The master of men (upon him blessing and peace) said: “Whoever innovates in this matter of ours what is not of it, it is rejected.” So when a thing is rejected, from where will goodness come to it? He (upon him blessing and peace) said: “To proceed. Verily the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best conduct is the conduct of Muhammad. The worst of affairs are their innovations, and every innovation is bid‘ah, and every bid‘ah is misguidance.” He (upon him blessing and peace) said: “I enjoin unto you the fear of Allah, and listening and obedience, even if an Ethiopian slave [is your leader]; for indeed those of you who live after me will see much conflict. Incumbent on you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs. Remain steadfast on that, and bite on it with the molar teeth. And beware of innovated matters, for indeed every innovation is bid‘ah, and every bid‘ah is misguidance.”

Since every innovation is bid‘ah, and every bid‘ah is misguidance, what is the meaning of goodness in bid‘ah? Furthermore, the purport of the hadiths is that every bid‘ah eliminates a Sunnah, and eliminating [Sunnah] is not restricted to some [bid‘ahs]. Hence, every bid‘ah is bad. He (upon him blessing and peace) said: “No group innovates a bid‘ah except the like of it from the Sunnah is lifted.” Thus, adhering to the Sunnah is better than inventing a bid‘ah. It was narrated from Hassan [ibn Thabit] that he said: “No group innovated a bid‘ah in their religion except Allah removed the like of it from their Sunnahs, and then He will not return it to them till the Day of Resurrection.”

It should be known that some bid‘ahs which the ‘ulama and mashayikh counted amongst good bid‘ah, when carefully considered, it will be realised that it eliminates a Sunnah practice. An example of this is that they consider putting a turban on the dead a good bid‘ah, although it eliminates a Sunnah because it is an addition on the Sunnah number [of garments] for shrouding, which is three garments, and [according to the principles of jurisprudence] an addition is abrogation, and abrogation is the very essence of elimination. Similarly some mashayikh have considered releasing the tail of the turban to the left to be good although the Sunnah is to release it between the shoulders, and this bid‘ah eliminating that Sunnah is manifest containing no obscurity.

Likewise some scholars have considered it good to articulate with the tongue the intention of Salah along with the intention of the heart even though articulating the intention on the tongue has not been established from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), nor his noble companions, nor the great successors, neither in an authentic transmission nor in a weak transmission. Rather they would do the initial takbir after standing. Thus, articulating [the intention] is bid‘ah. And they say that it is a good bid‘ah. This needy one says that this bid‘ah eliminates an obligation let alone a Sunnah, because most people suffice with this degree, of expressing the intention with the tongue, meaning without bringing the intention in the heart, and without care for the heedlessness of the heart from this matter, and thus an obligation from the obligations of Salah, that is the intention [of the heart], is completely abandoned, and leads to the corruption of Salah.

And likewise all bid‘ahs and innovations follow on this pattern* because they are additions to the Sunnah, even if only in one aspect, and an addition is abrogation, and abrogation is elimination. Thus, you must restrict yourself to following the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and suffice with imitating the noble companions for they are like stars: whichever of them you imitate, you will be guided. As for analogy (qiyas) and exercising scholarly opinion (ijtihad) it is not bid‘ah at all, because it is a clarifier of the meaning of the texts, and it does not establish an additional matter. So take heed O possessors of intelligence! Peace be on those who follow guidance, and adhere to the practice of the Chosen One – upon him and upon his progeny the best of blessings and the most complete of salutations.


*Translator: Apply this to the many instances of "Bid'ah Hasanah" present today. For example, the formal mawlid celebration, which supposedly expresses love for the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and commemorates the blessing of his birth, de-emphasises the methods prescribed in the Sunnah for this, of fasting on Mondays – one of the reasons given for which is he was born on that day – and sending abundant salawat and salam on him; hence, this bid‘ah eliminates or de-emphasises these Sunnahs, just as the Mujaddid wrote that the bid‘ah of articulating the intention of Salah compromises the true and obligatory intention of the heart.

aoa,

really now. what about 20 rakat tarawih, the mushaf etc...pretty well-known good bidahs. and isnt there a hadith that describes the reward for someone who introduces a good practice in religion?you have to see whether something that is new is against shariah or not. you cant just brush them all away in similar fashion. the salafis always stumble when it comes to hadrat Umar (r.a).shows the fallacy of their arguments. but i am sure mujaddid alf-e-thani meant something else which i have not comprehended.Allahualam

[Glanteeignile]

aoa,

really now. what about 20 rakat tarawih, the mushaf etc...pretty well-known good bidahs. and isnt there a hadith that describes the reward for someone who introduces a good practice in religion?you have to see whether something that is new is against shariah or not. you cant just brush them all away in similar fashion. the salafis always stumble when it comes to hadrat Umar (r.a).shows the fallacy of their arguments. but i am sure mujaddid alf-e-thani meant something else which i have not comprehended.Allahualam

...It also can be understood from the above explanation of bid'a that many things were not needed in the time of Allah's Messenger , but were established later to achieve a religious objective, cannot be included in the realm of bid'a (in the legal sense) either, [even though they may be considered bid'a in the literal sense, i.e., "an innovation" or "something new." Many times the later is intended when referencing a certain matter to be a good or bad bid'a, since every action legally considered a bid'a can only be reprehensible]. Post # 7

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...light=bid%27ah

[kesFockplek]

ws,
Jazak Allah

[aideriimibion]

Another letter of profound insight by the Mujaddid of this millenium:

"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." (Vol 2:23)

[AblemTee]

Could you also translate how bidah was precisely defined as per shariah, by the Imam ?

Jazakallah khair.

[SHUSIATULSE]

Could you also translate how bidah was precisely defined as per shariah, by the Imam ?

Jazakallah khair.

I don't think the Mujaddid defined bidah himself. He was a staunch follower of the Hanafi Madhab and he emphasized strongly the necessity of adhering to the rulings of the early authorities of the Madhab, rather than that of the latter day ulama and sufis. The authorities of the Madhab appear to be very strict with regards to Bid'ah, although nowadays there seems to be a revisionist version of the Madhab in many parts of the world. One only needs to look at rulings issued regarding building over the graves, the beard, the current regard for Mawlid etc. by Hanafi ulama, which clearly contradict the ruling of the Madhab, or its principles.

Four hundred years on, the Mujaddid's statement that "the majority of the Ulama of this age are engaged in establishing bid’at and eliminating Sunnah", is more poignant than ever before.

[ElisasAUG]

The Imam must have defined it somewhere. Otherwise the above will not be clear enough. Two different meanings of bidah can be read into what was quoted. Bidah with the meaning that something which has no basis in the shariah and the other meaning being bidah as something which is simply new.

If you go by the latter meaning, then it would be as what you say. But if you go by the first meaning, then things like mawlid etc won't fall under it, because they have a basis in the shariah and only its form is new which is no different to preaching, which has a basis despite there being innovated forms of preaching. By this meaning then what it would mean is that he is opposed to any bidah which has no basis in the shariah and that he does not consider any bidah w/o a basis in the shariah could be classified as good or bad. Meaning he considers a bidah w/o basis as always bad.

So to know what the Imam meant precisely, we would have to know how that Imam defined bidah.

Jazakallah khairan

[Boripiomi]

Wa `alaykum as-Salam

I have a question which has been sitting in the back of my mind for quite some time now and that is do the Hanafis (from classical texts) believe in the concept of bid`ah hasanah? Furthermore, do the Deobandi Hanafis believe in the concept of bid`ah hasanah? From what I've read, the Shafi`is and Malikis accept this categorization of bid`ah but as for the Hanafis, I haven't really grasped a clear picture.

Innovation: What is Bid'a?

[RildFiemodo]

As-Salamu `alaykum

Another letter of profound insight by the Mujaddid of this millenium:

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.

This seems to contradict what you are claiming about legal vs. linguistic bid`a and the categorization of bid`a.

It is not fit for us to give our own interpretations of what the scholars have said (the categorization of bid`a) nor is it fit for us to pass judgment on their scholarship (by attributing to them mistakes). What has been offered by way of quotes in this thread makes the issue no clearer nor do the quotes appear to say anything new. They only return the discussion/debate to how "legal" and "linguistic" are defined and distinguished, and to what one deems as essentially being part of the sunna and thus not, in reality, a bid`a.

[Retapleapse]

Can someone provide the source for the following hadith cited in the Maktubat posted here:

"He who says 'great' about those who commit bid'ats has helped the demolition of islam".

[egoldhyip]

As-Salamu `alaykum



This seems to contradict what you are claiming about legal vs. linguistic bid`a and the categorization of bid`a.

It is not fit for us to give our own interpretations of what the scholars have said (the categorization of bid`a) nor is it fit for us to pass judgment on their scholarship (by attributing to them mistakes). What has been offered by way of quotes in this thread makes the issue no clearer nor do the quotes appear to say anything new. They only return the discussion/debate to how "legal" and "linguistic" are defined and distinguished, and to what one deems as essentially being part of the sunna and thus not, in reality, a bid`a.

the Mujaddid's letters are very clear and easy to understand. He clearly follows the vast majority of the early fuqaha who saw no good in any bid'ah in religion, even though he mentions the fact that certain scholars classed some bid'ah as good.

[13spebampiliece]

Volume 3, Letter 193:

Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thaani (rahmatullah alayh) on the fact that the Ahl al-bid'ah use Qur'an and Sunnah to justify their bid'ahs:

“Because every bid`atee (innovator) and deviate substantiates his concocted belief from the Kitaab and Sunnah, in accordance to his concocted desire.”

[celddiskend]

Volume 2, Letter 19:

The Mujaddid said:

“It is difficult to understand how these people have found any merit in the things that have been invented after completion of religion as approved and confirmed by Allah? Are they not aware of this basic fact that anything ingrafted after the completion and acceptance of a religion by Allah cannot have any merit whatsoever? “After the Truth what is there save the error?” (Quran 10:33) Had they known that attribution of any merit to a thing inserted in a perfect religion implied imperfection of that religion and amounted to an announcement that Allah had not yet completed His favour, they would dared not deny what had been asserted by Allah”

[FYIbiatches]

Commentator's note to "SECOND VOLUME, 19th LETTER":


There are three kinds of bid’at:

1 — It is the worst bid’at to use —without any darûrat (compulsion)— those things which the Sharî’at says to be the signs of disbelief. On page 467 of al-Barîqa and 696 of Majmâ’ al-anhur, it is written that the ’ulamâ’ said, “It is permissible to use them to deceive (khud’a) the disbelievers in dâr al-harb.”

2 — Those beliefs which disagree with what is communicated by the savants of the Ahl as-sunnat are also evil bid’ats.

3 — Those reforms made in the name of worship are bid’ats in worship and are grave sins. Some ’ulamâ’ divided the bid’ats in ’ibâdât or ’amal into the hasana and sayyia. Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî ‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’ did not say ‘bid’ats’ about those bid’ats which scholars termed ‘hasana’. He called them ‘sunnat-i-hasana’. He said ‘bid’ats’ about those which they termed ‘bid’at-i-sayyia’, and he condemned such bid’ats. Wahhabis, on the other hand, say ‘sayyia’ about bid’ats termed ‘hasana’ and approved, and they call those who practice such bid’ats ‘disbelievers’, ‘polytheists’. (http://books.hakikatkitabevi.com/cgi...c/%7B@2584%7D?)

[8Zgkdeee]

Letter 260:

The Mujaddid repeats his lament regarding the people (he specifically targets the ulama as culprits in other letters) who justify Bidah Hasanah:

“The darkness of Bidah has overwhelmed the lustre of the Sunnat and the splendour of the creed of our beloved Nabi (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has been stained with the muddiness of new innovations. Surprising is (the attitude of) those people who deem and regard as good such bid`ahs and innovations, and they have firm belief in these Bid`ahs being deeds of virtue. They seek the completion of the Deen and the creed in these new accretions. They (even) propagate and encourage towards these innovations. Allaah Ta`ala had placed them on the Straight Path, but they had not reflected that this Deen was complete even before their innovations and that this blessed Deen was finalised and also that the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala lay in this (complete Deen minus the innovations). As Allaah Ta`ala had mentioned, ‘On this Day have I perfected for you your Deen.’ Therefore to seek the (further) completion of the Deen in all these innovations, would be tantamount to refutation of the import of this blessed Aayat.”

[jstizzle]

Letter 260:

The Mujaddid repeats his lament regarding the people (he specifically targets the ulama as culprits in other letters) who justify Bidah Hasanah:

“The darkness of Bidah has overwhelmed the lustre of the Sunnat and the splendour of the creed of our beloved Nabi (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has been stained with the muddiness of new innovations. Surprising is (the attitude of) those people who deem and regard as good such bid`ahs and innovations, and they have firm belief in these Bid`ahs being deeds of virtue. They seek the completion of the Deen and the creed in these new accretions. They (even) propagate and encourage towards these innovations. Allaah Ta`ala had placed them on the Straight Path, but they had not reflected that this Deen was complete even before their innovations and that this blessed Deen was finalised and also that the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala lay in this (complete Deen minus the innovations). As Allaah Ta`ala had mentioned, ‘On this Day have I perfected for you your Deen.’ Therefore to seek the (further) completion of the Deen in all these innovations, would be tantamount to refutation of the import of this blessed Aayat.”

The above echoes Imam Malik's famous statement that calling any innovation 'hasanah', amounts to a slur on the Prophet - which ironically would warrant the title Gustakh-e-Rasul according to those who are practically submerged in a "Bidah Hasanah" laden Deen.

Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayhi) said:

" Anyone who commits an innovation in Islam and say that it is a good innovation then truly he is stating that the Prophet has betrayed the Message (of Islam). The reason is God has said "Today I have perfected your religion". Whatever was not part of the religion then, will not be a part of it today.”

[cewIdeatovace]

Volume 2, Maktoob 54:

Hadhrat Mujaddid states:

"Attainment to this degree of obedient following is conditioned upon tranquillity of the nafs and arrival to the reality of obedient following of the source of the Sacred Law, upon him be peace and blessings; yet, sometimes it occurs without the means of fana and baqa and without the means of spiritual journeying and attraction. It is possible for it to occur without anything of states, ecstasies, theophanies or manifestations, but it is something rare in its time. Attainment to this state via the path of the wilaya is more certain via another path. This other path, in the opinion of this needy one, being the path of absolute faithful obedient following of the noble sunna according to its source, peace and blessings be upon him, and avoidance of any type of bid’ah, one who does not avoid the ‘bid’ah hasanah’ just as he would avoid the blameworthy will not get even a scent of this high degree. This is something difficult in this time for the world is immersed in a profound sea of innovation and content with the darkness of it, who has the ability to speak in this time of the removal of innovation and the raising of the Sunna?

The majority of scholars prefer innovations and assist in effacing the sunna when they give religious rulings allowing wide scope for innovations. They go so far as applying the rule of legal analogical discretion (istihsan) with the reason that any social benefit accrued [from such innovations justifies it] and consequently direct the common people to such practices. What a horrible thing they are doing! Misguidance has become endemic to such an extent and error common place that it has become the ‘common good’! Do they not know that every perceived social benefit is not a reason for which to apply the rule of istihsan? The social benefit/custom envisioned by the Sacred Law is that which existed in the earlier generations (generations relatively safe from the detrimental effects of innovations) and which have occurred by the consensus of people as has been mentioned in the Fatawa Ghiyathiyya.

The Shaykh of Islam al-Shaheed, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that every social benefit/custom understood by the scholars of Balkh is not used in making a determination via istihsan but instead those set as precedent by the earlier generations. This is because they are indications of the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), so they take it because he establishes it, upon him be peace. If it is not so then it is not taken as legal evidence unless it is as a consensus of the people of all lands, for such a consensus is a legally binding proof. Do you not see that if a people accept as social custom the buying and selling of alcohol and dealing in interest nevertheless its legal permissibility cannot be sanctioned?

There is no doubt that knowledge of the common practice of all people and cognizance of the practice of all villages and towns is beyond the means of a person’s ability, but still the social practice of the earlier generations, which was in reality established by the Prophet’s precedent, is available. So what concern is there then of the blameworthy and good innovations? Association with the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) was sufficient to attain to perfections for his companions; every scholar from the pious predecessors attained to what he attained of rusukh (penetrative knowledge) because of his obedience to the Sunna and avoidance of disliked innovations not via choosing the path of the Sufis nor by spiritual journeying and attraction. O Allah make firm our feet upon obedient following of the Sunna and keep us far from committing any type of innovation, [accept this supplication by] means of the source of the Sunna!"

[LarryRda]

I dont see the issue has anything to do with the not so relevent classification of linguistic bidah and technical bidah or so forth. The issue is about what exactly is "new".

Those who accept a good bidah say that a good bidah would be having a basis in the shariah, and hence we know it is "good". If it contridicts shariah, it is "bad". Then there would those which would be neutral/doubtful. They are new and hence called bidah. But they are good because the goodness of it is based on the shariah itself or in other words the shariah itself permits this good bidah.

Those who reject good bidah falls into two categories. One category would accept a innovation which has a basis; meaning the shariah itself permits that particular innovation and does not put a restriction to innovate. But does not call it "bidah" because that permission to innovate is part of shariah itself and therefore not new to the shariah. Hence not really a bidah. There is another category of those who reject bidah whereby they tend towards rejection of qiyas and do not consider permissible to do anything which the prophet sallallahu alaihi wassallam did not specifically do in the exact manner such that no dot or exclaimation mark should be changed or added. The latter category would then sometimes try to further narrow down by categorizing between religion from wordly matters or matters of worship from matters that which are not considered as worship, etc and appply bidah to only one aspect of the classification I.e religion or worship.

If you notice from these three, the first case and the second case are same and their difference is merely linguistic. But the third case has fundamental difference with the first two case. And the real controversy on bidah is between the third case with the other two. And hence not a mere issue of linguistic difference.

Wasalam

Could you tell me which accepted classical scholar mentioned the above categories? There seems to be just as fundamental a difference between the first and second cases above, as there is between the second and third cases. The middle path tends to be the haqq.

[euylvaygdq]

The Mujaddid said:

"It is a ni'mat of the greatest value that a sincere man is perpetually engaged in reviving some Sunnah of Nabi-e-Kareem (Allah bless him and grant peace) and eliminating a bid'at from evil and reprehensible acts of bid'at. Sunnah and bid'at are two diametric opposites. The existence of the one brings about the destruction of the other. Thus, reviving Sunnah causes this elimination of bid'at and vice versa. Therefore, bid'ah, be it hasanah or sayyiah, necessitates the displacement of Sunnah" (Maktoob 255, Daftar 11)