Al-Bid’a (The Novelty)

Al-Bid’a (The Novelty)
Definition: the word is derived from creating something new without any previous example, it is similar to Allâh’s Saying, “بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ” - meaning – {To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth}, which means He is its Inventor without any primary sample, and similar to what He said, “قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنْ الرُّسُلِ” - meaning – {Say (O Muhammad ): "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the Messengers}, which means that I was not the first one who came with a Holly Letter from His Lord, but rather so many Messengers preceded me.
Novelty is divided into two classes:
A novelty in habits, such as creating new inventions, and this is allowed because allowance is a fundamental rule in habits unless there is an evidence to forbid.
A novelty in Religion, which is forbidden because this is its fundamental rule, the Prophet said, “من أحدث في أمرنا” - meaning – “He who innovates things in these affairs of ours, for which there is no valid (reason), his innovations are to be rejected.”
Types of Novelty:
The novelty in Religion is two types:
First type: is the doctrinal spoken novelty, such as what Jahmiah, Mu’tazilah, Rafidah, and many other misguided denominations say and belief. An example is given in statement, which claims that the Noble Qur’ân is Allâh’s creation.
Second type: is the novelty in worship, which is performing worship, which have not been decreed by Allâh. And it consists of classes:
First class: the novelty in the basis of worship, like bringing about a worship, which was not originally decreed in Shar’ (Islâm). An example is given in claiming a prayer not originally decreed or feasts such as birthdays etc..
Second class: the novelty that is created as an addition to a certain decreed worship, such as claiming a fifth Rak’a (kneeling) in Thuhr (noon) or ‘Asr (afternoon) prayers.
Third class: the novelty, which is created in the manner of the decreed worship, that is performing it in a different manner it was descended at. An example is given in reciting Allâh’s invocations in a group by a melodic sound, or to be severe on one’s self in worship to an extent which contradicts with the Prophet’s Sunnah.
Fourth class: the novelty which is committed by setting a time for a decreed worship Allâh never decreed before, such as setting the fifteenth of Sha’ban day for fasting and its night for praying. This is because fasting and praying are intrinsically legitimate, however, setting a certain date and time for them needs absolute evidence to do.
The legislation decision (worldly sentence) of the novelty in Islâm by all its classes:
Every novelty in Religion is forbidden and going astray for the Prophet said, “وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور” - meaning – “Be aware of the innovated aspects (in Islâm) for every innovated aspect is a bid’a and every bid’a is miss-guidance, and every miss-guidance is in the Hell Fire”. And said, “من عمل عملا” - meaning – “He who innovates things in these affairs of ours, for which there is no valid (reason), his innovations are to be rejected.”
So these two traditions show that every newly originated aspect in Islâm is a novelty, and that every novelty is a non-acceptable miss-guidance. This means that novelties in worship or doctrines are forbidden and their forbiddance varies according to the type of novelty. Actually, some of them are an explicit disbelief such as circumambulating graves as an approach to their people or calling them for help or offering sacrifices and vows for them. And such as what Jahmiah or Mu’tazilah say, or what might be a means of polytheism like constructing over graves and praying there. Besides, other novelties are considered as a doctrinal Fisq (disobedience), such as the novelty of Al-Khawarij or Al-Qadariah or Al-Murji’a in their sayings and doctrines which contradicts Religious evidences. However, some of the novelties are disobedience like the novelty of performing prayer and fasting in the sunlight, or committing castration as a means to stop the sexual desire.
Remark:
Those who classified the novelty into bad and good are mistaken and against the Hadith (tradition) of the Prophet who said, “فإن كل بدعة ضلالة” - meaning – “for every bid’a (novelty) is a missguidance”, so the Prophet considered all novelties as a misguidance, but these people claim that there exists some good novelty. The Hafeth (Great Scholar) Ibn Rajab said, “so the Prophet’s saying, “كل بدعة ضلالة” – “for every bid’a (novelty) is a missguidance” is one of his words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning, and no exception can be suggested where it is a great basis among the fundamentals of Islâm similar to his saying, “من أحدث في أمرنا” – “He who innovates anything in Islâm”. Therefore, whoever introduces a newly originated thing as an aspect of Islâm when it has no basis in it to prove is a misguided person, and Islâm disavow his claim whether it is doctrinal, in word or in deed apparently or concealed.”
Furthermore, these people have no evidences to prove that there exists a good novelty except what Omar said about Tarawih Prayer (night Prayer in Ramadan), “what a good novelty it is”.
Besides, they said that many things were newly originated in Islâm and none of our good ancestors (scholars in the first three centuries after the Prophet’s death) did deny one of them. Some examples for that are: the collection of Qur’ân in one Book, writing down the Hadith (tradition) of the Prophet.
In fact, these things do have a basis in Islâm so they are not novelties. As for the saying of Omar (what a good novelty it is), he did not mean at all what is concerned with the Religion but rather this concerns only linguistic innovation. In fact, the novelty (as explained before) has no basis in Islâm to prove.
However, collecting the Qur’ân in One Book does have a basis in Islâm because the Prophet used to order his companions to write down recited Ayat (signs), and because it was actually written but separately and the companions collected those separated sheets in One Book keeping them not to be lost. Moreover, the Prophet performed Salat At-Tarawih with his companions three nights but remained absent on the last one lest it should be decreed for them.
However, the companions kept praying separately (without Imam) at the time of the Prophet and after his death until Omar gathered them behind one Imam as it used to be at the time of the Prophet, thus, it is certainly not a novelty in Religion. As for writing the Hadith (tradition) of the Prophet, he used to allow his companions sometimes to write down his tradition when someone asked it from him. In fact, the reason why he disallowed writing his tradition down most of the times is that it may be confused with Qur’ân. So, when the Prophet died, this reason was not valid anymore because the Qur’ân had been checked up and verified completely before his death.
Thus, Muslims have written down Prophet’s Hadith to preserve it not to be lost, may Allâh reward them the best reward for they have kept their Lord’s Book and their Prophet’s tradition not to be distorted by fools.