Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Monday, September 9, 2024

712. Is There Something That’s A ‘Good’ Bid’ah (Bid’ah Hasanah)?

 By Asma bint Shameem 

There’s NO such thing as a ‘good bid’ah’. 

Yes there’s a hadeeth from Saheeh Muslim that is often (mis)used by the people who follow bid’ah. 

The hadeeth they quote is the following:
“'Whoever starts a good thing in Islaam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a reward like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Muslim)

The hadeeth is definitely authentic BUT it has to be understood correctly. 
There’s a background to the hadeeth. 

 Jareer ibn Abdullaah radhi Allaahu anhu said: 
"Some people from the Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, wearing woollen garments. 

He saw that they were in bad shape and in desperate need, so he urged the people to give them charity. 

The people were very slow to respond, and it could be seen in his face (that he was upset). 

Then a man of the Ansaar brought a package of silver, then another came, and another and another, and his face was filled with joy. 

The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 
said: 
'Whoever starts a good thing in Islaam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a reward like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their reward. 
Whoever starts a bad thing in Islaam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a burden of sin like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden.' (Muslim)

As we can see from the hadeeth, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam was praising the Sahaabi who started giving charity and others saw him and got ENCOURAGED to do the same. 

That's because giving charity is an ALREADY ESTABLISHED deed in Islaam. 

The Sahaabi did NOT INTRODUCE anything NEW in the religion. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam was happy that the Sahaabi REVIVED the Sunnah of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam of giving charity, when other people were RELUCTANT to do it. 

Bid’ah is to practice an act of worship that is not done according to the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. 

And we’re supposed to FOLLOW the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. 

*If there was nothing wrong with bid’ah and the practice of the Prophet was not important and anyone can worship Allaah however they wanted, then what was the use of sending the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam as a Messenger?*

*Why would Allaah even BOTHER to send him Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam?*

Isn’t the Qur’aan the *“rules” and “commands”* sent by Allaah and isn’t the Sunnah the *“practical application”* of those rules?

Anything that’s NOT in accordance with the teachings and practice of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam is bid’ah. 

Anything that OPPOSES the Sunnah is bid’ah. 

That’s why the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“KULLU bid'atin Dalala wa kullu dalalatin fin-naar.”“EVERY innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance leads to the Hellfire.” (saheeh Muslim)

The word “Kullu” means EACH and EVERY newly invented thing in the religion is wrong. 

That means there can NOT be a bid’ah that’s “good”. 

There can NEVER be a bid’ah that’s “good”. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
"Whoever invents in this affair of ours (Islaam) what is not from it, then it is REJECTED."(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

And in another narration,
"Whoever performs an action not in accordance with our affair, then it is REJECTED." 
( Muslim)

What about compiling the Qur’aan in a ‘book’ form as an ‘example’ of bid’ah?

Compiling the Qur'aan in the form of a book is NOT bidah. 

That's because the Quraan was ALREADY written down at the time of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam on leaves, bones, leather, and whatever they could find, because they did not have paper back then. 

In fact, he sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam had special SCRIBES who would write down the Quraan for him  when he sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam dictated it to them. 
 
Zayd ibn Thaabit said: 
"When Abu Bakr delegated me to collect the Mus-haf – I sought the Qur’aan and I gathered it from pieces, i.e., leaves, patches of leather, shoulder-blades of sheep and camels, leaves of palm trees, and the hearts of men." 

Also it is proven from saheeh ahaadeeth that the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) forbade traveling with the Qur’aan to the land of the enemy. 

This shows that the Qur’aan was written down and gathered together at that time and the people used to take it with them when they travelled. 
But it was not complete. 

Alhamdulillaah the Sahaabah completely gathered all the various parts of the Qur’aan together so that the Qur’aan is PRESERVED wholly and not lost. 

So the writing down of the Qur’aan and putting it together was NOT something NEW in the Deen. 

It was ALREADY ESTABLISHED. 

So it’s NOT bid’ah. 

What about Taraaweeh?

Some might give the example of Umar radhi Allaahu anhu when he gathered the people together to pray Taraaweeh behind one Imaam. 
And he said “What a good innovation (bid’ah) this is.”

Here Omar radhi Allaahu anhu is using the word ‘bid’ah’ In the LINGUISTIC sense and NOT in the sense of introducing something NEW in the religion 

How can anyone say that?

They can say so with CONFIDENCE because the Taraaweeh prayer was a ALREADY CONFIRMED SUNNAH of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and the established practice of his Sahaabah. 
It was NOT something NEW in the Deen. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam HIMSELF prayed it and led the  Sahaabah. 

Proof:

Aa’ishah Radhi Allaahu anhaa said that the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) prayed one night in the masjid, and the people followed him in prayer. 

Then he prayed the next night, and many people came. 

Then they gathered on the third or fourth night, and the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not come out to them. 

The next morning he sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said: 
“I saw what you did, and nothing kept me from coming out to you except the fact that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you.” And that was in Ramadhaan." (al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

This PROVES that praying Taraweeh in congregation was ALREADY an established Sunnah of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam), but he (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) refrained from reading it continuously because he feared that it might become fardh on me and you. 

When the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa Sallam passed away, Umar Radhi Allaahu anhu REVIVED this Sunnah, because the Sharee’ah was now established and complete. 

And there was no fear of Taraaweeh becoming obligatory on us. 
Therefore Omar radhi Allaahu anhu’s statement and action can NOT be used to establish NEW INNOVATED things in the Deen. 

May Allaah protect us from ALL bid’ah and enable us to distinguish between it and the REAL Sunnah of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam Ameen 

And Allaah knows best.

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