INNOVATION IN RELIGION (BID'AT)

The innovation in Relgion (bid’a) is the gravest sin next to  disbelief, and polytheism.  Innovation is something which is adopted, or abandoned, in the name of religion without any basis in Islam (Shariah).  Such a behavior gets no support from the Holy Qur'an, or the Hadith.    Innovation never existed in the times of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him); nor in times of the Companions (Taba'ein/Sahaba); nor during the time of the followers of the holy Companions, (Taba-Taba'ein).

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) has highly denounced all the innovations in the religion. He has said that an innovator demolishes Islam. He also said that innovation is a deviation from the (right) path, adding that each deviation from the path, leads to Hell.

People have introduced thousands of innovations. Some examples of innovations (Bid'at) are
 

1. Constructing solid graves.
2. Constructing domes on graves.
3. To light candles near graves
4. Organizing fairs at the graves, with great fanfare.
5. Putting sheets of cloth, and covers on the graves.
6. Illuminating the graves.
7. Gathering at the house of a deceased person, for eating food. (i.e. 3rd,10th 20th 30th 40th days after the death)
8. Covering face of the bridegroom with flowers, gold, silver, etc.
9. Tying a sort of a necklace, called Bhuddi
10. Celebrating anniversary of deceased family member
11. Adding conditions to the permissible, and desirable acts in Islam, without any religious basis.

Important note:  Reliable Ulema should be contacted to expalin the some of hadith.
AUTHORITY OF  Anas ibn Malik BUKHARI #REF=3.091 (224).The Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Medina is a sanctuary from that place to that. Its trees should not be cut and no heresy should be innovated nor any sin should be committed in it, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits sins (bad deeds), then he will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people."

.AUTHORITY OF  'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas BUKHARI #REF=8.533 (1089) The Prophet ( Sallallaho alaihe wasallam )  stood up among us and addressed (saying) "You will be gathered barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised (as Allah says):- 'As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it....' (21:104) And the first human being to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection will be (the Prophet) Abraham Al-Khalil. Then will be brought some men of my followers who will be taken and I will say:  'O Lord! My companions,' whereupon Allah will say: 'You do not know what they innovated in the religion after you left them.' I will then say as the pious slave, Jesus said: 'And I was witness over them while I dwelt amongst them ......(up to)........the All-Wise.' (5:117-118). The narrator  added: Then it will be said that those people contined to turn their backs (deserted Islam).

AUTHORITY OF  Jabir ibn 'Abdullah SAHIH_MUSLIM #REF=1885  (369)
When Allah's Messenger (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) delivered the sermon, his eyes became red, his voice rose, and his anger increased so that he was like one giving a warning against the enemy and saying: "The enemy has made a morning attack on you and in the evening too." He would also say: "The last Hour and I have been sent like these two," and he would join his forefinger and middle finger. He would continue: "The best speech is that embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad. The most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is an error." He would add: "I am dearer to a Muslim than even his self. He who has left behind property, that is for his family, and he who dies in debt or leaves children (in helplessness), the responsibility (of paying his debt and bringing up his children) lies on me."

AUTHORITY OF  AbuHuraira SAHIH_MUSLIM #REF=3166 (514) RASULULLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: Medina is a sacred territory, so he who made any innovation in it, or gave protection to an innovator, there is upon him the curse of Allah, that of the angels and that of all the people. There would not be accepted on the Day of Resurrection either obligatory acts or supererogatory acts from him.

164.AUTHORITY OF  Anas ibn Malik SAHIH_MUSLIM #REF=0790 One day when RASULULLAH, (Sallalaho alaihe wasallam) - was sitting amongst us, he dozed off. He then raised his head, smiling. We said: What makes you smile, RASULULLAH, ? He said: A Sura has just been revealed to me, and then recited: "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kauthar (fount of abundance). Therefore turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off (from the good"). Then he (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you know what Kauthar is? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Holy Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: It (Kauthar) is a canal which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, has promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people will come to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would be equal to the number of stars. A servant will be turned away from (among those gathered there). Upon this I shall say: My Lord, he is one of my people. He (the Lord) will say: You do not know that he created new things (in Islam) after you. Ibn Hujr made this addition in the hadith: "He (the Holy Prophet) was sitting amongst us in the mosque, and He (Allah) said: (You don't know) what he innovated after you."
 

661.AUTHORITY OF  'Ali ibn AbuTalib SAHIH_MUSLIM #REF=4876 AbuTufail 'Amir ibn Wathila reported: I was in the company of 'Ali ibn AbuTalib, when a person came to him, and said: What was it that RASULULLAH (may (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) told you in secret? Thereupon he ('Ali) was enraged and said: RASULULLAH (may_peace wasallam) did not tell me anything in secret, that he hid from people, except that he told me four things. He said: Commander of Faithful, what are these? He said: Allah cursed him who cursed his father; Allah cursed him who sacrificed for anyone besides Allah; and Allah cursed him who accommodates an innovator (in religion); and Allah cursed him who changed the minarets (the boundary lines) of the land.
 

AUTHORITY OF Bilal ibn Harith al-Muzani MISHKAT AL-MASABIH #REF=0168 (39) RASULULLAH, ( Sallallaho_alaihe wasallam)- said: He who revived a Sunnah out of my Sunan, which has died after me, for him is the reward like the reward of those who acted upon it, without any decrease in that reward. He who introduced some evil innovation which Allah and His Messenger did not approve has (a burden of sin upon - like the sins of one who acted according to it, without their sins being mitigated thereby in the least. SOURCE Transmitted by Tirmidhi.
 

AUTHORITY OF Hassan ibn 'Atiyya MISHKAT AL-MASABIH #REF=0188  (42) No one ever made an innovation in their religion but Allah withdrew the equal portion from their Sunnah and He would not restore it to them till the Day of Resurrection. SOURCE Transmitted by Darimi.

AUTHORITY OF AbuMalik al-Ashja'i MISHKAT AL-MASABIH #REF=1292 (189)  I said: Father, you had the opportunity to observe prayer behind RASULULLAH, Sallallaho_alaihe wasallam , AbuBakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, in al-Kufa for about five years. Did they observe Qunut?  He said, O my son it is a sort of Bid'a (innovation). SOURCE Transmitted by Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.
 

193.AUTHORITY OF AbuMusa al-Ash'ari MISHKAT AL-MASABIH #REF=1306 RASULULLAH, ( Sallallaho_alaihe wasallam) - said, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious looks down on the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives all His creation except a polytheist or one who is mushahin (innovator in religion and out of the main stream of the community. SOURCE Transmitted by Ibn Majah.

AUTHORITY OF  'Ali ibn AbuTalib ABUDAWUD #REF=4515  (1426) Qais ibn 'Abbad and Ashtar went to 'Ali and said to him: Did the Apostle of Allah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) give you any instruction about anything for which he did not give any instruction to the people in general? He said: No, except what is contained in this document of mine. Musaddad said: He then took out a document. Ahmad said: A document from the sheath of his sword. It contained: The lives of all Muslims are equal; they are one hand against others; the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection. Beware, a Muslim must not be killed for an infidel, nor must one who has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds. If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people. Musaddad said: Ibn Abu'Urubah's version has: He took out a document.

AUTHORITY OF  'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As ABUDAWUD #REF=4516  (1427) The Apostle of Allah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, mentioning the tradition similar to the one transmitted by 'Ali. This version adds: The most distant of them gives protection as from all, those who are strong among them send back (spoil) to those who are weak among them, and their expeditions sending it back to those who are at home.

AUTHORITY OF  'Irbad ibn Sariyah ABUDAWUD #REF=4590 (1452)  'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Amr al-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to 'Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you." We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you. Al-'Irbad said: One day the Apostle of Allah (Sallalaho alaihe wasallam) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.

AUTHORITY OF  Hassan ibn Ibrahim ABUDAWUD #REF=5221 (1664) I asked Hisham ibn 'Ursah about the cutting of a lote-tree when he was leaning against the house of 'Urwah. He said: Do you not see these doors and leaves? These were made of the lote-tree of 'Urwah which 'Urwah used to cut from his hand? He said: There is no harm in it. Humaid's version adds: You have brought an innovation, O 'Iraqi! He said: The innovation is from you. I heard someone say at Mecca: The Apostle of Allah (Sallalaho alaihe wasallam) cursed him who cuts a lote-tree. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

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