• LESSON SIX • DOWNLOAD AUDIO > Hadith 5 | Innovations (Bid’ah) | DOWNLOAD NOTES > PDF
Lessons from Ahâdeeth Shareef by Moulana Naeem Motala | Commentary on 40 Ahâdeeth | Arba’een | of Imaam Nawawi رحمة الله عليه with emphasis on perfecting one’s character
| LESSON SIX |
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اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنُؤمِنُ بِهِ وَ نَتَوَ كَّلُ عَلَيهِ ، وَنَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَناَ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily all praise is for Allah, we praise Him and seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness and we believe in Him and we place our trust upon Him, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and our evil actions. Whomsoever Allah guides there is none who can misguide him, and whomsoever Allah misguides there is none who can guide him, and we bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah alone, having no partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger
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اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ
Allahumma Salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad Wa’ala Aali Sayyidina Muhammadin Wa Baarik Wa Sallim | Oh Allah shower blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and upon the family of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam
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| HADITH 5 |
Innovations (Bid’ah)
: عَنْ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أُمِّ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ
قَالَ: رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم : مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
[رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ] ، [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ]
وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ : مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
The Mother of the Believers (Ummu Abdillah), Hazrat Aa’ishah Radiallahu Anha narrates that : Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said : “He who innovates something in this matter (Deen) of ours that is not of it, then it will be rejected”.
[Saheeh Buhkaari] [Saheeh Muslim]
Another version in Saheeh Muslim reads : “Whoever does an act which our matter (Deen) is not (in agreement with) will be rejected (by Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala)”.
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| BRIEF EXPLANTION |
• Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has perfected, completed and chosen the Deen of Islam for Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam and his Ummah.
• Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala mentions this in the Noble Qur’aan :
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. [Surah Al-Maa’idah 5:3]
• Since Islam is complete, perfect and clear, there is no need to introduce anything new, change anything (of it), or add anything unknown (which does not form part of the Deen) to it.
• By introducing new beliefs or principles to the Deen, suggests that the Deen has shortfalls and is incomplete. This is absolutely false.
• It is for this reason that Imaam Maalik Rahmatullahi Alayh said : “He who has perpetrated Bid’ah (innovation), has held, that Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has erred in conveying Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala’s commandments”.
• Shariah has commanded us to hold firmly onto the Qur’aan and Sunnah. In the commentary of this particular Hadith, Imaam NawawiRahmatullahi Alayh and other scholars have explained, that this Hadith should be memorized and used as a measure to nullify and combat any innovations in Deen.
• Just as ‘Innamal a’maalu binniyaat’ (the first Hadeeth of the Arba’een) concentrates on the inner actions of a person, similarly, this Hadith deals with the outer actions of a person being in conformity with the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.
• Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned in a Hadith :
كُلُّ أُمَّتِي يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ، إِلاَّ مَنْ أَبَى . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَأْبَى قَالَ : مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَقَدْ أَبَى
“Every Ummati (of mines) will enter Jannah except those who refuse”. The Sahaabah (Radhiallahu Anhum) asked : “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) Who refuses?” He (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said : “He, who obeys me will enter Jannah, and the one who disobeys me is the one who refuses to enter Jannah”. [Saheeh Buhkaari]
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| DEFINITION OF BID’AH |
What is Bid’ah? An innovation (bid’ah) is an act or belief which does not have it’s origin/evidence in the Qur’aan, Sunnah or in the glorious era of the Sahaabah Radhiallahu Anhum and Taabi’een and is done with the intention of gaining reward and is regarded to be as part of Deen.
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| BID’AH ~ INNOVATIONS |
There are various forms of Bid’ah (innovations) that are ‘introduced’ or ‘innovated’ to the religion of Islam.
- Very many un-Islamic practices take place in the ‘name of Islam’, with specific dates set aside celebrating births, deaths, wedding occasions etc.
- Specifying virtuous days with various types of worship which have not been legislated are all part of Bid’ah.
- Ulema have mentioned from various narrations, that when a person involves himself in Bid’ah (innovation), then in reality, he deprives himself of practising upon the Sunnah.
- Hasan Basri Rahmatullahi Alayh mentioned : “Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala does not accept the fasting, Salaah, Hajj nor the Umrah, of an innovator until he abandons (leaves) the innovation”.
- Ibn Al-Qayyim Rahmatullahi Alayh mentioned : “Those hearts that are pre-occupied with innovations (in Deen), they turn away from the Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.”
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| SUMMARY OF THE HADITH |
- An act is clearly part of the religion of Islam if it has acceptable evidence for it in the Qur’aan, Sunnah, consensus and what can be derived from those sources.
- If an act is inconsistent with the Qur’aan and Sunnah it is void and worthless. The act will be rejected by Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala. It will bear no reward.
- The one who introduces such an innovation and the one who practices it later are all equal in having their innovation rejected.