In Islam and sharia (Islamic law), ( , ) refers to innovation in religious matters. The category is further divided into bid'ah al-ibadat and bi'da al-mu'amalat. The first category refers to innovations in sacred matters, such as worship, and are generally forbidden as it violates the textual source of the Quran and the Sunnah. The second refers to innovations in the mundane realm and is often permissible, as long as it does not violate the Sharia.Al-Atawneh, Muhammad. Wahhābī Islam Facing the Challenges of Modernity: Dār Al-Iftā in the Modern Saudi State. Niederlande, Brill, 2010. p. 86
Linguistically, as an Arabic word, the term can be defined more broadly, as "innovation, novelty, heretical doctrine, heresy". In classical Arabic literature outside of religion, bidah has been used as a form of praise for outstanding compositions of prose and poetry. The alternative positive concept for bidah is maslaha.
History The genre of bidah literature began to develop in (roughly) the 9th century CE (the third century of Islam). Kitab Al-I'tisam by Al-Shatibi is thought to be one of the first books on the subject extant. The literature writing continued in the Islamic world until the 14th century CE (roughly 8th century AH), when it underwent a lull before re-emerging in the 20th century CE (roughly the 14th century AH).Kamrava, 2011, 2
According to Malise Ruthven, after the 10th century CE "new attempts at ijtihad" (creative reasoning in legal decisions) "came to be condemned as bidah", because the doctrine that the "gates of Ijtihad" were closed began to be accepted. Ijtihad began to be replaced with taqlid ("imitation", i.e. following legal precedents). By the time of the Islamic Middle Ages, according to Muhammad F. Sayeed, "allegation of 'bidah' became a formidable weapon against progress". The consensus against ijtihad and in favor of taqlid lasted until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when Ijtihad was resurrected.Karmrava, 2011, 6
In the 15th and 16th centuries C.E., according to Mehram Kamrava, Islam's "conservative default" and opposition to innovation and the institutions they depended on, started to became a serious handicap. Economic instruments — "impersonal contracts, financial exchange mechanisms, corporations and record keeping" — that fostered and protected capital and entrepreneurship and led to the flourishing of rival Europe, were not to be found in Islamic world.Karmrava, 2011, 8
Punishment Bernard Lewis writes that accusations of apostasy because of bidah were common in early and classical Islam, but practitioners of bidah were usually subject not to execution (the traditional punishment for apostasy in Islam), but to something like quarantine or admonition. Only when their innovation "was extreme, persistent, and aggressive" were they "ruthlessly extirpated".
Definitions and categorizations
Religious and non-religious types A distinction is sometimes made between the "linguistic" definition of bidah in the Arabic language, whose scope includes new concepts, activities, gadgets, etc. that can involve either worldly or religious matters; and the "shariah" definition of Bid'ah, which includes (and forbids) anything introduced to Islam that was not done in the time of Muhammad or the Rashidun.
A number of contemporary Muslim sources (Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam, Darul Iftaa Leicester, UK, Islam Online, Word of Prophet blog) distinguish between religious (the shariah definition above) and non-religious innovation, either declaring non-religious innovation outside of bidah, or bidah but of a permissible kind. "... new practices that are not considered to be part of Deen, rather they concern our worldly affairs, such as modern technology, cars, planes, etc… can not be considered as Bid’a, ... (Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam, Darul Iftaa Leicester, UK). "not all new things are innovations that are prohibited in Islam. ... rather Islam does ask Muslims to be innovative and creative in the social, economical, cultural, and political fields so as to serve their societies and humanity in general. Innovation in religion is what Muslims must be cautious of lest they invent what is un-Islamic. (Islam Online) "[Innovation] that deals with worldly matters (not religious matters) is permissible. For example new technology and new machines that may help in day-to-day work." (Word of Prophet.)
In religious matters Definitions of bidah "A newly invented" belief or action "in the religion, in imitation of the Shariah (prescribed Law), by which nearness to Allah is sought, [but] not being supported by any authentic proof – neither in its foundations, nor in the manner in which it is performed" (Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi, 1320 – 1388 C.E.). Any practice or a belief which is "possibly contrary to Islam" because it was not present in Islam when the Quran was revealed and Sunnah established by hadith. Muslims disagree over whether any and all bidah is rejected, or whether there is bidah hasanah (good innovation) that does not contradict "the spirit of Islam" (the "majority" view) (Cyril Glasse). "Any modification of accepted religious belief or practice" (Mehram Kamrava).Kamrava, 2011, 3 "Any innovation that has no roots in the traditional practice (Sunnah) of the Muslim community" (Britannica). "Heterodox" Islamic doctrines, (primary meaning of bidah in early Islamic history)(Jamaluddin ibn al-Manzur al-Masri). Any newly invented matter that is without precedent and is in opposition to the Qur'an and Sunnah (meaning of bidah in Islamic law, when used without qualification) (Jamaluddin ibn al-Manzur al-Masri). "Any invented way aimed at worshipping or drawing closer to Allah" that is not referred to specifically in Sharia, and for which there is no evidence (daleel) in the Quran or Sunnah, and which was not known at the time of Muhammad and his Companions. (Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid). Religious innovations in Islam which may be divided into two kinds, (Mohammed F. Sayeed, Muzammil H. Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council of North America), lawful/good (bidah hasanah) also praiseworthy (maḥmūdah), which have "some basis (asl) in the Shari`ah (Islamic law) to make it acceptable"; unlawful innovations (bidah sayyiah) also blameworthy (madhmūmah), which do not have a basis in the Shari`ah.
Good and bad bid'ah According to Al-Shafi'i (founder of the Shafi'i school of Sunni jurisprudence), lawful/good (bidah hasanah), are in harmony with the Qur’an, Sunnah, traceable tradition (Athar) and the consensus (Ijma`) of Muslims, and unlawful innovations (bidah sayyiah) are not. Others (Al-`Izz ibn `Abdus-Salam) have divided Bid'ah into the five "decisions" of fiqh (al-aḥkām al-khamsa) of obligatory, recommended, allowed, condemned, forbidden. Examples of the five decisions on bid'ah are:
One type of innovation that does not fall into the category of forbidden bidah despite involving religion, are acts for which at the time of Muhammad and the Salaf there was no apparent need and so did not exist, but that now are needed to implement some religious objective. Examples being: "building religious institutions, recording the research of Islamic schools of legal thought, writing books on beneficial subjects, establishing sciences in order to understand the Qur’an and Sunnah, using of modern weapons for Jihad, etc…".
Bid'ah as only bad A more strict view of bidah was taken by Malik ibn Anas who stated: Since God's Messenger cannot be in error on religious matters, innovation cannot be good.
The strict Ḥanbalī school of fiqh and the Wahhābi movement reject bidah "completely, arguing that the duty of a Muslim was to follow the example set by the Prophet (Sunnah) and not try to improve on it", according to Britannica. (This is sometimes called the "technical" definition of bid'ah).
In comparing bidah to the Christian concept of heresy, Bernard Lewis says, "the gravamen of a charge of [innovation] against a doctrine was not, primarily, that it was false but that it was new – a breach of custom and tradition, respect for which is reinforced by the belief in the finality and perfection of the Muslim revelation." Bidah differed from heresy in that heresy was a theological offense but bidah more a break with social mores.
Other judgements by scholars on bidah include: Bidah is always bad but if a new thing has origins in the Qur'an and Sunnah it is to be called Bid'ah Logaviyya (verbal innovation), (Ibn Taymiyyah).(Hafidh ibn Taymiyyah, Iqtidah al Sirat al Mustaqeem. chapter on bid'ah) His definition was not widely accepted during his own lifetime. Introducing and acting upon a bid'ah in religious matters is a sin and considered one of the enormities in Islam that is obligatory to immediately desist and repent from (Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Dhahabi).
One scholar explains the basis of this view on "Islam's self-image of timeless perfection",Kuran, "Scale of Entrepreneurship in the Middle Eastern History", p.20 where since its social order is "already flawless, ... innovation cannot yield benefits and may well do harm".Karmrava, 2011, 5
Debate between schools of thought Part of the debate amongst Sunni scholars over what qualifies a particular action as a bid'ah in the religion is associated with schools within Islam. Scholars affiliated to the Salafi sects argue for an exclusive, literal definition that entails anything not specifically performed or confirmed by Muhammad.
Practitioners of Sufism, in contrast, argue for an inclusive, holistic definition. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah writes:
A contemporary example of what some Muslims believe is overly harsh interpretation of bid'ah is given by Murad Wilfried Hofmann who was accused of bidah at Salah prayers in Riyadh Saudi Arabia after he shook hands with other Muslims in the mosque, and said to them "Taqabbala Allahu (May Allah accept your prayer)".
Hadith of early Muslims
Against bidah A large number hadith narrate Companions of Muhammad or offspring of companions (taba'een) condemning religious innovation in some way.
Ali ibn Abi Talib, of the Rashidun (rightly guided Caliphs), said; "He who innovates or gives protection to an innovator, there is a curse of Allah and that of His angels and that of the whole humanity upon him." Abdullah ibn Umar said: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good."Abu Shaamah (no. 39)
Abd Allah ibn Abbas (619–687 CE), a companion of Muhammad and early Islamic scholar also said: "Indeed the most detestable of things to Allah are the innovations."al-Bayhaqee in as-Sunan al-Kubraa (4/316) Sufyan al-Thawri, a tabi'i Islamic scholar, Hafiz and jurist, mentions: "Innovation is more beloved to Iblees than sin, since a sin may be repented for but innovation is not repented for."al-Laalikaa'ee - Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah (no. 238) He also said, "Whoever listens to an innovator has left the protection of Allāh and is entrusted with the innovation."Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah (7/26) and Ibn Battah (no.444)
A person once sent salaam to Abdullah ibn Umar who replied: "I do not accept his salaam, as this person has innovated by becoming Qadariyah (A sect which does not believe in destiny.")Kitaab-ul-Iman wa-al-Qadr, transmitted by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad (died 803 CE) is reputed to have said: "I met the best of people, all of them people of the Sunnah, and they used to forbid from accompanying the people of innovation."al-Laalikaa'ee – Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah (no.267)
Early scholar Hasan al-Basri (642-728 CE) mentions: "Do not sit with the people of innovation and desires, nor argue with them, nor listen to them".Sunan ad-Daarimee (1/121)
Ibraaheem ibn Maysarah mentions: "Whoever honours an innovator has aided in the destruction of Islam."al-Laalikaa'ee – Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah (1/139)