BIDAH (INNOVATIONS in Allaah's religion)
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal once said, "The greatest
sinner (faasiq) from the Ahl-Sunnah Wal Jamaah is better than the most pious
person from Ahl-"Bid'ah".
'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, said, "Follow and do not innovate, for
you have been given that which is sufficient and every innovation is misguidance."
Reported by Abu Khaithamah in Kitaab Ul-'Ilm (no. 540) and declared saheeh
by Shaikh al-Albaanee.
Abdullah Ibn Abbaas said, "When "Bid'ah" is created then the Sunnah
dies and this continues until that "Bid'ah" is living and the Sunnah is dead."
Al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah, , reports that the Prophet said, "....
I have left you upon clear guidance. Its night is like its day. No one deviates
from it after me except that he is destroyed." Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Maajah
(no. 43) and al-Haakim. It is declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah
(no. 937).
Al-Marwazee reports in as-Sunnah (no. 95) that 'Umar ibn 'Abd
Allah-'Azeez said, "There is no excuse for anyone, after the Sunnah, to be
misguided upon error which he thought was guidance."
Hasan Ibn Attiya, one of the Ta'baeen said, "When the people
accept the "Bid'ah" , Allah removes the Sunnah from among them and
doesn't return it until the day of judgment."
One of the early scholars, Al-Barbahaaree, one of the companions
of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, said, "Beware of "Bid'ah", because every "Bid'ah" started
out as something small and resembling the truth and people were fooled by
it and followed it until it became bigger and bigger and were trapped by
it and it took them out of Islaam."
Shaykh al-Barbaharee (D. 329H Rahimahullah) Also states: May Allah
have mercy upon you. Know that the Religion is what came from Allaah, the
Blessed and the Most High. It is not something left to the intellect and
opinions of men. Knowledge of it is what comes from Allaah and His Messenger,
so do not follow anything based upon your desires and so deviate away from
the Religion and leave Islam. There will be no excuse for you since Allaah's
Messenger explained the Sunnah to his Ummah and made it clear to his Companions
and they are the Jamaa'ah and they are the Main Body, and the Main Body is
the truth and its followers.
This matter has also been indicated by Imaam Maalik (rahimahullaah)
in a reported saying of his that ought to be recorded in golden ink. And
it is his saying: "Whosoever introduces into Islaam an innovation, which
he deems is good, then he has claimed that Muhammad has betrayed (the
trust of conveying) the Message. Read the saying of Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic: 'This day I have completed your Religion for you, and I have perfected
My favour upon you, and I am pleased with Islaam as a Religion for you.'
[Surat-ul-Maa'idah: 3] So whatever was not (part of) the Religion on that
day, is not (part of) the Religion on this day. And the last part of this
ummah (nation) will not be rectified, except by that which its first part
was rectified by."
Ibn Taymiyyah has a nice passage in one of his books showing that:
"In fact, the kufr of Jews and Christians is because of "Bid'ah". They introduced
new things into the religion and those things took them completely away from
the true message of Musa (Moses) and Isaa (Jesus) Alaihumma Salam".
So just as the condition of the Arabs during the Days of Ignorance
(Jaahiliyyah) was not rectified except by the coming of their Prophet Muhammad
with revelation from the heavens - which aided them in this world and which
will save them in the next - then the foundation that the good Islaamic well-being
must be set upon in this time, is nothing else but the return to the Qur'ân
and the Sunnah.
In spite of this, this matter needs a little bit more of articulation,
due to the vast number of Islaamic groups and parties that are present on
the arena and which claim for themselves to be upon the way by which Islaamic
society and Muslim rule can be actualized.
for click on deeen is complete at left bar.