THE SAYING OF ALLAAH'S MESSENGER (S):

"EVERY BID'AH LEADS ASTRAY"

Adapted from Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Ibn 'Uthaymeen’s work ‘Bid'ah. The Unique Nature
of the Perfection found in Islaam and the Grave Danger of Innovating in.

And you should be amazed at a people who recognise the words of Allaah's Messenger
(S): "Beware of the newly-invented matters, for every such matter is a bid'ah and every
bid'ah leads astray, and everything that leads astray is in the Fire," [Reported by Aboo
Daawood, Tirmidhee and others, no. 2549 in Saheehul-Jaami' without, "... every thing that
leads astray is in the Fire.", and hadith no.28 in an-Nawawees Forty Hadith] and they
know that his words, "...every bid'ah." are complete, comprehensive and universal, being
encompassed by the strongest grammatical particle used to make a noun universal and all-
encompassing, i.e. kullu (which means everything), and (they know that) the one who used
this word, may Allaah's salawaat and salaam be upon him, knew what this word indicated
and he was the most eloquent of all (in the Arabic language) and he was the sincerest of
the creation towards the creation. Hence he would not use a word unless its meaning was
that which he intended. Hence (they know that) when the Prophet (S) said, "...every
Bid'ah leads astray..." he knew what he was saying and he knew its meaning and this
saying of his emanated as a result of guidance from Allaah and complete sincerity and
concern for the Ummah.

(They know that) when these three characteristics were all present in his words, i.e.
complete sincerity and good wishes, complete clarity and eloquence and complete knowledge
and understanding - then it is clear that what he said was what he wanted to say in
order to convey his desired meaning. So (you should be amazed, that such a people, after
recognizing all this) think that bid'ah can be of three or five categories? Can this be
correct? Never! And what some scholars do claim is that there exists the good innovation.
But if this is so, then they can only be referring to two cases:

(1) That it is not an innovation but they do consider it to be one, or

These are the only two possibilities while bearing in mind that the Prophet (S) said,
"...every bid'ah leads astray.")

For every thing that is used to claim that there exists a good bid'ah, then the answer
for it is all the above. Thus there can be no room for the People of Innovation to claim
that their innovations are good while we have in our hand the sharp sword that Allaah's
Messenger (S) gave us by his saying that "...every innovation leads astray."

Indeed, this sharp sword was forged in the steel-works of Prophethood and Messengership.
It was not forged in some second rate iron-mill, rather in the steelworks of the Prophet
(S) and he (S) forged it so eloquently, that anyone who has the likes of this sharp sword
in his hand would never be dumb-founded by someone claiming that bid'ah is good, for the
Messenger of Allaah (S) said that, "...every bid'ah leads astray."

WHAT ABOUT THE SAYING OF 'UMAR (RA): “I AM PLEASED WITH THAT BID'AH”

Now I can sense that there is in your hearts a creeping doubt saying, 'But what about the
words of the Amir al Mu’mineen 'Umar bin al-Khattab (RA) who succeeded in achieving
something good when he ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Tameem ad-Daaree to lead the people in
prayer during Ramadaan. Hence he left having united the people behind a (single) Imaam,
and so said, "I am happy with this innovation, but the part of the night they used to
sleep through is better than the part they use to pray in." [Reported by al-
Bukhaaree, (Eng. trans. vol. 3, p.126, no.227)

The reply to this is from two angles. Firstly, it is not permitted for anyone to oppose
the saying of the Messenger (S) by preferring the opinion of any other - be it the
opinion of Abu Bakr who is better than anyone else in this ummah after its Prophet, or
that of 'Umar who is the second best after its Prophet, or 'Uthmaan who is the third best
after its Prophet, or 'Alee who is the fourth best after its Prophet or that of anyone
else. As Allah, the Most High, says: “And let those who oppose the Messenger’s
commandment (i.e. his Sunnah) beware, lest some Fitnah befall them or a painful torment
be inflicted on them.” (24: 63)

Imaam Ahmad said, 'Do you know what the trial mentioned here is? The trial is shirk -
perhaps when someone opposes the Prophet's saying, some deviation may affect his heart
such that he will be destroyed.' And Ibn Abbaas (RA) said, 'Stones are
about to be sent down from the sky! I say that, 'Allaah's Messenger (S) said so and so
...' while you reply with what Aboo Bakr and 'Umar said!'

Secondly, we know with certainty that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) was one of the strongest
in glorifying the Words of Allaah and His Messenger (S) and he was famous for halting
short of the limits laid down by Allaah, the Most High; to the extent that he was
attributed with being a warden and safe-guard of the Speech of Allaah, the Most High.

And what about the story of that woman who opposed him when he wanted to limit the
dowries by an unknown amount? Then a woman opposed him using the Saying of Allaah, the
Most High: "And (even if) you gave one of them a huge amount (of gold)." [4:20] Hence
'Umar abandoned his wish to limit the dowries. The authenticity of this story
needs to be ascertained, but the point is clear - that 'Umar would safeguard the limits
laid down by Allaah, the Most High, and would not transgress them. So it would not be
befitting for 'Umar (RA) being who he was, to oppose the words of the best of mankind,
Muhammad (S) by saying 'What a pleasing innovation about any bid'ah. Can this innovation
be classed as such which Allaah's Messenger was referring to when he said that "... every
innovation leads astray."? No. Rather it can be said with certainty that this innovation
about which 'Umar said, 'I am pleased with this innovation ...' falls outside what was
intended by Allaah's Messenger (S) when he said, "... every bid'ah leads astray." Thus
when 'Umar said, 'I am pleased with this innovation ...' he was referring to the effect -
that the people had gathered together behind one Imaam while before that, they were
(praying) in separate groups. And this praying (behind a single Imaam) during Ramadhan
had its origin from the Messenger (S), as is proven from that which is reported by al-
Bukhaaree and Muslim from the mother of the believers 'Aa'ishah (RA), that the Prophet
(S) led the people in prayer for three nights and then hesitated doing so on the fourth
night, saying, "Indeed I feared that it would become obligatory upon you, but you would
not be able to cope with that." [Reported by Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. vol.1, no.696) and
Muslim (Eng. trans. vol.1, no.1666]

Thus performing the night prayer in Ramadaan as a single Jamaa'ah is from the Sunnah of
the Messenger (S), and 'Umar (RA) referred to it as a 'bid'ah' considering the fact that
after the Prophet (S) had left leading the prayer, the people became separated to such an
extent that one person would he praying alone and elsewhere two would be praying
together, and somewhere else three would be praying in Jamaa'ah. So throughout the mosque
there were people praying alone and in groups, so 'Umar, the chief of the Believers, had
the idea - and this idea was perfectly correct - to gather the people to pray behind a
single Imaam. So this action was an innovation in the sense that it was new and different
to how the people were before, i.e., praying in separate groups. Hence this bid'ah was
relative and subjective - not original and absolute, being set up by Umar (RA) as this
Sunnah was there during the time of the Messenger (S); so it indeed was a Sunnah (not a
bid'ah), which had been abandoned since the time of the Messenger (S), until Umar (S)
revived it.

As a result of all this, it should never be possible for the People of Innovation to use
this saying of 'Umar as a way to condone their bid'ah.

AHKAAM AL-MAQAASID

Now someone could say: There are a number of innovated things that the Muslims have
approved of and acted upon that were not known of during the time of the Prophet (S) -
Such as religious schools, compiling books and the likes thereof. These innovations have
been condoned by the Muslims and they have acted upon them and considered them to be some
of the most excellent ideas. So how can you harmonise this - where the Muslims are almost
unanimous in considering these things to be good - with the saying of the Messenger of
the Lord of the Worlds (Muhammad (S), where he (S) said, "...every bid'ah leads astray."?
In reply, we say that the introduction of these things in these circumstances are not
innovations, rather they are a means towards achieving that which is already from the
sharee'ah. And these means will differ according to the location and the time, but there
are established rules for them.

One such rule is that their permissibility depends on the goal, i.e., those means that
are used to achieve a prescribed matter are themselves prescribed; those means that are
used to achieve something that is not ordained are themselves not ordained; and those
means used to achieve the forbidden are themselves forbidden. Even something good maybe
evil and forbidden if it necessarily leads to evil. Listen to Allaah, the Mighty and
Glorious, when He says: "Do not insult those whom they call upon, instead of calling upon
Allah, for they may insult Allaah out of hostility and ignorance" [6:108]

Yet cursing the gods of the mushrikeen is not wrong, rather it is correct and quite
proper. However cursing the Lord of all the Worlds is indeed wrong, improper, hostile and
a transgression. Therefore, where this praiseworthy insulting of the gods of the mushriks
is a cause that leads to Allaah being insulted, then it becomes prohibited and forbidden.
I have put this example forward to show that the means are according to their related
goal. Hence regarding schools, writing down knowledge and compiling books, then even
though they are innovations, in the sense that they were not found during the time of
Prophet (S), nevertheless they are not goals in themselves, but are means, and the
means are according to their goals. So, for example, if someone were to set up a school
to teach forbidden matters, then this act of setting up the school would be forbidden. If
a person were to set up a school in order to teach knowledge of the sharee'ah, then this
act would be good and sanctioned by Islaam.

WHAT ABOUT THE SAYING OF THE PROPHET (S) "WHOEVER ENACTS A GOOD SUNNAH..."?

What if someone asks: How do you respond to what the Prophet (S) said i.e. "Whoever
enacts a good sunnah into Islam, he will get the reward of it and of all those who act
upon it up to the Day of Judgement," with the verb Sanna (i.e., 'enact') meaning Shara'a
i.e., to introduce, initiate or to prescribe?

The reply to this is: Who is the one who said, "Whoever enacts a good sunnah into
Islaam...?" He is the same one (S) who also said, "... every bid'ah leads astray." It is
not possible for a phrase to emanate from someone who is truthful and proven to be
truthful, such that it would deny and negate another phrase of his, and it is absolutely
impossible for any speech of Allaah's Messenger (S) to be self-contradictory, nor is
it possible to refute any particular meaning by claiming it to be contradictory. Whoever
thinks that the words of Allaah's Messenger (S) are self-contradictory, then let him look
again, for indeed this kind of thought emanates from a person possessing
thoughts that are either deficient or limited. Indeed it is completely impossible that
one would find a contradiction in the words of Allaah, the Most High, or that of His
Messenger (S).

If this is so, then it should be clear that the hadith, "... every innovation leads
astray.” does not contradict the hadith, "Whoever enacts a good sunnah into Islaam..."
for the Prophet (S) said, "Whoever enacts a good sunnah into Islaam...”, while
innovations are not from Islaam. And he (S) said "...a good sunnah ..." while innovation
is not good. So he (S) made a distinction between enacting a Sunnah on the one hand and
enacting an innovation on the other.

In any case, there is a reply that no one should have a problem with - that the meaning
of, "Whoever enacts a sunnah ..." is, 'Whoever revives a sunnah that was present and then
was lost.' Therefore it means that a matter has been revived, and thus in this way "…
enacting a sunnah ..."is relative and secondary just as (in the case of 'Umar, where his
use of) the word bid'ah (innovation) was relative and secondary in the sense that it
involved the revival of a sunnah that had been abandoned.

There is even a second reply that can be given: That is the background of the whole
hadith, for it is a story concerning a tribe that came to see the Prophet (S) while being
in exceptionally difficult circumstances. So the Prophet (S) urged that donations be
given to them, and hence one man form the Ansaar came forward with a bag of silver in his
hand which was almost too heavy for him to carry. He placed it down before the Messenger
(S) This made the face of the Prophet (S) glow with joy and happiness and so he said,
"Whoever enacts a good sunnah in Islaam will have the reward of it and the reward of all
those who act upon it until the Day of Resurrection." So we have here that the meaning of
"...enacting a sunnah..." – It means to enact an action in the sense of implementing it
and not in the sense of setting up a new thing into the sharee'ah. Hence the meaning of
his (S) saying, "Whoever enacts a good sunnah into Islaam ..." turns out to be, 'Whoever
acts upon a good sunnah in the sense of implementing it as opposed to introducing a new
thing in the sharee'ah', for that would be prohibited as he (S) said, "...every bid'ah
leads astray."