Criteria for Distinguishing Sunnah and Bid’ah (Part 4)
The Literal Definition of Bid’ah (Innovation)
“Bid’ah” is the infinitive noun of “Ibtedah” and comes from the root “ba’dah.” In this context, it refers to any new thing or phenomenon that has no prior example. Allah is described as «بدیع السماوات والارض» (“the creator of the heavens and the earth”) because He is the creator of heaven and earth, without having any previous sample.
Fayoumi states: “The word Bid’ah (innovation) [in Islamic history] was gradually used in the meaning of reducing or increasing within religion, and in this sense, it prevailed and spread.”
Therefore, this term has become a concept in Islamic culture about which there is not much agreement. Since this term has a religious connotation, it is clear that it is more limited than its literal meaning and encompasses only innovations that occur within the realm of religion. As the set of religious teachings was revealed from the realm of Allah and through revelation, the Holy Qur’an rejects any kind of interference in religious matters, which is unprecedented in the corpus of teachings based on revelation, using the sarcastic phrase “Ibtadahuha.” Other verses, such as Al-Imran 7; Al-An’am 65 and 195; Al-A’raf 52; and Al-Tawbah 31, have been cited in the discussion of innovation, using the term “innovation.”
Additionally, Ibn Manzoor stated: “It refers to a new thing when it appears for the first time.” As Allah says: «قل ما کنت بدعا من الرسل» (“Say: I am not a new thing among the messengers”). Translation: “I am not the first among the prophets; I have not brought anything new that no one before me has brought; countless prophets have come before me, bringing monotheism and morality to people, and I am the last in line, continuing their path.”
In general, innovation is defined as any new thing that has been added to the religion after its completion. Allah says: «وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا» (“His followers [Jesus] created a strict monasticism that We did not impose on them.”); this indicates that Allah attributes it to innovation.
Innovation in religion involves stating something that the speaker attributes to the owner of the Sharia, its predecessors, and its definitive principles. Abu al-Baqa Kafawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “Bid’ah (Innovation) is any act that is done without a previous example.”
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