What is innovation in Religion

The innovation (bidah) is something new in the religion. There is a lot of debate on what is
innovation and what is not. Holy Prophet (pbuh) has warned us against the innovation (bidah)
repeatedly. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

Allah says in Quran:

"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have
chosen for you Islam as your religion" (Al-Maidah 5: 3)
The controversy is on the definition of innovation, is every new thing an innovation, can there be
good innovation as well. Some people argue that Prophet (pbuh) has warned against the bad
innovations. They cite the example of Traweeh when Hazrat Umar (ra) started regular jamma
behind one Imam. Hazrat Umar (ra) called it a good bidah. But we need to pay attention to the
fact that Hazrat Umar (ra) did not start something from scratch, the companions and other
people were already praying but not behind one Imam, rather in different groups. So Hazrat
Umar (ra) just combined them in one group behind one Imam. Also during the time of Prophet
(pbuh) people prayed behind him for 3 days but on fourth day Prophet (pbuh) did not come out
of his house and later told his companions that he did it for the fear that it may be made
mandatory for them. This clearly shows that Hazrat Umar (ra) did not start something that was
new. Another example people give in the favour of good innovation is that Hazrat Usman (ra)
started second azan for Friday Prayer. That was an administrative thing, as Median had grown
big and he started another azan to allow people enough time to come to masjid. Al-Sa`ib ibn
Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “During the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), Abu
Bakr and `Umar (ra), the adhan for Friday Prayer was called after the imam had taken his seat
on the pulpit. But, when Muslims increased in number during the time of `Uthman (ra), he
introduced a third adhan; it was called at al-Zawraa` [a place in the market of Medina]”
[Reported by al-Bukhari]. Bukhari called this a third adhan because he referred to the iqama as
the second adhan.
Some people quote a hadith that Prophet (pbuh) said, meaning, whoever starts a good deed in
Islam and others follow him, will get reward equal every body’s reward without any deduction to
their reward”. This hadith is part of a larger hadith where a group of very needy people came to
Madina and prophet (pbuh) gave a speech for helping them. Then one person got up and
brought a heavy amount, after him people rushed and there was huge pile of stuff for them. That
is when prophet (PBUH) said that. Again here the person did not invent something new, he was
first to act for an already established virtue of Islam, charity (sadaqa) but motivated others to
follow.
Some people would argue that now we have carpets in Mosques, we build minarets on
Mosques, we use technology and etc. Again we need to pay attention that putting carpet in
Mosques, or building minarets on them or using technology is not religion or part of the
religions. Rather these are means, necessities or needs. Innovation is introducing something
new in the religion not in the worldly affairs.
If there can be good and bad innovation and Prophet (PBUH) only warned against bad
innovation, why did he said every innovation is bad, bad deed or things are bad anyways
whether new or not. If we accept this position we are accusing Prophet (PBUH) of not conveying
very clearly, which cannot be true, not even thinkable by a Muslim.
From the following sayings of Prophet (PBUH) it will be more clear and easy to understand:

“if anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, will be rejected”

“He who does an act which we have not authenticated, will be rejected”:
The above sayings clarify that by innovation prophet (pbuh) meant innovation in religion. The
following ahadith (sayings of Prophet (pbuh)) further emphasie the dangers of innovation in
Isalm
Abdullah b. Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) observed: Never a Prophet had
been sent before me by Allah towards his nation who had not among his people (his) disciples
and companions who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then there came after them
their successors who said whatever they did not practice, and practiced whatever they were not
commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove
against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was
a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed. (Sahih
Muslim)
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: It (Kauthar) is a canal which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious has
promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people would come
to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would be equal to the number of stars. A
servant would be turned away from (among the people gathered there). Upon this I would say:
My Lord, he is one of my people, and He (the Lord) would say: You do not know that he
innovated new things (in Islam) after you. (Sahih Muslim » The Book of Prayers )
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men
amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be
pulled away from me by force whereupon I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' Then the Almighty
will say, 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the
religion after you.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari , book of fitan)
"I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from
it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me
some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and
them." Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri added that the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬further said:"I will say those people
are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.'
Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the
religion) after me!"
Stance of companions of Prophet (PBUH)
Once a man sneezed in the presence of Ibn Umar and said, "Praise be to Allah and peace be
upon the Messenger.’ Ibn Umar chastised the man and said, "The Prophet has only taught us to
say Alhumdu’lillah." (Tirmidhi)
'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people regard it as
good."[Ad-Darimi]
'Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "Do not sit with the people of innovation, for surely their sittings are a
sickness for the hearts." [Ash-Shari'ah of Al-Ajuri, p.65]
Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman said, "Every act of worship which the Companions did not do, do not
do it." [Abu Dawud]

It is related in an athar in al-Daarimi on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Salamah who said:
"We used to sit by the door of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud before the morning prayer, so that when he
came out we would walk with him to the masjid. One day Abu Musa al-Ash'ari came to us and
said, 'Has Abu 'Abdur-Rahman come out yet?' We replied, 'No.' So he sat down with us until he
came out. When he came out we all stood along with him, so Abu Musa said to him, 'O Abu
Abdur-Rahman! I have just seen something in the masjid which I deemed to be evil, but all
praise is for Allah, I did not see anything except good.' He enquired, 'Then what is it?' Abu Musa
replied, 'If you live you will see it. I saw in the masjid people sitting in circles awaiting the prayer.
In each circle they had pebbles in their hands and a man would say, 'Repeat Allahu Akbar a
hundred times.' So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'Say la ilaha
illallah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times. Then he would say,
'Say subhanallah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times.' Ibn Mas'ud asked,
'What did you say to them?' Abu Musa said, 'I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to
hear your view or what you declared.' Ibn Mas'ud replied, 'If only you had ordered them to count
up the evil deeds they acquired and assured them that their good deeds would not be lost!'
Then we went along with him until they came to one of these circles and stood and said, 'What
is this which I see you doing?' They replied, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! These are pebbles upon
which we are counting takbir, tahlil and tasbih.' He said, 'Count up your evil deeds. I assure you
that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon
him! How quickly you go to destruction! These are the Companions of your Prophet, upon whom
be peace, and who are widespread. There are his clothes which have not yet decayed and his
bowl which is unbroken. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! Either you are upon a religion better
guided than the religion of Muhammad, peace be upon him, or you are opening the door of
misguidance.' They said, 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! By Allah, we only intended good.' He said,
'How many there are who intend good but do not achieve it. Related by Ad-Daremie (204) and Abu Na`eim

with an authentic chain. Authenticated by Al-Haithamee (Al-Majma, 1/181, 189), Al-Haitamee (Az-Zawaajir, Al-Kabeerah #51 ), Al-

Albaanee (As-Saheehah, 2005; Ar-Radd alal-Habashee, p.45-47), Abdul-Muhsin Al-Abbaad (Al-Hathth alat-tibaa-is-Sunnah, p.49),

Bakr Aboo Zaid (Tas-heeh-ud-Duaa’, p.149, 153, 154), Husayn Asad (Musnad-ud-Daarimee, 210), Amr Saleem (Al-Bida libn

Waddaah, 27), Al-Hilaalee (Al-Bidah, p.44-47), Al-Halabee (Ihkaam-ul-Mabaanee, p.55-58), Al-Huwainee (Al-Bidah wa Aathaaruhaa

(1), 03:45), Mashhoor Salmaan (Al-Amr bil-Ittibaa, p.83-84), Zakariyyaa Al-Baakistaanee (Taudeeh-ul-Usool ) and others.

Stance of Four Imams

Imam Abu Hanifah said, "Stick to the narrations and the way of the Salaf, and beware of newly-
invented matters for all of it is innovation." [Sawn ul-Mantaq of As-Suyuti, p.32]
Imam Malik said, "He who innovates an innovation in Islam regarding it as something good, has
claimed that Muhammad has betrayed his trust to deliver the message as Allah says, "This day
I have perfected for you your religion." And whatsoever was not part of the religion then, is
not part of the religion today." [Al-I'tisam] He also said, "How evil are the people of innovation,
we do not give them salam." [Al-Ibanah of Ibn Battah (d. 387H), no. 441]
Imam Ash-Shafi'i said, "Whosoever considers an innovation to be good has corrected the
Prophet." [Bulugh al-Maram of Ibn Hajar (available in English), p190 footnote 2] And all that has
been related from him that contradicts this statement, regarding innovation as being of two
types is either weak or baseless as al-Hafidh adh-Dhahabi and others from the scholars
of hadith state.
Imam Ahmad said, "The fundmental principles of the Sunnah with us are: ... avoiding innovation
and every innovation is misguidance." [Usul us-Sunnah]