What is Bid'a (innovation)?

The Arabic word bid'a signifies etymologically a new or original action that has no precedent, one by which a degree of excellence or perfection in the performer of the action is demonstrated; thus, one of the Names of God is al-Badi', 'The Marvellously Original':

Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.( Sura al-Baqara, 2:117)

The conventional meaning of the term Bid'a refers to any action which is deemed to fall outside the boundaries of the Shari'a; the most concise definition would be as follows: establishing a practice as part of the religion when it is not so. Committing bid'a is a major sin; there is not the slightest doubt about its being prohibited.

But the conventional meaning of the term refers to any action which is deemed to fall outside the boundaries of the Shari'a; the most concise definition would be as follows: establishing a practice as part of the religion when it is not so.
Committing bid'a is a major sin; there is not the slightest doubt about its being prohibited. The Holy Prophet said:

'Every newly originated thing is a bid'a, and every bid'a is a going astray, and every going astray ends up in the Fire.[1]

But the important point as regards the issue of bid'a is to define and describe it in a way that makes clear what it includes and what it excludes, so that it can be distinguished clearly from what it is not. To grasp aright the true nature of bid'a, the following two points should be borne in mind:

Firstly, bid'a is a type of wilful interference with religion, effected by means of adding something to the Shari'a or removing something from it. Therefore, if a given innovation has nothing to do with religion, but is rather derived from traditional custom or convention, it will not necessarily be a bid'a -its legality will depend upon whether the innovation in question is permitted or prohibited by the Shari'a. For example, in respect of housing, clothing arid such matters, people are constantly resorting to innovations ¬especially in our times, witness the radical transformations in the ways of living, or the new forms of recreation and leisure activities. It is clear that all of this constitutes bid'a in the literal sense of 'innovation', but has no necessary relation with bid'a in the Shari'ate sense. As we have said above, the permissibility of such innovations depends upon whether or not they violate the rulings and principles of the Shari'a. For example, the intermingling of improperly dressed men and women at gatherings in public places is illicit (Haram), but it is not a bid'a, for those participating in such gatherings do not maintain that what they are doing is religiously permitted, something for which Islam gives its support;
indeed, it is often quite the opposite. But it can happen that such persons become conscious of what they are doing, that is, breaking a religious rule, and resolve not to attend such gatherings again.
To explain this further, if a nation decides that a specified day be a holiday, but does not claim that this action is a religious obligation, then, again, this action is not a bid'a; its permissibility must be determined from another point of view, according to religious principles and rulings. In the light of these considerations, it should be clear that many innovations of mankind in such fields as art, sport and manufacturing, do not pertain in fact to the issue of bid'a, but are rather to be considered from a different angle altogether: that is, whether they are permissible or prohibited, this evaluation being based on a set of clear criteria and principles.

Bid'a is a type of wilful interference with religion, effected by means of adding something to the Shari'a or removing something from it. Therefore, if a given innovation has nothing to do with religion, but is rather derived from traditional custom or convention, it will not necessarily be a bid'a -its legality will depend upon whether the innovation in question is permitted or prohibited by the Shari'a.

Secondly, bid'a in religious terms basically entails the presentation of a particular action as a religious obligation, whilst in fact there is no basis for it in the principles or rules of religion. But an action performed as a religious act and for which there are clear supports in terms of religious law-whether in the form of specific rules or universal principles-cannot be considered as bid'a. In this regard, 'Allama Majlisi, a great Shi'i scholar writes:

'Bid'a in religion pertains to an affair that is originated after the Holy Prophet, one for the permissibility of which there is no supportive ground either in specific or general terms. [2]

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, a renowned scholar of the Sunnis also says:

'Bid'a is an affair which arises (after the Prophet) and for which there is no principial support in terms of the Shari'a; but an action which is upheld by a religious principle is not bid'a. [3]

An action performed as a religious act and for which there are clear supports in terms of religious law-whether in the form of specific rules or general principles-cannot be considered as bid'a. In this regard, 'Allama Majlisi, a great Shi'i scholar writes:
'Bid'a in religion pertains to an affair that is originated after the Holy Prophet, one for the permissibility of which there is no supportive ground either in specific or general terms. 

Indeed, whenever we can establish a relationship between a given action and religion, on the basis of a particular indication or a universal rule, then it is obvious that such an action cannot be regarded as bid'a. In respect of a particular religious ruling (legitimizing the action), no further comment 'is needed. What does stand in need of explanation, however, is the second case, that of legitimacy acquired through universal religious rules, for it is possible that many an action that appears outwardly as newly originated and lacking any precedent in Islamic history, can nonetheless be perfectly acceptable if its essential nature is subsumed by a universal rule or principle of the Shari'a. For example, universal conscription is a practice that has become current in many countries. The policy of calling upon the youth to serve in the army beneath the banner of their country as part of their religious duty, despite being a recently originated practice, cannot be regarded as bid'a, as it is buttressed by a religious principle and foundation; for, as the Qur'an says:

And prepare against them whatever you are able of power... (Sura al-Anfal, 8: 60)

Celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (S.A)

From the above explanation, many of the unfounded doubts which have entangled a large number of people can be resolved. For example, multitudes of Muslims throughout the world celebrate the birthday of the Holy Prophet, while certain groups brand such celebrations as bid'a; but, according to the principles we have given above, there are no grounds for regarding these actions as bid'a. Even if we were to suppose that this type of veneration of the Prophet and this way of expressing love for him, is not strictly speaking a part of religious law, nonetheless the expression of love for the Prophet of Islam and his family is a self-evident principle of Islam, a universal principle of which these kinds of celebrations and religious gatherings are specific manifestations. The Holy Prophet said:

'None of you is a believer until I am more beloved unto him than his wealth, his family and all of mankind."

Even if we were to suppose that this type of veneration of the Prophet and this way of expressing love for him, is not strictly speaking a part of religious law, nonetheless the expression of love for the Prophet of Islam and his family is a self-evident principle of Islam, a universal principle of which these kinds of celebrations and religious gatherings are specific manifestations. 

It is clear that those who participate in the commemoration of the birthday of the Prophet and his family, expressing thereby their happiness on such occasions, do not at all maintain that the particular way in which they organize these celebrations today is enjoined as such by religious law; on the contrary, such people believe simply that the outward manifestation of love for the Prophet and his family is a universal principle, one which is stressed in Scripture and tradition, and which possesses a range of possible expressions and accentuations. The Holy Qur'an states:

Say (O Muhammad): I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives; (42:23)

This principle can be expressed in various ways, in both the individual and collective life of the Muslims. The holding of celebrations on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet and members of his family is but a means of recalling the divine descent of mercy and blessings upon these days; it is also a means of expressing gratitude to God. Such celebrations are, moreover, to be found in previous religions. According to the Qur'an, Jesus requested of God that He cause to descend a heavenly table of food (a ma'ida) for him and his companions, so that the day of this descent might be for him and his followers-among future generations-a commemorative feast:

Said Jesus, the son of Mary, "O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the best of providers."(Sura al-Ma'ida, 5:114)

As we have said above, bid'a consists of a type of tampering with religion, one for which no sound warrant from any authoritative religious sources is forthcoming, either in universal or specific terms; and it must be recalled here that the sayings attributed to the Imams of the ahl al-bayt are, according to the authority of the mutawatir saying of the Prophet, referred to above as al-Thaqalayn, to be counted as sources of Shari'ite authority and grounds for religious rulings. Whenever these noble and impeccable personages explicitly permit or prohibit something, those who follow their guidance are doing nothing other than following the guidance of religion; thus there can be no question of appending the title of bid'a in such contexts.
To conclude: bid'a in the sense of an unwarranted interference with religion is always an ugly and forbidden act, referred to in the Qur'an as follows:

Say, "Have you seen what Allah has sent down to you of provision of which you have made [some] lawful and [some] unlawful?" Say, "Has Allah permitted you [to do so], or do you invent [something] about Allah?" (Sura Yunus, 10:59)

When bid'a is understood in this sense, its subdivision into categories such as 'bad' and 'good', 'forbidden' and 'permitted', has no real meaning. But in the strictly etymological sense, bid'a, understood simply as a newly originated act or practice in human affairs, without any immediate connection with religious law, is susceptible of differentiated evaluation according to the five categories of Islamic law: obligatory ( wajib), forbidden ('Haram), discouraged ( makruh), recommended ( mustahabb), and indifferent (mubah).

1. al-Majlisi, Bihar al-anwar, vol. 2, p. 263; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 4, pp. 126-7.
2. al-Majlisi, Bihar al-anwar, vol, 7 4, p. 202.
3. lbn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath, al-bari.(Beirut, 1402/ 1981 ), vol, 5, p. 156, vol. 17, p. 9·