Guide-to-Sound-Creed-A-Book-on-Muslim-Creed-and-Faith

Conclusion 339
Therefore, all Bid'ahs in rituals and convictions are prohibited but in
various degrees. Some of these J1id'ahs are tantamount <strong>to</strong> disbelief such as
circumambulating <strong>to</strong>mbs <strong>to</strong> solicit the blessings ofits dwellers, sacrificing animals
and offering vows <strong>to</strong> the dwellers of such <strong>to</strong>mbs and soliciting their refuge. Such
Bid'ahs also include the false convictions of Al-Jahmiyyah and Al-Mu'tazilah.
Some Bid'ahs maybe classified as preludes <strong>to</strong> disbelief such as establishing <strong>to</strong>mbs
and offering prayers there.
Some Bid'ahs may be regarded as false beliefs such as the convictions of
Kharijites, Anti-Fatalists and Al-Murji'ah who hold convictions in contradiction
with the established proofs of Shari'ah (Islamic Law). Other bid'ahs may be
regarded as sins such as celibacy, observing fast when standing all the time in
the intense heat of the sun, and castration with the intention of getting rid of
sexual desire.
It might be worth mentioning, here, that those who classify bid'ahs in<strong>to</strong>
good and bad are mistaken. Their view contradicts the Prophetic b.adith in which
he (PBUH) says, {~ .. every bid'ah is an error." Hence, the Prophet deems every
bid'ah as a sort ofdeviation.
In his Sharb. AI-Arba'in (Commentary on An-Nawawis Forty Prophetic
Hadiths), Al-H~ Ibn Rajah said:
"The Prophets saying. ~ .. every bid'ah is an error'is among the precisely
meaningful expressions ofthe Prophet (PBUH). It is also held as one of
the fundamental principles ofreligion. It is very similar <strong>to</strong> the Prophet's
saying. 'He who does any act which does not conform <strong>to</strong> the principles of
our religion, that act is <strong>to</strong> be rejected: Therefore, every innovated matter
in religion, which is unjustifiably attached <strong>to</strong> Islam without any proof,
will be held as a falsehood. Our religion renounces such an innovative
matter whatever it may be even ifit may include convictions, apparent
deeds, explicit or implicit sayings."
Those who classify bid' ahs in<strong>to</strong> good and bad substantiate their view by
'Umar Ibnul-Khan~b's saying, "What a good innovation!" He said this on the
occasion ofperforming the Tarawib. Prayer 1.
They further substantiate their view by arguing that our righteous
Salaf (early Muslim scholars) did not reject some innovated matters such
as compiling the Ever-Glorious Qur'an in a book and writing down the
Prophetic badiths.
To this, we may say that all these matters have a basis in the Shari' ah (Islamic
Law) and are not, thus, held as bid'ahs.