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Wa sharrul Umoori
Muhdathaatuhaa, Wa kulla Bid'atin dhaialah, wa kulla dhalatin fin-naar"
Al-Hadith (Sahih Muslim). Translation of the above hadith: Every innovation is
a misguidance and every misguidance goes to Hell fire.
Kullu bida'tin daiala: "Every
innovation is a misguidance"? Doesn't the term "every" include all
innovations?" Such an objection stems from the misinterpretation of the term
kull ("every") in the hadith to be all-encompassing without exception, whereas
in Arabic it may mean "Nearly all" or "the vast majority." This is how
al-Shafi'i understood it or else he would have never allowed for any innovation
whatsoever to be considered good, and he is considered a hujja or "Proof," that
is, reference without peer for questions regarding the Arabic language. The
stylistic figure of meaning the part by the whole, or nechdoche in English is in
Arabic: 'abbara 'an al-kathratf bi at-kulliyya. This is illustrated by the use
of kull in the following verse 46:25 of the Quran in a selective or partial
sense not a universal sense:
"Destroying all things by
commandment of its Lord. And morning found them so that naught could be seen
save their dwellings". Thus the dwellings were not destroyed although "all"
things had been destroyed. "All" here means specifically the lives of the
unbelievers of 'Ad and their properties except their houses.
Prophetic saying as stated in
Sahih Muslim is known even to common Muslims, let alone scholars: "He who
inaugurates a good practice (sanna fil-islam sunnatun hasana) in Islam earns the
reward of it, and of all who perform it after him, without diminishing their own
rewards in the least. "Tirmizi, pg-92.
"The
Prophet's saying 'every innovation'is a general-particular and it is a reference
to most innovations. The linguists say, 'Innovation is any act done without a
previous pattern, and it is of five different kinds."' Imam Nawawi also said in
Tahzeeb al Asma'wal Sifaat, "Innovation in religious law is to originate
anything which did not exist during the time of the Prophet , and it is divided
into good and bad." He also said, "al-muhdathat (pi. for muhdatha) is to
originate something that has no roots in religious law. In the tradition of
religious law it is called innovation, and if it has an origin within the
religious law, then it is not innovation. Innovation in religious law is
disagreeable, unlike in the language where everything that has been originated
without a previous pattern is called innovation regardless of whether it is good
or bad."
the
commentator on al-Bukhari, said, "Anything that did not exist during the
Prophet's time is called innovation, but some are good while others are not."
"I heard
Ash-Shafi'i saying, 'Innovation is of two types: praiseworthy innovation and
blameworthy innovation, and anything that disagrees with the Sunnah is
blameworthy."'
"Innovations are of two types: that which contradicts the Quran, the
Sunnah, or unanimous agreement of the Muslims is an innovation of deception,
while a good innovation does not contradict any of these things."
Clearly we can see from the
opinions of the righteous scholars, that to define innovations in worship as
wholly negative without exception is ignorant. For these pious knowers, among
them, Imam Shafi'i and Imam Nawawi, declared that innovations could be divided
into good and bad, based on their compliance with, or deviance from religious
law. Can the latter day scholars of Islam (who came after I 1 00 years) claim
that they understand the Quran and Hadith better than the Sahaba and the
Salaf-Us-Saliheen? If 'every'innovation is a misguidance then the following too
are all innovations which originated two centuries or more after Sahaba RA:
Reading eight raka in Tarawih; Translations of Quran; Writing Tafseers;
collection and classification of Ahaadith; Principles of Jurisprudence; The four
schools of Fiqh, Stoned and carpeted Mosques, use of loud speakers in mosques
etc.
Therefore anything that
does not have roots originating to the Quran and Sunnah is considered a bad
innovation. But the following practices, such as recitation of the Quran in
gatherings; Recital of Darud-Sharif (Salaat-o-Salaam) in gatherings and Mawlid
(commemorating the birth and Seerah of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Peace be Upon
Him) has clear and authenticated roots to the Quran and Sunnah. Where in Quran
and Hadith all these gatherings are declared as haram or prohibited? Proof of
such acts is indicated as follows:
On Mawlid: "Abi Qatadat
said that the Prophet was asked about fasting on Monday and he said 'That was
the day I was born."' This hadith is a clear evidence of the importance of the
commemoration of the Prophet's e birthday through worship. Al-Hafiz ibn Rajab
al-Hanbali, in his book Lataif al-maarif (p. 98), in explaining this hadith of
Muslim said, "it is good to fast on the days that Allah honored and favoured his
servants."
It is incumbent not only
on Muslims but on all human beings to rejoice in his advent, the day of his
birth. As al-Hafiz ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said, "The best favour that Allah has
granted this nation is the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he was sent to
humanity. " We did not send you except as a mercy to the whole Universe'
(AlAnbiya'107. So we review and recall Allah's favour of sending the Prophet by
fasting on that day". 'Of the favour and mercy of Allah let them rejoice"
(Yunus, 58).
Below is a divine order
for all the believers to send Salutations on Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon
HIM). Allah has said in the Quran- Allah and His angels sends blessings on the
Prophet (Peace be upon HIM)"-. O'you believes! u too send aiutation on beloved
Prophet (Peace be upon HIM)" (33:56)
"Those men and women who
engage much in Allah's praise. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a
great reward." (33:35)
"Those who remember
their Lord standing, and sitting, and lying on their sides" (3:191)
" Men whom neither
traffic nor merchandise can divert from Remembrance of Allah nor from regular
Salaat, nor from regular practice of Zakaat. (24:37)
"Those who believe, and
whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah! Aye! it is in the
remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort;" (13: 28)
Hadith Qudsi: "Those that
remember Me in their heart, I remember them in My heart; and those that remember
Me in a gathering, I remember them (i.e. make mention of them) in a gathering
better than theirs. (This can include recitation of Quran, Durood
(Salat-o-Salaam) and other Dhiker Allah)
In Bukhari and Muslim:
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that Allah has angels roaming the roads to
find the people of dhikr, i.e. those who say La ltaha ltiabah and similar
expressions, and when they find a group of people (qawm) reciting dhikr, they
call each other and encompass them in layers until the first heaven -- the
location of which is in Allah's knowledge. (This is to say, an unlimited number
of angels are going to be over that group
Ibn 'Umar reported that
the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "When you pass by the gardens of Paradise,
avail yourselves of them." The Companions asked: "What are the gardens of
Paradise, 0 Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "The circles of dhikr. There are
roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when
they rind them they surround them closely." Tirmidhi narrated it (hasan gharib)
and Ahmad.
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "When any group
of men remember Allah, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility
descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him." Narrated
by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, lbn Majah, and Bayhaqi.
For those who insist on
scrutinising Bida'h should rather pay more attention to Haram and major sins.
The following are typical examples that majority of the Ummah is engaged in
everyday and so routinely which are often overlooked and justified through
obtaining Fatwa's for the purpose of legitimising their actions:
- Buying houses on
mortgages (interest);
- Holding Credit on
credit cards;
- Eating non halal meat
and foods (MacDonald, KFC, etc.)
- Disobedience to
parents and ill-treatment of either wife or husband;
- Sending of children
to Islamic school but not practicing Islam themselves;
- Calling other Muslim
brothers Miskeen (poor) based upon nationality;
- Undue extravagance:
Luxuries (Castles, Rolls Royces, Cadillacs etc);
- Engaging in fraud and
corruption;
- Celebrating own
anniversaries and birthdays yet raise objection on Mawlid. Etc.
Islam cannot be customized to
suit individual needs and lifestyles. This is a great hypocrisy. One can ask
themselves how pious and
strict follower of the Quran and Sunnah, am I in reality? Stay away from haram,
shirk and Kufr and try to follow other Hadiths as well in order to fulfill the
claim of being strict followers of Quran and Sunnah.
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