Types of Bid'ah

Muslim scholars have cited two different definitions of Bid`ah (innovation). The first one is linguistic, whereas the second is technical.

Those who try to understand the concept of Bid`ah in its linguistic sense maintain that the root of the word includes that which is new and unprecedented. Hence, they define Bid`ah as everything that has been introduced following the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the golden eras of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all).

Bid`ah: Definition & Examples

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:

"The word bid`ah means something new or innovative. The general definition of bid`ah is any new belief or action for which there is no sanction or authorization in religion. Bid`ah could be in beliefs and it could be in practices. As Muslims we are required to follow Allah and His Messenger. Almighty Allah says: "And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy." (al-An`am: 155)

The Concept of Bid'a in the Islamic Shari'a

The following is the text of a talk given by Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller at Nottingham and Trent University on Wednesday 25th January 1995. 

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

There are few topics that generate as much controversy today in Islam as what is sunna and what is bida or reprehensible innovation, perhaps because of the times Muslims live in today and the challenges they face. Without a doubt, one of the greatest events in impact upon Muslims in the last thousand years is the end of the Islamic caliphate at the first of this century, an event that marked not only the passing of temporal, political authority, but in many respects the passing of the consensus of orthodox Sunni Islam as well. No one familiar with the classical literature in any of the Islamic legal sciences, whether Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), hadith, or jurisprudence (fiqh), can fail to be struck by the fact that questions are asked today about basic fundamentals of Islamic Sacred Law (Sharia) and its ancillary disciplines that would not have been asked in the Islamic period not because Islamic scholars were not brilliant enough to produce the questions, but because they already knew the answers.