Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani's Stance Against Bid'ah Hasanah

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Volume 2, Letter 19:

The Mujaddid said:

“It is difficult to understand how these people have found any merit in the things that have been invented after completion of religion as approved and confirmed by Allah? Are they not aware of this basic fact that anything ingrafted after the completion and acceptance of a religion by Allah cannot have any merit whatsoever? “After the Truth what is there save the error?” (Quran 10:33) Had they known that attribution of any merit to a thing inserted in a perfect religion implied imperfection of that religion and amounted to an announcement that Allah had not yet completed His favour, they would dared not deny what had been asserted by Allah”

[Mujib]

Commentator's note to "SECOND VOLUME, 19th LETTER":

There are three kinds of bid’at:

1 — It is the worst bid’at to use —without any darûrat (compulsion)— those things which the Sharî’at says to be the signs of disbelief. On page 467 of al-Barîqa and 696 of Majmâ’ al-anhur, it is written that the ’ulamâ’ said, “It is permissible to use them to deceive (khud’a) the disbelievers in dâr al-harb.”

2 — Those beliefs which disagree with what is communicated by the savants of the Ahl as-sunnat are also evil bid’ats.

3 — Those reforms made in the name of worship are bid’ats in worship and are grave sins. Some ’ulamâ’ divided the bid’ats in ’ibâdât or ’amal into the hasana and sayyia. Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî ‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’ did not say ‘bid’ats’ about those bid’ats which scholars termed ‘hasana’. He called them ‘sunnat-i-hasana’. He said ‘bid’ats’ about those which they termed ‘bid’at-i-sayyia’, and he condemned such bid’ats. Wahhabis, on the other hand, say ‘sayyia’ about bid’ats termed ‘hasana’ and approved, and they call those who practice such bid’ats ‘disbelievers’, ‘polytheists’. (http://books.hakikatkitabevi.com/cgi...c/%7B@2584%7D?)

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Letter 260:

The Mujaddid repeats his lament regarding the people (he specifically targets the ulama as culprits in other letters) who justify Bidah Hasanah:

“The darkness of Bidah has overwhelmed the lustre of the Sunnat and the splendour of the creed of our beloved Nabi (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has been stained with the muddiness of new innovations. Surprising is (the attitude of) those people who deem and regard as good such bid`ahs and innovations, and they have firm belief in these Bid`ahs being deeds of virtue. They seek the completion of the Deen and the creed in these new accretions. They (even) propagate and encourage towards these innovations. Allaah Ta`ala had placed them on the Straight Path, but they had not reflected that this Deen was complete even before their innovations and that this blessed Deen was finalised and also that the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala lay in this (complete Deen minus the innovations). As Allaah Ta`ala had mentioned, ‘On this Day have I perfected for you your Deen.’ Therefore to seek the (further) completion of the Deen in all these innovations, would be tantamount to refutation of the import of this blessed Aayat.”

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Letter 260:

The Mujaddid repeats his lament regarding the people (he specifically targets the ulama as culprits in other letters) who justify Bidah Hasanah:

“The darkness of Bidah has overwhelmed the lustre of the Sunnat and the splendour of the creed of our beloved Nabi (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has been stained with the muddiness of new innovations. Surprising is (the attitude of) those people who deem and regard as good such bid`ahs and innovations, and they have firm belief in these Bid`ahs being deeds of virtue. They seek the completion of the Deen and the creed in these new accretions. They (even) propagate and encourage towards these innovations. Allaah Ta`ala had placed them on the Straight Path, but they had not reflected that this Deen was complete even before their innovations and that this blessed Deen was finalised and also that the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala lay in this (complete Deen minus the innovations). As Allaah Ta`ala had mentioned, ‘On this Day have I perfected for you your Deen.’ Therefore to seek the (further) completion of the Deen in all these innovations, would be tantamount to refutation of the import of this blessed Aayat.”

The above echoes Imam Malik's famous statement that calling any innovation 'hasanah', amounts to a slur on the Prophet - which ironically would warrant the title Gustakh-e-Rasul according to those who are practically submerged in a "Bidah Hasanah" laden Deen.

Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayhi) said:

" Anyone who commits an innovation in Islam and say that it is a good innovation then truly he is stating that the Prophet has betrayed the Message (of Islam). The reason is God has said "Today I have perfected your religion". Whatever was not part of the religion then, will not be a part of it today.”

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Volume 2, Maktoob 54:

Hadhrat Mujaddid states:

"Attainment to this degree of obedient following is conditioned upon tranquillity of the nafs and arrival to the reality of obedient following of the source of the Sacred Law, upon him be peace and blessings; yet, sometimes it occurs without the means of fana and baqa and without the means of spiritual journeying and attraction. It is possible for it to occur without anything of states, ecstasies, theophanies or manifestations, but it is something rare in its time. Attainment to this state via the path of the wilaya is more certain via another path. This other path, in the opinion of this needy one, being the path of absolute faithful obedient following of the noble sunna according to its source, peace and blessings be upon him, and avoidance of any type of bid’ah, one who does not avoid the ‘bid’ah hasanah’ just as he would avoid the blameworthy will not get even a scent of this high degree. This is something difficult in this time for the world is immersed in a profound sea of innovation and content with the darkness of it, who has the ability to speak in this time of the removal of innovation and the raising of the Sunna?

The majority of scholars prefer innovations and assist in effacing the sunna when they give religious rulings allowing wide scope for innovations. They go so far as applying the rule of legal analogical discretion (istihsan) with the reason that any social benefit accrued [from such innovations justifies it] and consequently direct the common people to such practices. What a horrible thing they are doing! Misguidance has become endemic to such an extent and error common place that it has become the ‘common good’! Do they not know that every perceived social benefit is not a reason for which to apply the rule of istihsan? The social benefit/custom envisioned by the Sacred Law is that which existed in the earlier generations (generations relatively safe from the detrimental effects of innovations) and which have occurred by the consensus of people as has been mentioned in the Fatawa Ghiyathiyya.

The Shaykh of Islam al-Shaheed, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that every social benefit/custom understood by the scholars of Balkh is not used in making a determination via istihsan but instead those set as precedent by the earlier generations. This is because they are indications of the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), so they take it because he establishes it, upon him be peace. If it is not so then it is not taken as legal evidence unless it is as a consensus of the people of all lands, for such a consensus is a legally binding proof. Do you not see that if a people accept as social custom the buying and selling of alcohol and dealing in interest nevertheless its legal permissibility cannot be sanctioned?

There is no doubt that knowledge of the common practice of all people and cognizance of the practice of all villages and towns is beyond the means of a person’s ability, but still the social practice of the earlier generations, which was in reality established by the Prophet’s precedent, is available. So what concern is there then of the blameworthy and good innovations? Association with the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) was sufficient to attain to perfections for his companions; every scholar from the pious predecessors attained to what he attained of rusukh (penetrative knowledge) because of his obedience to the Sunna and avoidance of disliked innovations not via choosing the path of the Sufis nor by spiritual journeying and attraction. O Allah make firm our feet upon obedient following of the Sunna and keep us far from committing any type of innovation, [accept this supplication by] means of the source of the Sunna!"

[SeekerOfGuidance]

The Mujaddid's letters clarify beyond any doubt that his view on Bid'ah Hasanah is in stark contrast to that of the extreme sufis of today.

I will now quote some of the Mujaddid's views on a number of other issues, which will demonstrate further how different his views are to many of the deviated brands of sufism in vogue nowadays.

[SunniSeeker]

The above echoes Imam Malik's famous statement that calling any innovation 'hasanah', amounts to a slur on the Prophet - which ironically would warrant the title Gustakh-e-Rasul according to those who are practically submerged in a "Bidah Hasanah" laden Deen.

Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayhi) said:

" Anyone who commits an innovation in Islam and say that it is a good innovation then truly he is stating that the Prophet has betrayed the Message (of Islam). The reason is God has said "Today I have perfected your religion". Whatever was not part of the religion then, will not be a part of it today.”

for all your informative posts. Could you please provide a refernece for the above quote?

May I also ask where are you getting all the translated quotes from - are they from the hakikat kitabevi website?

Also can you clarify whether the Imam is referring to the 'linguistic' usage of the term bida' that you highlighted in the earlier posts, when he uses the term 'bida' hasana'?

[SeekerOfGuidance]

for all your informative posts. Could you please provide a refernece for the above quote?

May I also ask where are you getting all the translated quotes from - are they from the hakikat kitabevi website?

Also can you clarify whether the Imam is referring to the 'linguistic' usage of the term bida' that you highlighted in the earlier posts, when he uses the term 'bida' hasana'?

The only reference I have for Imam Malik's saying is Al-I'tisam by Imam Shatibi The quotes from Mujaddid are from a number of sources including the one you mentioned.

There is no-one that can deny the linguistic usage of the word bi'dah hasanah. Even the Salaf used the word bid'ah in its linguistic usage as demonstrated here:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post740227

The Mujaddid refers several times to innovation in the Deen, which is the definition of legal bid'ah.

[SunniSeeker]

The only reference I have for Imam Malik's saying is Al-I'tisam by Imam Shatibi The quotes from Mujaddid are from a number of sources including the one you mentioned.

There is no-one that can deny the linguistic usage of the word bi'dah hasanah. Even the Salaf used the word bid'ah in its linguistic usage as demonstrated here:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post740227

The Mujaddid refers several times to innovation in the Deen, which is the definition of legal bid'ah.

I’m still slightly confused regarding what you are trying to ‘prove’ or demonstrate. I don’t think anyone denies the reprehensibility of ‘legal bida’. It boils down to what actions you categorize under this heading.

What type of ‘bida hasana’ as classified by some ulema is the Mujaddid speaking against? It would help if you gave examples of what you understand from the Imams words i.e. give examples of action that fall within the categories mentioned by him.

[Dawud Israel]

Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's opinion seems to rest emotionally on his attachment to the sunnah, and against bid'as that abolish or lead to (further) neglect of the sunnah. That is what I can discern and perhaps he is citing a wisdom that is aware of the sunnah in much more detail than others are and feels they are hiding the sunnah thereby. This is understandable and noteworthy to differentiate from those who oppose bid'a for the fact of hating bid'a for itself, rather than hating it because of what it distracts from.

This is a matter of Usul.

Bid'a exists right from the get-go in Islam. In fact, the polemic refuting Sunniforum members regularly and excessively engage in, is in fact, itself a bid'a that Imam al-Bayhaqi spoke about and said is a good bid'a for the sake of establishing the truth (although its clear how it can be a bad bid'a too)! There are other bid'as as well, like shaking hands with people which I believe the Muslims got from the Ashari tribe of Yemen.

The following diagram is a survey of the topic I have put together.



Source: http://muslimology.wordpress.com/201...standing-bida/