Bid’ah Hasanah: The Misunderstood Term

Description

Bid’ah (Innovations in the religion) pose serious threats to the purity and authenticity of Islam. The true teachings of the previous Prophets were destroyed due to the innovations their followers turned to, away from their Prophet’s guidance. Hence, the great scholars of Hadith in their various books made sure to include chapters regarding the dangers of Bid’ah, which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, had warned sternly against. In this treatise, the Author focussed on the Bid’ah Hasanah (Innovations that is “good”) in order to explain the misunderstandings around it among the public, and to establish the truth based on concrete and verifiable evidences. This is because many people often employ the concept of Bid’ah Hasanah as a pretext to justify their innovations in Islam. Of course, this issue cannot be appropriately discussed with emotions and without the guidance from revealed knowledge. On the contrary, this topic must be evaluated in the light of Al-Wahyu (Divine Revelation) and with a mind ready to admit and accept the truth regardless of whom it has come from. Al-Imam as-Shafi’e  (d. 204H) affirmed: “Every issue about which I have given a view (later known to be) contradicting the Sunnah; I hereby retract it, whether during my life or after my death.”