CHAPTER
TWO
2.1
TYPES OF BID'AT AND THEIR STATUS IN THE SHARI'AH
We
have seen that Bid'at is of two kinds, viz. Bid'at Hasana (appreciable
innovation) and Bid'at Sai'yya (offensive innovation).
Bid'at
Hasana is divided in three categories:
(A)
Bid'at Ja'iz (permissable)
(B) Bid'at Mustahab (appreciable)
(C) Bid'at Wajib (essential)
Bid'at
Sai'yya is categorised in two:
(A) Bid'at Makruh (abominable)
(B) Bid'at Haraam (prohibited)
In
substantiation, we present the words of the book Mirqat
Babul I'tisaam bil Kitaab was Sunnah: Bid'at is either Wajib,
for example to learn Nahv (Arabic syntax) and to gather the
principles of Fiqh, etc. or it is Haraam for example, the introduction
of new beliefs like the sects Jabriyya, Qadriyya, etc. or it
is Mustahab for example, to construct religious institutions
and every good thing which was not there in the first era of
the Islamic century or to make congregation in the Tarawih prayers,
etc. or it is Makruh for example, to vie in the decoration of
mosques (with the intention of ostentatious pomp and pride)
or it is Ja'iz for example, to shake hands after the (Fajr)
prayers or to partake of nice food and drink, etc.
The
book Shami (First Vol.) Kitaabus Salaat, Babul Imamat
says: "It is Makruh to perform Salaah behind an Imam who
perpetrates a Bid'at which is Haraam, but otherwise Bid'at is
sometimes Waajib, for example, to furnish proof in defence of
Islam (against stray sects) and to learn the knowledge of Nahv
(Syntax), and it is sometimes Mustahab, for example, to construct
caravanserais and madressas and all those favourable things
which were not there in the first era, and sometimes it is Makruh
for example to vie in the decoration of mosques with a sense
of pride and sometimes it is Mubah (Ja'iz), for example, to
partake in nice food and drink and wear nice clothes." The
book Jam-e-us-Sagheer says the same thing.
It
is now clearly understood that Bid'ats is of five categories
and every Bid'at is not Haraam.
2.2 DEFINITION OF THE CATEGORIES OF BID'AT
AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
We have seen that a Bid'at which does not contradict with the
Holy Quran and Sunnah is Bid'at Hasana and that which contradicts
with the Holy Quran and Sunnah or leads to an annihilation of
a Sunnah is Bid'at Sai'yya.
Bid'at is divided into five categories and the characteristics
of each is given below.
A.
BID'AT JA'IZ: is that action which the Shari'at prohibited
and which is done without expecting any reward or punishment
for it. For example, partaking in a variety of delicious dishes
or wearing nice and attractive clothing, etc.
B.
BID'AT MUSTAHAB: is that act which is done with an anticipation
for earning reward, for example to pray the Milad-un-Nabi (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) or to pray Fatiha for the souls of deceased
Muslims, etc. If is done with the intention of gaining rewards,
he will gain reward for it, and if one does not do it, he will
not be reprimanded for omitting it.
Mirqat
Bad-ul I'tisaam says, "Hazrat Abdullah ibn-e Mas'ood (radi
Allahu anhu) has narrated from the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) that, 'What the Muslims consider as good then
it is also considered as good by Allah.' Another Hadith which
is Marfu' says, 'My Ummah will not agree upon a thing which
is misleading.'" In the first pages of Miskhat there
is a Hadith, "Verily actions depend upon intentions and a
man will get whatever he intends for."
The
book of Fiqh Darr-e-Mukhtaar (Vol.1) under the chapter
of Mustahabs of Ablutions says, "A Mustahab action is that
action which the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)
at times did and at times omitted and also that which the Muslims
preceding us thought to be good."
The
book Shami (Vol. 5) under the chapter of Qurbani says,
"Verily good intentions change habits into worship."
It is also written similarly in the book Mirqat under
the chapter of Intentions.
From
these Hadiths and quotings from different books of Fiqh we come
to know that whatever permissable action done with an intention
of anticipating rewards or that which the Muslims consider as
reward earning is also considered as rewarding in the Judgement
of Allah Ta'ala. Muslims are witnesses of Allah Ta'ala and whatever
they witness to be good is good and whatever they witness to
be evil is evil.
