Bid'ah/innovation?

L

Light upon Light

New Member
Salams all :)
may this post find everyone in the past state of health and iman
something's been nagging me this past week and I'd really appreciate everyone's thoughts..
with bid'ah/innovation..where do we draw the line? I've read different responses from different shyookh but still don't feel like i've got it. One thing that I think makes sense to me is that any innovation in the DEEN (that is, trying to worship Allah swt in a way that He has not ordained) is an innovation categorized under the type thatthe prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him was referring to in his hadeeth. That makes sense to me, Allah swt made very clear to us how to worship Him and alhamdulila islam is a very practical hands on religion, no airy fairy business. So innovations not pertaining to religion and worship does not come into that. This is the opinion of a number of scholars.
However, when it comes to celebrating birthdays for example; or mother's day. There's no harm in it to our deen, and it's not an innovation in the way we worship Allah swt but the majority of the ulama (even ones who hold the opinion mentioned above) agree that it's an innovation and a muslim may only celebrate the two eids specified to us by Allah swt.
Again, where to draw the line..?
just looking for some thoughts :) may Allah swt guide to the best of paths and keep us all steadfast on the truth.
 
BintMuhammad

BintMuhammad

New Member
Staff member
Wa alaikumussalaam,

Welcome to the site!

Birthdays, Mother's Day, Valentines Day etc. are celebrations practiced by the Christians and the Jews. The prophet warned us not to imitate the kuffar.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, warning us against following their ways and traditions: “You would follow the ways of those who came before you step by step, to such an extent that if they were to enter a lizard’s hole, you would enter it too.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said, “Who else?” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
Click to expand...
Celebrating birthdays is not allowed

So that clearly show this has something to do with our DEEN.

Innovation that totally has nothing to do with religion or our DEEN would be like the innovation in technologies today. Like from analog to digital.
 
L

Light upon Light

New Member
Jazakum Allah khair for your replies..
brother alkathiri that info was very beneficial alhamdulila; i'd researched imam alshafii's opinion earlier but the way u put it was clear and concise and i think i've got the distinction straight now. However, that still leaves me with the birthday issue.
Sister hurul-ein, please don't get me wrong. When i talk about 'celebrating' birthdays what i mean is acknowledging the day you were born, however one chooses to do that. It may be by exchanging gifts, gathering friends, etc.
Or it can very well be a day of individual pondering and reflection; a day where a person stops and realizes one more year of their life has passed: what have i done during that yr? what have i accomplished? how much progress have i made in my imaan? what can i do to get closer to Allah swt in the coming yr?
http://www.islamonline.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=327
pls refer to the above link..it made sense to me
jazaky Allah khair for your time sister, we're all in this together & i'm just trying to get my information straight :)
 
um muhammad al-mahdi

um muhammad al-mahdi

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله
Staff member
:salam2:

From the book: "Innovation and its bad effects" by Sheikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan - It's a small and very useful book.

Terminology meaning of the innovation - Bid'ah is derived from an Arabic word "Badah", which means to create anything without sample (origin).
Allah said in the Qur'an : "The originator of the heavens and the earth"
[2:117]
It means that Allah the Almighty made the heavens and the earth without precedent.

Allah also said: "Say! [O Muhammad] I'm not a new of the messengers." [46:9]
Here the meaning is: I am not the first of the Messengers of Allah's creation, unaccountable precede me. When it's said that someone has done a Bid'ah, what is being referred to is the fact that someone has invented a new thing without any precedent.


The Prophet :saw: said: "Whoever introduces a new thing in our this matter (religion) which is not from it, is rejected" (Bukhaari & Muslim). He :saw: stated at another time: "Whosoever acts on that which is not from our religion is rejected." (Muslim).
 
samiha

samiha

---------
Staff member
:salam2:

When taking from an article one should ALWAYS be aware of the source of the article. Unknown sources, by unknown ""scholars""... can lead to an ignorant state of mind and understanding of our Deen.

We should not look at the content of an article and if it conforms with our own opinions and views seek to ratify it, but rather see if it conforms with what has been placed and mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah. For our opinions are nothing when Allah and His Messenger have decreed something. We should have no, "I feel.." and "I think..." afterwards. That was not how our pious predecessors behaved, and it is not amoung the acts of a Muslim. We are not a people of desires, but rather a people of submission. We have submitted to Allah, and therefore, to not listen or seek other explanations when all the great scholars of Islaam have shown something a specific way, or all the Companions did not do something... in its own way is like a breach of His covenant.

I've never heard a Companion of the Prophet :saw: celebrating a birthday, and i haven't seen any reputable scholar say other than that it is impermissible to celebrate it.

Lakum Eidukum wa Liya Eid - To you be you Celebrations and to me be Mine

wasalam
 
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