Seeking Knowledge for the Beginners

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan

Reference: Al Ajiwibah Al Mufeedah ‘an Asilat Al Manaahij Al Jadeedah: Q:51. /Beneficial Answers to Questions on New Methodologies."(Q:51).

Category: Da'wah


What guidance and advice can you give to the students who are at the beginning stages [of gaining knowledge]?


My advice to the students of knowledge who are at the beginning stages, is that they study under the trustworthy scholars, those who are trustworthy with regards to their ‘Aqeedah, their knowledge and their advice, and that they start with the smaller, summarized books that are available in the different sciences and to memorize them.

Along with this, that they take the explanation of these books from their scholars, little by little/step by step. Specifically the curriculums that are found in the institutions of knowledge and in the Islaamic colleges, as it contains gradual knowledge for the student, where he takes it little by little and thereby achieves a lot of good.

If however a student is not part of a school or college programme, then it is upon him to regularly attend the lessons of the scholars in the Masaajid, whether the lessons are in Fiqh or in Arabic Grammar on in ‘Aqeedah or the like.

As for what some of the youth do now, where they begin with the lengthy and detailed books, or you find that one of them buys books and sits in his house and reads them , then this is not correct and this is not learning, rather this is deception and vanity.

This is what has lead to some people speaking in the affairs of knowledge and issuing Fataawa in affairs without knowledge and speaking about Allaah without knowledge, due to not building oneself upon a firm foundation.

So it is essential that one sits in front of the scholars in the circles of knowledge, along with having patience and endurance.

As Imaam As-Shaafi'ee-Rahimahullah- said:

"And whoever does not taste (for a moment) the humility of learning, shall drink from the cup of ignorance for the rest of his life."


Translator: Abdur-Raoof Muhammad, Abu Sumayyah

Date Published: Monday, 06 June 2005

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هل يوجد في الإسلام بدعة حسنة

سؤال:
السؤال : قرأت عدّة مقالات للأشعرية والصوفية حول تقرير مبدأ البدعة الحسنة ومما استدلوا به قصة الصحابي الذي قال في الرفع من الركوع ربنا ولك الحمد حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا فيه وأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أقرّ ذلك ويقولون أن ابن حجر يدعم هذا الرأي وأنّه وصف ابن تيمية بأنه عبد يقود الآخرين إلى الضلال ، هل من تعليق ؟

الجواب:

الجواب :
الحمد لله


أولا : كيف يمكن أن تكون هناك بدعة حسنة وقد قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : " كلّ بدعة ضلالة وكلّ ضلالة في النّار " رواه النسائي 1560
فإذا قال قائل بعد ذلك إنّ هناك بدعة حسنة فماذا يمكن أن يكون إلا معاندا للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم .
ثانياً : أنّ الحمد بعد الرّفع من الركوع ذكر معروف ثابت عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلّم وغاية ما فعله ذلك الصحابي أنّه أتى بصيغة من صيغ الحمد فكيف يمكن أن يُستدلّ به على اختراع عبادات وأذكار لا أصل لها في الشّرع .
ثالثاً : أنّ فعل ذلك الصّحابي ليس حجّة بنفسه وأنّه لم يعتبر عملا صحيحا إلا بعد إقرار النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وليس قبل ذلك ، وأنّى لهذا المبتدع الحصول على إقراره صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد وفاته .
رابعا : أننا لو سلمنا بصحة ما استدلّ به ذلك المحتجّ فإنه لا يعدو أن يكون واقعة عين لا عموم لها وأما دلالة حديث كلّ بدعة ضلالة فصريح في العموم قطعاً ومن المعلوم عند العلماء أنّ المنطوق مقدّم على المفهوم .
خامسا : كيف يمكننا معرفة الحُسْن من عدمه بعقولنا المجرّدة دون وحي . أوليس احتمال الاختلاف واردا فما يراه هذا حسنا لا يراه الآخر كذلك فما هو المقياس إذاً ؟ وعلى عقل من نعوّل وإلى عقل من نحتكم ؟ أليس هذا هو الاضطراب وعين الفوضى؟
سادسا : ( وهو تأكيد للوجه الثالث ) أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أقرّ صحابيا على عبادة فعلها أو ذكر قاله ونحو ذلك فإنّه يكون مشروعا بإقرار النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ويكون حينئذ سنّة حسنة ، وأمّا بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وبعد انقطاع الوحي فكيف نعرف أنّ هذا الذّكر أو العبادة المستحسنة التي اخترعها فلان من الناس هي صحيحة وأنّ الشارع يقرّها ؟ هذا غير ممكن وبالتالي لم يعد أمامنا الآن في مسائل العبادات إلاّ الاقتصار على ما ورد في الشّرع لا غير .
أما العلامة الحافظ ابن حجر رحمه الله فقد نقل عن شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية نقولا متعددة في فتح الباري وأقرّ بعضها واعترض على بعضها وهذا من شأن العلماء فهم يتحاورون ويناقش بعضهم كلام بعض بغية الوصول إلى الحقّ والصواب وقد يكون الحقّ مع المعتَرِض وقد يكون مع المُعتَرَض عليه ، أما تلك العبارة السيئة التي نقلت في السؤال فإنّ علمنا بأدب ابن حجر رحمه الله وورعه ومعرفته لقيمة العلم والعلماء يجعلنا نجزم ببطلان تلك العبارة والله يغفر للجميع ويأجرهم على اجتهادهم وعنايتهم .



الإسلام سؤال وجواب
الشيخ محمد صالح المنجد

Question:
Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem,
As salaamu 'alaykum,
I have read a number of refutations written by the ash'areeyah/soofiyah regarding the concept "bid'ah hasanah" - they justify this concept by the narration in Bukhaaree's saheeh when the sahabi said "Rabbanaa lakal hamd hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fih" when coming out of rukoo' and rasulullah ( ) approved. They say Ibn Hajr was of this opinion and supported this view. Also they quote Ibn Hajr as condemning Ibn Taymiyyah as "a slave who is leading others astray." Any comments on this?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon his truthful Prophet.

Firstly, how can there be any such thing as bid’ah hasanah (“good innovation”) when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every bid’ah is a going astray and every going astray is in Hell-fire”. So, if anyone says that there is such a thing as bid’ah hasanah, he can only be insisting on going against the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Secondly, saying “al-hamdu Lillaah… (praise be to Allaah…) when coming out of rukoo’ is a well-known phrase of dhikr which is proven in sound ahaadeeth reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). All that this Sahaabi did was to come up with a new phrase expressing praise to Allaah. How can this be used as evidence to support innovations in worship and dhikr that have no basis in the sources of Islam?

Thirdly, what this Sahaabi did cannot be taken as evidence in and of itself. It was not even considered to have been a correct action until after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had approved it, and not before. But how on earth could this innovator obtain the approval of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after he has passed away?"

Fourthly, if we accept the use of this report as evidence, it is still no more than an isolated incident which cannot be generalized, whereas the hadeeth “every bid’ah is a going astray” is clearly a general statement. It is a well-known principle among the ‘ulamaa’ (scholars) that what is stated clearly takes precedence over what is merely implied.

Fifthly, how can we know what is good or not with our limited minds alone and without the input of Revelation? Is there not the possibility of differences of opinion? What one person sees as good will be seen differently by another, so what would the standard be? Whose reasoning could we rely on or refer to? Would this not be confusion, even anarchy itself?

Sixthly (which confirms the third point made above), when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of an act of worship or a dhikr (remembrance of Allaah) on the part of one of his Sahaabah, it would thus become a part of sharee’ah and hence be regarded as a sunnah hasanah. But with the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the ceasing of Revelation, how can we know whether innovated acts of worship or dhikr are correct or would be approved? We have no way of knowing, so we should limit ourselves only to the forms of worship that have been narrated in sound reports.

The great scholar al-Haafiz ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated many comments by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Fath al-Baari; he agreed with some and disagreed with others. This is the business of the scholars: they discuss and debate with one another, with the aim of reaching the truth – which may lie with the one who is disagreeing or with the one whose opinion is being criticized. As for the unpleasant comment quoted in the question, from what we know of Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) and his good manners, fear of Allaah, awareness of the value of knowledge and respect for the scholars, we are sure that this comment is a fabrication. May Allaah forgive all the scholars and reward them for their efforts and concern.



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

البدعة الحسنة

سؤال:
السؤال :
أريد أن أعرف ما هي البدعة ؟ كثير من الناس اسمعهم يطلقون على أمور متعددة أنها بدعة وهذا مما سبب تشويشاً عندي . ثم أليس هنالك حديث يفيد أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قد قال : بأن كل من يقدم أمراً جديداً مفيداً يُثاب ؟ إذا كان ذلك كذلك فلماذا تعتبر البدع كلها مذمومة ؟ .

الجواب:
الجواب:
الحمد لله
أولا : ينبغي معرفة معنى البدعة شرعا
وتعريفها : هي طريقة مخترعة في الدّين يُقصد بها التعبّد والتقرب إلى الله تعالى .
وهذا يعني أنّه لم يرد بها الشّرع ولا دليل عليه من الكتاب أو السنة ولا كانت على
عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه ، وواضح من التعريف أيضا أنّ المخترعات الدنيوية لا تدخل في مفهوم البدعة المذمومة شرعا .
وأمّا بالنسبة لاستشكالك أيها السائل فإن كنت تقصد بالتعارض حديث أبي هريرة وحديث جرير بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما فتعال بنا نتعرّف على نصّهما ومعناهما :
عن جرير بن عبد الله البجلي رضي الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةَ خَيْرٍ فَاتُّبِعَ عَلَيْهَا فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ وَمِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ اتَّبَعَهُ غَيْرَ مَنْقُوصٍ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةَ شَرٍّ فَاتُّبِعَ عَلَيْهَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهُ وَمِثْلُ أَوْزَارِ مَنْ اتَّبَعَهُ غَيْرَ مَنْقُوصٍ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْئًا . " رواه الترمذي رقم 2675 وقال هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
وهذا الحديث له مناسبة وقصة توضّحه وتبيّن المراد من قوله من سنّ سنّة خير وهذه القصة هي ما جاء في صحيح الإمام مسلم عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ راوي الحديث نفسه قَالَ جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْ الأَعْرَابِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ الصُّوفُ فَرَأَى سُوءَ حَالِهِمْ قَدْ أَصَابَتْهُمْ حَاجَةٌ فَحَثَّ النَّاسَ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَبْطَئُوا عَنْهُ حَتَّى رُئِيَ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَجُلا مِنْ الأَنْصَارِ جَاءَ بِصُرَّةٍ مِنْ وَرِقٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ ثُمَّ تَتَابَعُوا حَتَّى عُرِفَ السُّرُورُ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا وَلا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلامِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ وِزْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا وَلا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْءٌ ." رواه مسلم رقم 1017
ومزيد من التوضيح في رواية النسائي عن جرير بن عبد الله رضي الله عنه قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي صَدْرِ النَّهَارِ فَجَاءَ قَوْمٌ عُرَاةً حُفَاةً مُتَقَلِّدِي السُّيُوفِ عَامَّتُهُمْ مِنْ مُضَرَ بَلْ كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ مُضَرَ فَتَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمَا رَأَى بِهِمْ مِنْ الْفَاقَةِ فَدَخَلَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَأَمَرَ بِلالا فَأَذَّنَ فَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ خَطَبَ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا وَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ مِنْ ثَوْبِهِ مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِهِ حَتَّى قَالَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الأَنْصَارِ بِصُرَّةٍ كَادَتْ كَفُّهُ تَعْجِزُ عَنْهَا بَلْ قَدْ عَجَزَتْ ثُمَّ تَتَابَعَ النَّاسُ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ كَوْمَيْنِ مِنْ طَعَامٍ وَثِيَابٍ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ وَجْهَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَهَلَّلُ كَأَنَّهُ مُذْهَبَةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَأَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلامِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً فَعَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهَا وَوِزْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْئًا . " رواه النسائي في المجتبى : كتاب الزكاة باب التحريض على الصّدقة
فيتبين من خلال القصة والمناسبة أنّ معنى قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم " من سنّ في الإسلام سنّة حسنة " أي : من أحيا سنّة من سنن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أو دلّ عليها أو أمر بها أو عمل بها ليقتدي به من يراه أو يسمع عنه ، ويدلّ على ذلك أيضا حديث أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَحَثَّ عَلَيْهِ ( أي حثّ على التصدّق عليه ) فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ عِنْدِي كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَمَا بَقِيَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ رَجُلٌ إِلاّ تَصَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِ بِمَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ اسْتَنَّ خَيْرًا فَاسْتُنَّ بِهِ كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرُهُ كَامِلاً وَمِنْ أُجُورِ مَنْ اسْتَنَّ بِهِ وَلا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ اسْتَنَّ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً فَاسْتُنَّ بِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهُ كَامِلا وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِي اسْتَنَّ بِهِ وَلا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْئًا . رواه ابن ماجة في سننه رقم 204
فيتبيّن من خلال ما سبق بما لا يدع مجالا للشكّ أنّه لا يمكن أن يكون مراد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تجويز الابتداع في الدّين أو فتح الباب لما يسمّيه بعض الناس بالبدعة الحسنة وذلك لما يلي:
1- أنّ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يكرر مرارا وتكرارا أنّ : " كلّ محدثة بدعة وكلّ بدعة ضلالة وكل ضلالة في النار " . رواه النسائي في سننه : صلاة العيدين : باب كيف الخطبة والشاهد من هذا الحديث مروي من طريق جابر رضي الله عنه عند أحمد ومن طريق العرباض بن سارية عند أبي داود ومن طريق ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه عند ابن ماجة .
وكان صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول إِذَا خَطَبَ : أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَيْرُ الْهُدَى هُدَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَشَرُّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلالَةٌ .. " رواه مسلم رقم 867
فإذا كانت كلّ بدعة ضلالة فكيف بقال بعد ذلك أنّ هناك في الإسلام بدعة حسنة . هذا لعمر الله صريح المناقضة لما قرّره النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وحذّر منه .
2- أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قد أخبر أنّ من ابتدع في الدّين بدعة محدثة فإنّ عمله حابط مردود عليه لا يقبله الله كما جاء ذلك في حديث عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ . " رواه البخاري فتح رقم 2697 فكيف يجوز بعد ذلك أن يقول شخص بجواز البدعة والعمل بها .
3- أنّ المبتدع الذي يضيف إلى الدّين ما ليس منه يلزم من فعله هذا عدة مساوئ كلّ واحد منها أسوأ من الآخر ومنها :
- اتهام الدّين بالنقص وأنّ الله لم يكمله وأن فيه مجالا للزيادة وهذا مصادم لقوله تعالى : ( اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام دينا ) .
- أنّ الدّين بقي ناقصا من أيام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى جاء هذا المبتدع ليكمله من عنده .
- أنّه يلزم من إقرار البدعة اتهام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بأحد أمرين : إما أن يكون جاهلا بهذه البدعة الحسنة !! أو أنه قد علمها وكتمها وغشّ الأمة فلم يبلّغها .
- أنّ أجر هذه البدعة الحسنة قد فات النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه والسلف الصالح حتى جاء هذا المبتدع ليكسبه ، مع أنّه كان ينبغي عليه أن يقول في نفسه " لو كان خيرا لسبقونا إليه".
- أنّ فتح باب البدعة الحسنة سيؤدي إلى تغيير الدّين وفتح الباب للهوى والرأي ، لأنّ كلّ مبتدع يقول بلسان حاله إنّ ما جئتكم به أمر حسن ، فبرأي من نأخذ وبأيهم نقتدي؟
- إن العمل بالبدع يؤدي إلى إلغاء السنن وقول السّلف الذي يشهد به الواقع : ما أحييت بدعة إلا وأميتت سنّة . والعكس صحيح .
نسأل الله أن يجنبنا مضلات الهوى والفتن ما ظهر منها وما بطن والله تعالى أعلم .

الصلاة النارية

سؤال:
"اللهم صلي صلاةً كاملة وسلم سلاما تاما على سيدنا محمد الذي (الذي كما ينطق بها بعضهم) تنحل به العقد، وتتفرج به الكرب، وتقضى به الحوائج ، وتنال به الرغائب، وحسن الخواتيم ويستسقى الغمام بوجهه الكريم وعلى آله وصحبه في كل لمحة ونفس"
ما ورد أعلاه يسمى بالصلاة النارية في الهند وتقرأ 4444 مرة إذا وقعت فاجعة أو كارثة في إحدى البيوت حيث يؤتى بالعديد من التلاميذ ورئيس المدرسة .
1- ما هو معنى الكلمات الواردة أعلاه ؟
2- يقول الناس بأنه إذا كانت الكلمات لا تحتوي على شرك، فلا مانع من الاستمرار في قراءتها لأنها ليست ضارة فهي نوع من أنواع الذكر وأنها تذكرهم بالله وأننا نقوم بنوع من الدعاء الاضافي ليقربنا من الله وليبعد عنا بعض المصائب.
3- ما هو الحكم في قراءة المولد، هل هناك أي ضرر من قراءته على نحو دوري من قبل تلاميذ المدرسة أو من إمام المسجد؟ .

الجواب:

الحمد لله
1. الكلمات الواردة في الصلاة المبتدعة واضحة ، ولا بأس من بيانها أكثر :

" تنحلُّ به العقد " : أي : يجد المخرج لما يواجهه من تعقيدات وأمور يصعب حلّها عليه .

وقد يراد به : يسكن به الغضب .

" تنفرج به الكُرب " : أي : يزول الغم والحزن من النفس .

" تقضى به الحوائج " : أي : يحصل ما يريده ويسعى قضائه .

" تنال به الرغائب وحسن الخواتيم " : أي : تتحقق أمنياته سواء ما في الدنيا أو ما في الآخرة ، ومنه : أن يختم له بخير .

" يستسقى الغمام بوجهه الكريم " : أي : يطلب منه دعاء الله تعالى بإنزال المطر .

والغمام : السحاب .

2. ما قاله لكم بعض الناس أن هذه الصلاة لا تحوي شركاً ، وأنه يجوز لكم الاستمرار بها .. إلخ : باطل وذلك لما احتوته تلك الصلاة المزعومة من مخالفات شرعيَّة واضحة منها :

أ. أنه جعلها تقال عند المصائب ، وهذا من اختراع الأسباب في إحداث العبادة .

ب. أنه جعل لها حدّاً ( 4444 ) مرة ! وهذا من اختراع الكم في إحداث العبادة .

ت. أنه جعل قراءتها جماعية ، وهذا من اختراع الكيف في إحداث العبادة .

ث. أن فيها عبارات مخالفة للشرع ، وشركاً وغلواً في النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ونسبة أفعال له لا يصح أن تنسب إلا لله عز وجل ، كقضاء الحوائج ، وحل العُقد ، ونيل الرغائب ، وحسن الخاتمة . وقد أمر الله نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقول : ( قل إني لا أملك لكم ضراً ولا رشداً ) ،

ج. أنه ترك ما جاء به الشرع ، وذهب ليخترع صلاة ودعاءً من عنده ، وفي هذا اتهام للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالتقصير في بيان ما يحتاجه الناس ، وفيه استدراك على الشرع .

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : "منْ أَحْدَثَ في أَمْرِنَا هذا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ" .

رواه البخاري ( 2550 ) ومسلم ( 1718 ) ، وفي رواية "مسلم" ( 1718 ) : "مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ".

قال ابن رجب الحنبلي رحمه الله : وهذا الحديث أصلٌ عظيمٌ مِن أصول الإسلام، وهو كالميزان للأعمال في ظاهرها، كما أنَّ حديث "الأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّات" ميزانٌ للأعمال في باطنها، فكما أنَّ كلَّ عملٍ لا يُراد به وجهُ الله تعالى ؛ فليس لعامله فيه ثوابٌ ، فكذلك كلُّ عملٍ لا يكون عليه أمر الله ورسوله؛ فهو مردودٌ على عامله، وكلُّ مَن أحدث في الدين ما لم يأذن به الله ورسوله فليس مِن الدين في شيءٍ.أ.ه "جامع العلوم والحكم" (1/180)

وقال النووي رحمه الله : وهذا الحديث قاعدةٌ عظيمةٌ مِن قواعد الإسلام ، وهو مِن جوامع كَلِمه صلى الله عليه وسلم ؛ فإنَّه صريحٌ في رد البدع والمخترعات، وفي الرواية الثانية زيادة وهي: أنَّه قد يعاند بعض الفاعلين في بدعةٍ سُبق إليها، فإذا احتُج عليه بالرواية الأولى - أي: " مَن أحدث " - يقول: أنا ما أحدثتُ شيئاً، فيُحتج عليه بالثانية - أي : "مَن عمل "- التي فيها التصريح بردِّ كلِّ المحدثات، سواء أحدثها الفاعل، أو سُبق بإحداثها... وهذا الحديث مما ينبغي حفظه، واستعماله في إبطال المنكرات، وإشاعة الاستدلال به.

"شرح مسلم" (12/16).

3. أما بالنسبة للمولد : فإن عمله بدعة ، ولو كان خيراً لسبقنا أكثر الناس حبّاً للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهم الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ، وما يُقرأ فيه فأكثره ضعيف أو موضوع على سيرة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وفيه غلوٌّ بنبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وهذه أقوال العلماء :

أ. سئل شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله عمن يعمل كل سنة ختمة في ليلة مولد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم هل ذلك مستحب أم لا ؟

فأجاب :

الحمد لله ، جمع الناس للطعام في العيدين وأيام التشريق سنة ، وهو من شعائر الإسلام التي سنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم للمسلمين وإعانة الفقراء بالإطعام في شهر رمضان هو من سنن الإسلام ، فقد قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : " من فطَّر صائما فله مثل أجره " ، وإعطاء فقراء القراء ما يستعينون به على القرآن عمل صالح في كل وقت ، ومن أعانهم على ذلك كان شريكهم في الأجر " .

وأما اتخاذ موسم غير المواسم الشرعية كبعض ليالي شهر ربيع الأول التي يقال إنها ليلة المولد ، أو بعض ليالي رجب ، أو ثامن عشر ذي الحجة ، أو أول جمعة من رجب ، أو ثامن شوال الذي يسميه الجهال " عيد الأبرار " ، فإنها من البدع التي لم يستحبها السلف ولم يفعلوها والله سبحانه وتعالى أعلم .

" الفتاوى الكبرى " ( 4 / 415 ) .

ب. قال ابن الحاج :

وقد ارتكب بعضهم في هذا الزمان ضد هذا المعنى وهو أنه إذا دخل هذا الشهر الشريف - أي : ربيع الأول - تسارعوا فيه إلى اللهو واللعب بالدف والشبابة وغيرهما كما تقدم .

فمن كان باكيا فليبك على نفسه وعلى الإسلام وغربته وغربة أهله والعاملين بالسنة .

ويا ليتهم لو عملوا المغاني ليس إلا بل يزعم بعضهم أنه يتأدب فيبدأ المولد بقراءة الكتاب العزيز وينظرون إلى من هو أكثر معرفة بالهنوك والطرق المهيجة لطرب النفوس فيقرأ عشرا ، وهذا فيه من المفاسد وجوه :

منها : ما يفعله القارئ في قراءته على تلك الهيئة المذمومة شرعاً والترجيع كترجيع الغناء ، وقد تقدم بيان ذلك .

الثاني : أن فيه قلة أدب وقلة احترام لكتاب الله عز وجل .

الثالث : أنهم يقطِّعون قراءة كتاب الله تعالى ويقبلون على شهوات نفوسهم من سماع اللهو بضرب الطار والشبابة والغناء والتكسير الذي يفعله المغني وغير ذلك .

الرابع : أنهم يظهرون غير ما في بواطنهم وذلك بعينه صفة النفاق وهو أن يظهر المرء من نفسه شيئا وهو يريد غيره اللهم إلا فيما استثني شرعاً ؛ وذلك أنهم يبتدئون القراءة وقصد بعضهم وتعلق خواطرهم بالمغاني .

الخامس : أن بعضهم يقلل من القراءة لقوة الباعث على لهوه بما بعدها وقد تقدم .

السادس : أن بعض السامعين إذا طول القارئ القراءة يتقلقلون منه لكونه طول عليهم ولم يسكت حتى يشتغلوا بما يحبونه من اللهو ، وهذا غير مقتضى ما وصف الله تعالى به أهل الخشية من أهل الإيمان لأنهم يحبون سماع كلام مولاهم لقوله تعالى في مدحهم { وإذا سمعوا ما أنزل إلى الرسول ترى أعينهم تفيض من الدمع مما عرفوا من الحق يقولون ربنا آمنا فاكتبنا مع الشاهدين } فوصف الله تعالى من سمع كلامه بما ذكر وبعض هؤلاء يستعملون الضد من ذلك فإذا سمعوا كلام ربهم عز وجل قاموا بعده إلى الرقص والفرح والسرور والطرب بما لا ينبغي فإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون على عدم الاستحياء من عمل الذنوب يعملون أعمال الشيطان ويطلبون الأجر من رب العالمين ، ويزعمون أنهم في تعبد وخير ويا ليت ذلك لو كان يفعله سفلة الناس ولكن قد عمت البلوى فتجد بعض من ينسب إلى شيء من العلم أو العمل يفعله وكذلك بعض من ينسب إلى المشيخة أعني في تربية المريدين وكل هؤلاء داخلون فيما ذكر .

ثم العجب كيف خفيت عليهم هذه المكيدة الشيطانية والدسيسة من اللعين ، ألا ترى أن شارب الخمر إذا شربه أول ما تدب فيه الخمرة يحرك رأسه ساعة بعد ساعة فإذا قويت عليه ذهب حياؤه ووقاره لمن حضره وانكشف ما كان يريد ستره عن جلسائه .

فانظر رحمنا الله وإياك إلى هذا المغني إذا غنى تجد من له الهيبة والوقار وحسن الهيئة والسمت ويقتدي به أهل الإشارات والعبارات والعلوم والخيرات يسكت له وينصت فإذا دب معه الطرب قليلا حرك رأسه كما يفعله أهل الخمرة سواء بسواء كما تقدم ، ثم إذا تمكن الطرب منه ذهب حياؤه ووقاره كما سبق في الخمرة سواء بسواء فيقوم ويرقص ويعيط وينادي ويبكي ويتباكى ويتخشع ويدخل ويخرج ويبسط يديه ويرفع رأسه نحو السماء كأنه جاءه المدد منها ويخرج الرغوة أي الزبد من فيه وربما مزق بعض ثيابه وعبث بلحيته .

وهذا منكر بيِّن ؛ لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن إضاعة المال ولا شك أن تمزيق الثياب من ذلك هذا وجه .

الثاني : أنه في الظاهر خرج عن حد العقلاء إذ أنه صدر منه ما يصدر من المجانين في غالب أحوالهم .

" المدخل " ( 2 / 5 -7 ) .

ج. قالت اللجنة الدائمة :

إقامة احتفال بمناسبة مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يجوز لكونه بدعة محدثة لم يفعلها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا خلفاؤه الراشدون ، ولا غيرهم من العلماء في القرون الثلاثة المفضلة .

" فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة " ( 3 / 2 ) .

د. سئل الشيخ ابن باز : هل يحل للمسلمين أن يحتفلوا في المسجد ليتذكروا السيرة النبوية الشريفة في ليلة 12 ربيع الأول بمناسبة المولد النبوي الشريف بدون أن يعطلوا نهاره كالعيد؟ واختلفنا فيه ، قيل : بدعة حسنة ، وقيل : بدعة غير حسنة ؟

فأجاب :

ليس للمسلمين أن يقيموا احتفالا بمولد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في ليلة 12 من ربيع الأول ولا في غيرها ، كما أنه ليس لهم أن يقيموا أي احتفال بمولد غيره عليه الصلاة والسلام؛ لأن الاحتفال بالموالد من البدع المحدثة في الدين؛ لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يحتفل بمولده في حياته صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو المبلغ للدين والمشرع للشرائع عن ربه سبحانه وتعالى ولا أمر بذلك ولم يفعله خلفاؤه الراشدون ولا أصحابه جميعا ولا التابعون لهم بإحسان في القرون المفضلة ، فعلم أنه بدعة ، وقد قال صلى الله عليه وسلم : " من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد " متفق على صحته ، وفي رواية مسلم - وعلقها البخاري جازما بها - : " من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد " .

والاحتفال بالموالد ليس عليه أمره صلى الله عليه وسلم بل هو مما أحدثه الناس في دينه في القرون المتأخرة فيكون مردودا ، وكان عليه الصلاة والسلام يقول في خطبته يوم الجمعة : " أما بعد فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدي هدي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالة " رواه مسلم في صحيحه ، وأخرجه النسائي بإسناد جيد وزاد : " وكل ضلالة في النار " .

ويغني عن الاحتفال بمولده صلى الله عليه وسلم تدريس سيرته عليه الصلاة والسلام وتاريخ حياته في الجاهلية والإسلام في المدارس والمساجد وغير ذلك ، ويدخل في ذلك بيان ما يتعلق بمولده صلى الله عليه وسلم وتاريخ وفاته من غير حاجة إلى إحداث احتفال لم يشرعه الله ولا رسوله ولم يقم عليه دليل شرعي . .

والله المستعان ونسأل الله تعالى لجميع المسلمين الهداية والتوفيق للاكتفاء بالسنة والحذر من البدعة . " فتاوى الشيخ ابن باز " ( 4 / 289 ) .

والله أعلم.

Bid'ah Hasanah ("Good Innovations")

Question:
As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatu

I have a question in the area of what is and isn't Bidaa. Over and over again I hear people terming certain actions as Bidaa. I am however confused. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't there a hadith by Prophet Muhammed (SAW) that says that anyone who introduces a new helpful hadith will be rewarded. If this is true, then why are all new inovations frowned upon. Jazak Allah Khul Khayer.


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly, we should know what "bid'ah" means according to Islamic teaching.

It is defined as: any invented way in religion that is aimed at worshipping or drawing closer to Allaah. This means anything that is not referred to specifically in Sharee'ah, and for which there is no evidence (daleel) in the Qur'aan or Sunnah, and which was not known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his Companions. At the same time, it is quite obvious that this definition of religious inventions or innovations, which are condemned, does not include worldly inventions [such as cars and washing machines, etc. - Translator].

If your confusion has to do with an apparent contradiction between the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah and the hadeeth narrated by Jareer ibn 'Abdullaah, then let us examine these two reports and find out what they mean:

Jareer ibn 'Abdullaah al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Whoever starts a good thing and is followed by others, will have his own reward and a reward equal to that of those who follow him, without it detracting from their reward in any way. Whoever starts a bad thing and is followed by others, will bear the burden of his own sin and a burden equal to that of those who follow him, without it detracting from their burden in any way.'" (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2675. He said, This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth)

There is a story behind this hadeeth, which will explain what "whoever starts a good thing" means. Imaam Muslim reported this story from Jareer ibn 'Abdullaah, who also narrated the hadeeth itself. He said: "Some people from the Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), wearing woollen garments. He saw that they were in bad shape and in desperate need, so he urged the people to give them charity. They people were very slow to respond, and it could be seen in his face (that he was upset). Then a man of the Ansaar brought a package of silver, then another came, and another and another, and his face was filled with joy. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Whoever starts a good thing in Islam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a reward like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their reward. Whoever starts a bad thing in Islam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a burden of sin like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden.'" (Reported by Muslim, no. 1017)

Further explanation may be found in a report recorded by al-Nisaa'i, also from Jareer ibn 'Abdullah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) early one day, when some people who were almost naked (not dressed properly) and barefoot, with their swords by their sides, came to him. Most, if not all of them, were of (the tribe of) Mudar. The Messenger's face changed when he saw how poor they were (i.e., he became upset). He went into (his house), then he came out and ordered Bilaal to give the call to prayer. He led the people in prayer, then he addressed them, saying: 'O people, "be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both he created many men and women, and fear Allaah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship)" [al-Nisaa' 4:1].

"Fear Allaah, and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow…" [al-Hashr 59:18].

Let a man give charity from his dinars, his dirhams, his clothing, his wheat or his dates - even if it is only half a date.' A man from the Ansaar brought a package which he could hardly carry in his hand, then another and another came, until there were two piles, of food and clothing, and I saw the face of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) beaming with joy. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Whoever starts a good thing in Islam will have his own reward and a reward equal to that of those who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward, and whoever starts a bad thing in Islam will have to bear the burden of his own sin and a burden equal to that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden. (Reported by al-Nisaa'i in al-Mujtaba: Kitaab al-Zakaat, Bab al-Tahreed 'ala al-Sadaqah).

From the context of the story, it is clear that what is meant by the words "whoever starts a good thing (sunnah hasanah) in Islam" means: Whoever revives a part of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or teaches it to others, or commands others to follow it, or acts according to it so that others see him or hear about it and follow his example. This is also indicated by the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he urged the people to give him charity. A man said: 'I have such-and-such,' and there was no person left in the gathering who did not give something in charity to him, whether it was a large amount or a little. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Whoever starts something good, and others follow his lead, will have a complete reward and a reward like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their reward. Whoever starts something bad, and others follow his lead, will bear a complete burden of sin, and a burden like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden. (Reported by Ibn Maaajah in al-Sunan, no. 204)

It should be clear from the above, with no room for doubt, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not allowing innovation in matters of deen (religion), nor was he opening the door to what some people call "bid'ah hasanah," for the following reasons:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated repeatedly that: "Every newly-invented thing is a bid'ah (innovation), every bid'ah is a going astray, and every going astray will be in the Fire." (Reported by al-Nisaa'i in al-Sunan, Salaat al-'Eedayn, Baab kayfa al-Khutbah). Reports with the same meaning were narrated via Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) by Ahmad, via al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah by Abu Dawud and via Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) by Ibn Maajah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when beginning a khutbah (sermon): "… The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray…" (reported by Muslim, no. 867)

If every bid'ah is a going astray, how can some people then say that there is such a thing in Islam as "bid'ah hasanah"? By Allaah, this is an obvious contradiction of the statement and warning of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that whoever innovates something new in the deen (religion) will have his deed rejected, and Allaah will not accept it, as is stated in the hadeeth narrated by 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Baari, no. 2697). How can anybody then say that bid'ah is acceptable and it is permitted to follow it?


When a person innovates something and adds to the deen something that does not belong to it, he is implying a number of bad things, each worse than the last, for example:
That the religion is lacking, that Allaah did not complete and perfect it, and that there is room for improvement. This clearly contradicts the statement in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "… This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…" [al-Maa'idah 5:3]

That the religion remained imperfect from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until the time when this innovator came along and completed it with his own ideas.

That the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was "guilty" of either of two things: either he was ignorant of this "good innovation," or he knew about it but concealed it, thus letting his ummah down by not conveying it.

That the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), his Companions and the righteous salaf (early generations) missed out on the reward of this "good innovation" - until this innovator came along and earned it for himself, despite the fact that he should say to himself, "If it was truly good, they would have been the first to do it."

Opening the door to bid'ah leads to changing the deen (religion) and opens the way for personal whims and opinions, because every innovator implies that what he is introducing is something good, so whose opinion are we supposed to follow, and which of them should we take as a leader?

Following bid'ah leads to the cancelling out of sunnah practices and the ways of the salaf. Real life bears witness that whenever a bid'ah is followed, a sunnah practice dies out; the reverse is also true.
We ask Allaah to save us from the misguidance of personal whims and from all trials whether they are open or secret. And Allaah knows best.




Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Question:
“Allahumma salli salaatan kaamilatan wasallim salaaman taamman ‘ala sayyidina muhammadin alladhi(allathi in some prose) tan’hil bihi il uq’ad· watatafarrij bih il karb· wataq’dhi bih il hawaa’ij· wa tanaal bih ir raghaa’ib· wa hasan al khawaayitam wa yastasq il ghamaam bi wajhih il kareem wa ‘ala ‘aalihi wa sah’bihi fee kulli lamhatin wa nafs”
The above recitation is called salaat un naaria in india and recited 4444 times whenever a calamity falls in a house by bringing many students and the chief of a madhrasaa.
1. What is the meaning of the above words and is there any shirk in the wordings?
2. People say if there is no shirk we can continue reciting because it is not harmful because it is a type of dhikr and it reminds them of allah and that we are doing some kind of additional dhikr to bring us closer to allah and to removesome museebath.
3. What is the ruling on maulid recitation· is there any harm in reciting it periodically by calling some students of madhrasaa or imam of masjid.

Answer:

[The translation of these words is as follows:

“O Allaah, send perfect blessings and complete peace upon our master Muhammad by virtue of whom [as some of them say] all obstacles are removed, distress is relieved, needs are met, desires are fulfilled and a good end may be achieved and by virtue of whose noble face clouds may be sent, and [send blessings and peace] upon his family and companions with every breath and glance.”]

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1. The words of this innovated prayer are clear enough, but there is nothing wrong with explaining them further.

“obstacles are removed” means, a way out is found from whatever obstacles and difficult matters one is faced with.

The phrase may also mean “by virtue of whom anger is calmed.”

“distress is relieved” means anxiety and grief are taken away.

“needs are met” means one gets what one is trying to achieve.

“desires are fulfilled and a good end may be achieved” means his wishes are fulfilled whether that is in this world or in the Hereafter, one of which is that one meets a good end.

“by virtue of whose noble face clouds may be sent” means that he is asked to pray to Allaah to send rain.

2. What some people have told you – that this prayer does not involve shirk and that it is permissible for you to continue to recite it – is wrong. This so-called prayer includes things which clearly go against Islam, such as the following:

(i) It is supposed to be said at times of calamity. This is a contrived reason for an innovated act of worship.

(ii) It is supposed to be recited a set number of times, 4444 times. This is a contrived amount for an innovated act of worship.

(iii) It is supposed to be recited in a communal fashion. This is a contrived method for an innovated act of worship

(iv) It contains phrases which go against Islam, which constitute shirk and which are an exaggeration about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It attributes to him actions which cannot be attributed to anyone other than Allaah, such as meeting people’s needs, relieving distress, fulfilling their desires and granting a good end. Allaah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path’”

[al-Jinn 72:21 – interpretation of the meaning]

(v) It ignores what is taught in the sharee’ah, and makes up a contrived prayer and supplication. This implies that one is accusing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) of failing to explain everything that the people need, and that one is trying to fill gaps in the sharee’ah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not a part of it, will have it rejected”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2550; Muslim, 1718).

According to a report narrated by Muslim (1718), he said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.”

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “This hadeeth represents one of the most important basic principles of Islam. It is like a yardstick for measuring the outward appearance of actions, just as the hadeeth ‘Actions are but by intentions’ is a yardstick for measuring the inward nature of actions. Just as actions which are not done for the sake of Allaah bring no reward to the one who does them, so too actions which are not done in accordance with the command of Allaah and His Messenger are rejected and thrown back at the one who does them. Everyone who innovates something in the religion for which Allaah and His Messenger have not granted permission, that action has nothing to do with the religion.”(Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, 1/180)

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “This hadeeth is one of the most important basic principles of Islam and is one of the most comprehensive sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is a clear rejection of bid’ah and innovations. The second report adds a further idea, which is that some people may persist in doing some innovated action (bid’ah) for which there is a precedent, and when the first report – ‘Whoever innovates anything…’ – is quoted as proof, such a person may say, ‘But I did not innovate anything. Then the second report – ‘Whoever does any action…’ – may be quoted, which clearly states that all innovated actions are rejected, whether the one who does them invented them or they were previously invented. This hadeeth is one of those which should be memorized and used in denouncing evil actions, and it should be propagated widely.”(Sharh Muslim, 12/16)

3. With regard to celebrating the Mawlid (birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), doing this is bid’ah. If it was good, those who love the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) more than we do would have done it before us, i.e., the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them. Most of what is recited on this occasion are weak or fabricated reports of the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it involves exaggeration about our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There follow the comments of the scholars:

(a) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the one who completes the reading of the Qur’aan each year on the night of the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – is that mustahabb or not?

He replied:

“Praise be to Allaah. For the people to come together to eat on the two Eids and the days of Tashreeq is Sunnah. This is one of the symbols of Islam which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out for the Muslims. Helping the poor by giving them food during Ramadaan is also one of the ways of Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever gives a fasting person food to break his fast will have a reward like his.’ Giving poor Qur’aan-readers that which will help them to devote their time to the Qur’aan is a righteous deed at any time, and whoever helps them in this manner will have a share in the reward.

But taking as special occasions days which are not prescribed in Islam – such as one of the nights of Rabee’ al-Awwal which is called Laylat al-Mawlid (the night of the Prophet’s birthday), or some of the nights of Rajab, or the eighteenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, or the first Friday of Rajab, or the eighth of Shawwaal, which the ignorant call ‘Eid al-Abraar (the Feast of the Righteous)’ – these are bid’ahs which the salaf did not regard as mustahabb and they did not do these things. And Allaah knows best.”(al-Fataawa al-Kubraa, 4/415)

(b) Ibn al-Haaj said:

“Some of them commit actions at this time which go against this meaning. When the month of Rabee’ al-Awwal begins, they hasten to indulge in idle entertainment, playing the daff (hand-drum) and reed flute, and other things as mentioned above.

Whoever wants to weep, let him weep for himself and for Islam, and how it and its people and those who follow the Sunnah have become alienated. If they simply wanted to sing songs and entertain themselves, I wish that they would limit themselves to that. But some of them try to follow proper etiquette, so they start the Mawlid with the recitation of Qur’aan. So they look for the one who can recite in the most melodious fashion and provoke enjoyment, and he reads ten aayahs. There are several things wrong with this:

(i) the way in which the reciter reads in this manner which is condemned in sharee’ah, with a quavering tone like that of a singer. This has been discussed above.

(ii) This involves a lack of proper respect towards the Book of Allaah.

(iii) They read Qur’aan briefly before turning to what they really desire, which is to listen to the entertainment of the tambourine and reed-flute, and the singing and quavering tones of the singers, etc.

(iv) They show outwardly something different from that which is in their hearts. This is the essence of hypocrisy, whereby a person makes an outward display of something when deep inside he really means something else – this is wrong except in cases specifically exempted by sharee’ah. They start with Qur’aan recitation when the thoughts of some of them are really focused on the singing.

(v) Some of them cut the recitation short, because they are thinking too much of the pleasure of that which comes after it, as mentioned above.

(vi) If the Qur’aan reading goes on for a long time, some of the audience begin to show signs of boredom, and they do not settle down until the entertainment they like begins. This is not what is meant by the description which Allaah gives of the humble believers, because they love to hear the words of the Lord, as He says in praise of them (interpretation of the meaning):

‘And when they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say: “Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses”’[al-Maa’idah 5:83]

This is how Allaah describes those who listen to His words. But some of these people do the opposite of that. After listening to the word of their Lord, they get up to dance and celebrate and enjoy themselves in unseemly ways. “Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return” [al-Baqarah 2:156 – interpretation of the meaning. This phrase is an expression of grief and sorrow] for the lack of shame for committing sins. They do the deeds of the Shaytaan and seek reward from the Lord of the Worlds, claiming that they are doing acts of worship and goodness. Would that only the lowest of people did that, but now this problem has become widespread and you see those who claim to have some knowledge and good deeds doing that, and even some of those who claim to be shaykhs, i.e., those who have followers. All of them are included in what is said above.

It is strange that they have been deceived by this trick of the accursed Shaytaan. Do you not see that a wine-drinker, when the wine first starts to take effect, he begins to move his head non-stop. When the effect becomes stronger, he loses his shame and dignity before those who are with him, and what he wants to conceal will be exposed to his companions. Look at this singer, may Allaah have mercy on you and us. When he starts to sing, you will see people who have dignity and respect, who appear decent and are followed by people of knowledge, falling silent when he starts to sing. Then they start to move their heads a little, exactly like wine-drinkers, as described above. Then when they really start to enjoy the entertainment, they lose their shyness and dignity, exactly like the wine-drinkers, so they get up and start to dance and shout and weep in a show of fake humility. They move in and out and raise their arms and heads towards the heavens as if receiving divine inspiration. They start to foam at the mouth and may even rend their garments and play with their beards.

This is obviously something to be denounced, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade wasting money, and rending one’s garments is obviously included in that.

Secondly, this obviously goes beyond the limits of common sense, because they act like crazy people most of the time.”(al-Madkhal, 2/5-7)

(c) The Standing Committee said:

“Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not permitted because it is an invented bid’ah (innovation) which was not done by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or by his rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa’ al-raashideen), or by the scholars of the best three generations [i.e., the first three generations of Islam].”

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 3/2)

(d) Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: is it permissible for the Muslims to hold celebrations in the mosque to commemorate the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the night of 12 Rabee’ al-Awwal, to celebrate the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), without taking that day off as an “Eid”? We are having some disputes concerning this. Some say that it is a bid’ah hasanah (“a good innovation”) and some say that it is not a good innovation.

He replied:

“The Muslims should not celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whether on the night of 12 Rabee’ al-Awwal or on any other date, just as they should not celebrate the birthday of anyone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because celebrating birthdays is an innovation which has been introduced into the religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not celebrate his birthday during his lifetime, and he is the one who conveyed the religion and laws from Allaah. He did not enjoin that, and it was not done by his rightly guided successors or by any of his Companions or those who followed them in goodness during the best three generations. So it is known to be an innovation, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not a part of it, will have it rejected’ (Saheeh – agreed upon). According to a report narrated by Muslim, which al-Bukhaari narrated in a mu’allaq majzoom report: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.”

Celebrating the Mawlid is not in accordance with the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), rather it is something which the people innovated and introduced into their religion during later centuries, so it is to be rejected. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his khutbah (sermon) on Fridays: ‘The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going-astray.’ This was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. It was also narrated by al-Nasaa’i with a jayyid isnaad, adding the words, ‘and every going-astray leads to Hell.’

Instead of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we should study his seerah (biography) and the history of his life during the jaahiliyyah and Islam, in schools, mosques and elsewhere. That includes describing the circumstances of his birth and death, with no need to innovate celebrations which are not prescribed by Allaah or His Messenger, and for which there is no evidence in sharee’ah.

Allaah is the Source of Strength. We ask Allaah to grant guidance and strength to all the Muslims and to help them to follow the Sunnah and avoid bid’ah.”

(Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 4/289)

And Allaah knows best.