| Manhaj - Methodology |
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Bid’ah
– Corrupting the Sunnah
We
are taught in the revelation that the Sunnah shall become corrupted and this
corruption would become the norm (custom), so much so that the people who
follow the Sunnah would become as strangers, and those who call to purifying
the sunnah would be slandered and reviled (hated).
The
Prophet (sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) said: "Islaam began as something
strange, and it shall return as something strange as it began. So (radhi
allahu anhu) give glad tidings to the strangers." It was asked, "who
are the strangers?" He replied, "Those that purify and correct what
the people have corrupted of my sunnah" [Tabaraanee
in al-Kabeer [6/202]
And
what is this corruption, it is none other than innovation, introducing into
the pure religion of Allaah, new ways of worshipping Him that He has not
taught, blemishing His religion with one’s own whims and desires, something
that Allaah Himself condemns:
"Or
do they have partners with Allah, who have instituted for them a religion
which Allah has not allowed.”
[Soorah Ash-Shura (42): 21]
The
Companion Abdullaah ibn Mas'ud (radhi allahu anhu) laments: “How will it be
when the trials overcome you, in which the young grow old and the old grow
senile. And the people take the Bid'ah as the sunnah, and when it changes they
say: the sunnah has changed. “It was said: When will this be? O Abu Abdur
Rahmaan!” He replied: When your speakers are many and your scholars are few,
and the wealthy ones are plenty and the trustworthy ones are few."
[ad-Daarimee]
How
true this statement is today, that the innovations have become so widespread
in the religion that the people have taken them to be the Sunnah. And when the
true scholar speaks out against these innovations, he is labelled as a
'wahhabi' by the people because to them it seems that he is changing the
sunnah. To Allah, we complain of the ignorance of our times!
So,
once this topic becomes clear, a truth that none can deny; that all these
innovations in the religions are a clear denial of the above mentioned verses
and ahaadeeth, for none were done by the Companions (radhi allahu anhu). And
in what has preceded is ample evidence for any fair-minded Muslim that all
Bid'ah is blameworthy, and in fact a major sin. But unfortunately, the Muslims
are in such a state today that the Words of Allaah and His Messenger
(sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) are no longer enough to convince them and certain
groups of people have come up with belief that has very frail grounds in the
Sunnah. For example, the belief of 'Bid'ah hasanah', i.e. a good Bid'ah,
meaning that a scholar can introduce a new action of worship in Islaam, which
can be considered to be good as long it does not contradict any of the
principles of Islaam. This belief is completely false and has no basis in the
Qur'aan neither in the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (sallallhu alahi
wa-sallam).
This
issue has been discussed in details, under the title “The Arguments of the
Misguided”
Shunning
the Bid’ah – Adherence to the Sunnah
The
cure for shunning these newly invented matters has been specified in the texts
of Qur'aan and the Sunnah: Allah has revealed the religion of Islam unto
Prophet Muhammad (sallallhu alahi wa-sallam), and made adherence to his way,
the cure to misguidance:
“Say…
'And Verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other)
paths, for they will separate you away from this Path.' [Soorah
An'am (6): 153]
Allah
also says in the Qur'aan: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah, you have an
excellent example to follow for him, who hopes in (the meeting with) Allaah
and the Last Day and remembers Allah much”
[ (33): 21]
Prophet
(sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) said: "I have left behind me two
things, if you cling to them you will never go astray. They are the Book of
Allaah and my Sunnah" [al-Haakim]
And
"…and you will live to see great difference, so cling to my sunnah
and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me, even if it be with your
teeth" [Bukhare]
Abdullaah
ibn Mas'ud (radhi allahu anhu) said: “Follow the sunnah of Muhammad
(sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) and do not innovate, for what you have been
commanded is enough for you." [Ad-Daarimee]
Hudhayfah
bin al-Yaman (radhi allahu anhu) said, "every act of worship that the
Companions did not do, do not do it" [Abu Dawood]
The
Taabi'ee, the Imaam, az-Zuhree commented, "Clinging to the sunnah is to
be saved” as Imaam Maalik (rahimahillah) said, 'like the Ark of Noah', he
who embarked upon it was saved, and he who did not was destroyed."
[Ad-Daarimee]
Abu
Aaliyah said, "Learn Islaam, then when you have learned Islaam, do not
turn away from it to the right or to the left. But be upon the Straight Path
and be upon the Sunnah of your Prophet (sallallahu alahi wa-sallam) and that
which his companions were upon…
And
beware of these innovations because they cause enmity and hatred amongst you,
but stick to the original state of affairs that was there before they
divided." [al-Hilya of Abu Nu'aym 2/218]
In
these narrations is clear evidence that the way of salvation and safety is to
closely follow the Sunnah of our Prophet (sallallhu alahi wa-sallam), and not
to deviate from his path, denying the guidance of others, not accepting a
corrupted form of the Sunnah.
Allaah
says: "And whosoever does not contends with the Messenger after
guidance has been made clear to him, and follows a way other than the way of
the believers, We shall leave in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell,
what an evil destination!” [Soorah
an-Nisa (4): 115]
