A Bid'at is that innovation which came into practice after the blessed age of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) be it worldly or religious. Some people say that to celebrate the Milad, Esaal-e-Sawaab for the deceased, making Fatiha after the Janazah Salaat, etc. to be Bid'at & in some cases as Haraam. They say these were not practised in the time of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).We will now list a few things, which were not during the blessed age of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but were innovated afterwards & made part & parcel of religion:
All the above-mentioned things are Bid'ats, which were not in the blessed age of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but are considered religious. Those who say that Moulood & Fatiha are Bid'ats because those religious affairs which were innovated after the blessed age of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) should have a look at the above list & show us which of these two things are not included in the religion & which was there in the blessed age?
The Hadees: "Whosoever invents a new thing in our religion is rejected" means that whoever innovates a new belief or whoever innovates a new action which is in contradiction with the Kitaab & Sunnah will be rejected.
The books "Shaami" & "Mirqaat" say that Bid'at is of five categories, viz. Ja'iz, Waajib, Mustahab, Makruh & Haraam.
We will have to omit many things which are known to be part & parcel of religion but were innovated after the blessed age of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) such as the Masaa'ils of Fiqh, the four Madhabs, viz. Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali; the Tariqas, viz. Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya, Chishtiyya, Soharwardiyya, Alawiyya, etc.; the denominations of the Sufiyya-e-Ikraam; the categorisation of the six Kalimahs, Imaan-e-Mujmal, Imaan-e-Mufassal; the division of the Holy Quran into 30 parts; the compilation of the knowledge of Hadees & the categorisation of Hadees, i.e. Sahih, Da'if, Hassan, Mu'addal, etc.; the construction of madressa & arrangement of their syllabuses; & to set a course for achieving the degree of Aalim & Qari & to present certificates on the completion of the course to the respective students, etc. will all be Haraam if we accept a statement that all Bid'ats are Haraam & there is nothing like Bid'at-e-Hasana. In fact, there is no act of Shari'ah or Tariqah, which is void of Bid'at. Then how much will you try to avoid such a Haraam (as you say) when it is surrounding your whole religious activity. So, therefore, all Bid'ats are not Haraam but only those, which contradict with the Kitaab & Sunnah.
Bid'at-e-Sai'iyya (offensive innovation): is that action which was not in practice in the blessed age of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & which contradicts with the Holy Quran & the Sunnah, for example to say the Khutba of Eid or Jum'a in a language other than Arabic, etc. Bid'at-e-Sai'iyya can be Makruh Tanzhi or Makruh Tahrimi or even Haraam.
Bid'at-e-Sai'iyya (offensive innovation): is that action which was not in practice in the blessed age of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & which contradicts with the Holy Quran & the Sunnah, for example to say the Khutba of Eid or Jum'a in a language other than Arabic, etc. Bid'at-e-Sai'iyya can be Makruh Tanzhi or Makruh Tahrimi or even Haraam.
Bid'at Mustahab (appreciable): is that act which is done with an anticipation for earning reward, for example to celebrate the Milad-un-Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) or to pray Fatiha for the souls of deceased Muslims, etc. If is is done with the intention of gaining rewards, he will gain reward for it, & if one does not do it, he will not be reprimanded for it.
Bid'at Waajib (essential): is that new action which has not been prohibited in the Shari'at but to omit it will lead to critical complications in the religion. For example, to put the expressions (I'raab) in the Holy Quran such as Fatha, Kasra & Dhumma, to constuct madressas for teaching the Holy Quran & Hadees & to learn & teach the knowledge of nahv (Arabic syntax), etc. are all Bid'at Wajib.
Bid'ah Haraam (prohibited): is that innovation which will lead to the annihilation of a Waajib. For example, the introductions of beliefs which are in contradiction with the Kitab & Sunnah, such as Qadriyya who believe, that man has got all the power to do whatever he wishes, etc.
The first volume of "Ashi'at-ul-Lam'aat" (Bab-ul-I'tisaam) says about Bid'at Hasana & Sai'iyya under the Hadees: "Every Bid'at is a delusion (misleading)" that any Bid'at which is in accordance with the principles, the canons of Islamic Law & the Sunnah & has been deduced analogically from the Quran or Sunnah (through Qiyas) is Bid'at-e-Hasana & that which is in contrasts to the above definition is Bid'at-e-Sai'iyya.
A Hadees in "Miskhat" under Bab-ul-I'lm says: "He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is reward for him for this (act of goodness) & a reward for him also who acts according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards & he who sets in Islam an evil precedent there is upon him the burden of that & the burden of him also who acts upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burdens." From this Hadees we see that to introduce a nice way in Islam which is in accordance with the Holy Quran & Sunnah will induce rewards & to do vice versa will provoke punishment.
In the preface of the book, "Shaami", under Faza'il Imam A'zam Abu Hanifa (alaihir rahmah), it is written: "The scholars say these Ahadees are the canons of Islam & that is whoever introduces a bad way in Islam, he will get the burden of the sins of all those who act upon it & whoever introduces a nice way he will get reward of all those who act upon it till the Day of Judgement".
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