Bid’ah in Islam: Between Innovation, Worship, and Tradition
Its Meaning, Classification, and Position in the Qur’an and Sunnah
A Study Based on the Qur’an, Sunnah, the Companions and the Classical Scholars
Introduction
The subject of Bidʿah (البدعة) is one of the most frequently discussed issues in Islamic scholarship. It is also one of the subjects about which Muslims sometimes disagree because the word bidʿah is used by scholars in more than one sense.
Some scholars use the word bidʿah specifically for a newly introduced religious practice that has no legitimate basis in the Qur’an, Sunnah or established principles of Islamic law. According to this definition, such bidʿah is blameworthy.
Other classical scholars use the word bidʿah in its broader linguistic sense, meaning something newly introduced after the time of the Prophet ﷺ. They then examine that new matter according to the principles of the Sharīʿah and classify it as obligatory, recommended, permissible, disliked or prohibited.
These two approaches should not be confused.
The important principle upon which Muslims must agree is that no person has the right to invent a new belief, obligation, prohibition or prescribed act of worship and attribute it to Allah without evidence.
At the same time, Islam does not prohibit every new method, institution, technology, organizational arrangement or means simply because it did not exist during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.
The purpose of this article is therefore to examine:
The linguistic meaning of bidʿah.
The Sharʿī meaning of bidʿah.
The Qur’anic foundations concerning the perfection of Islam.
The Prophetic warnings concerning innovation.
The meaning of “good Sunnah.”
The example of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه and Tarāwīḥ.
The example of ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه and the additional Jumuʿah adhān.
The fivefold classification of bidʿah.
The positions of classical scholars.
How the apparent differences between the scholars can be understood.
1. The Linguistic Meaning of Bidʿah
The Arabic word bidʿah (بدعة) comes from the root ب د ع, which carries the meaning of originating or bringing forth something without a previous example.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
“The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”
Qur’an 2:117
The word بَدِيع comes from the same linguistic root.
Therefore, linguistically, bidʿah refers to something newly introduced or without a previous example. This linguistic meaning by itself does not determine whether the new matter is lawful or unlawful.
The Sharīʿah ruling depends upon what the new matter actually is and whether it agrees with or contradicts Islamic principles.
2. Islam Is a Completed Religion
The first major Qur’anic principle relevant to this subject is that Allah perfected the religion.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ
“Today I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favor upon you, and approved Islam for you as your religion.”
Qur’an 5:3
This verse establishes a fundamental principle:
The religion itself does not require human beings to add new beliefs or acts of worship to complete it.
The Prophet ﷺ conveyed the revelation completely.Therefore, nobody can legitimately say: “The Prophet ﷺ did not teach this religious practice, but I have discovered another practice that should now become part of Islam.” That would contradict the principle of the perfection of the religion.
However, perfection of the religion does not mean that every future method of teaching, transportation, communication, administration or organization must already have existed in seventh-century Arabia.
The religion provides principles, commands, prohibitions and objectives. Muslims may develop lawful means of implementing those principles.
3. The Command to Follow Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination.”
Qur’an 4:59
The Qur’an therefore establishes the method for resolving religious disagreements: return to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
4. Whatever the Messenger ﷺ Gives Us, We Accept
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.”
Qur’an 59:7
This verse provides an important foundation for understanding bidʿah.
A Muslim does not have the authority to establish a religious practice merely because he personally considers it good.
Rather, religious matters must remain connected to the guidance of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
5. Religious Legislation Belongs to Allah
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“Or do they have partners who have ordained for them a religion for which Allah has not given permission?”
Qur’an 42:21
This verse is particularly important.
It establishes that religion cannot be legislated according to human preference.
Consequently, a person cannot declare something to be:
A Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ,
A prescribed act of worship,
A specific religious ritual,
without legitimate evidence.
6. The Prophet ﷺ Warned Against Introducing Matters Into Islam
The Prophet ﷺ said:
عن أم المؤمنين عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله ﷺ
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَٰذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
“Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it will be rejected.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2697; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1718
The wording recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is authentic and explicit.
This hadith is one of the greatest foundations concerning bidʿah.
Notice the important expression:
مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ
“That which is not from it.”
The Prophet ﷺ did not say that every new worldly matter is automatically prohibited.
Rather, the warning concerns introducing into the religion something that does not belong to it.
7. The Prophet ﷺ Said: Every Bidʿah Is Misguidance
The Prophet ﷺ said in his sermon:
عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما قال
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهُدَىٰ هُدَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
رواه مسلم
“To proceed: The best speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, the worst matters are those newly introduced, and every bidʿah is misguidance.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 867
This hadith must be taken seriously.
It is not permissible to use the expression bidʿah ḥasanah as an excuse to introduce a completely new religious ritual that has no basis in Islam.
The classical debate is therefore not about whether the Prophet ﷺ warned against religious innovation.
He unquestionably did.
The debate concerns the terminology used for newly introduced matters that are supported by existing Islamic principles.
8. The Prophet ﷺ Also Spoke About Establishing a Good Sunnah
The Prophet ﷺ said:
عن جرير بن عبد الله رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ
مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ، كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا، وَلَا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ، وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ، كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ وِزْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا، وَلَا يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْءٌ.
رواه مسلم
“Whoever establishes a good practice in Islam and it is followed after him will have a reward like the reward of those who follow it, without their rewards being diminished in any way. And whoever establishes an evil practice in Islam and it is followed after him will bear a sin like the sins of those who follow it, without their sins being diminished in any way.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1017
Does this mean that a person can invent a completely new act of worship?
No.
The context of this hadith is extremely important.
A group of poor people came to the Prophet ﷺ. He encouraged the Companions to give charity. One man initiated an act of charity, others followed him, and the Prophet ﷺ then praised the establishment of that good practice.
Thus, the hadith does not mean:
“Invent whatever religious ritual you want.”
Rather, it demonstrates that a person may initiate, revive, organize or establish a good practice that falls within the teachings and objectives of Islam.
9. The Famous Example of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه and Tarāwīḥ
One of the strongest examples in the classical discussion is the statement of the second Caliph, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه.
Umar رضي الله عنه saw people praying Tarāwīḥ in separate groups. He gathered them behind one imam.
The narration states:
فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ
“ʿUmar said: What an excellent bidʿah this is.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2010.
This is an authentic statement.
The important question is:
Did ʿUmar invent Tarāweeḥ?
No.
The Prophet ﷺ himself prayed the night prayer of Ramadan in congregation.
The Prophet ﷺ then stopped leading the people publicly because he feared that it might become obligatory upon them.
Therefore, the basis of Tarāwīḥ was already established by the Sunnah.
What ʿUmar رضي الله عنه organized was the people praying together behind one imam on a regular basis. This explains why he could call the arrangement bidʿah in the linguistic sense while considering it excellent.
10. The Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
عن العرباض بن سارية رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ
فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ الرَّاشِدِينَ، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
رواه أبو داود (4607)، والترمذي (2676)، وابن ماجه (42)، وأحمد
“You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs after me. Hold fast to it and cling to it firmly. Beware of newly introduced matters, for every newly introduced matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”
Sunan Abi Dawud, 4607 Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, 2676 Sunan Ibn Majah, 42 Sunan ad-Darimi Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 17142 (numbering may vary by edition)
This hadith is particularly important because the Prophet ﷺ commanded the Ummah to follow both:
سُنَّتِي “my Sunnah”
and
سُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ “the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs.”
Therefore, the actions of the rightly guided Caliphs are important evidence in understanding how the Companions applied the religion.
11. The Additional Jumuʿah Adhān of ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه
Another important example is the additional Friday adhān introduced by ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān رضي الله عنه.
The Companion al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه reported:
عن السائب بن يزيد رضي الله عنه قال
إِنَّ التَّأْذِينَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ كَانَ أَوَّلُهُ حِينَ يَجْلِسُ الْإِمَامُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي خِلَافَةِ عُثْمَانَ وَكَثُرُوا، أَمَرَ عُثْمَانُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ بِالْأَذَانِ الثَّالِثِ، فَأُذِّنَ بِهِ عَلَى الزَّوْرَاءِ
The Companion al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه reported:
“The call to prayer on Friday used to be made when the imam sat on the pulpit during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. When it was the caliphate of ʿUthmān and the people increased in number, ʿUthmān ordered an additional call to be made on Friday, and it was made at al-Zawrāʾ.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 916.
Another narration states:
عن السائب بن يزيد رضي الله عنه قال
أَنَّ التَّأْذِينَ الثَّانِيَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَمَرَ بِهِ عُثْمَانُ حِينَ كَثُرَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ
“ʿUthmān ordered the second call to prayer on Friday when the number of people in the mosque increased.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 915.
This is a very important example.
ʿ
Uthmān رضي الله عنه did not invent the adhān as a new form of worship. The adhān was already established by the Sunnah.
He introduced an additional means of notifying people because circumstances had changed and the Muslim population had increased.
This is fundamentally different from inventing an entirely new act of worship and declaring it to be a Sunnah.
12. The Classical Scholars and the Classification of Bidʿah
Among the classical scholars who explicitly discussed the classification of bidʿah was Imam Al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām رحمه الله (d. 660 AH).
He wrote:
البدعة فعل ما لم يعهد في عصر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهي منقسمة إلى: بدعة واجبة، وبدعة محرمة، وبدعة مندوبة، وبدعة مكروهة، وبدعة مباحة
He then explained that newly introduced matters are examined according to the principles of the Sharīʿah: if they fall under the principles of obligation, they are obligatory; if under prohibition, they are prohibited; if under recommendation, they are recommended; and so forth.
This discussion is found in Qawāʿid al-Aḥkām fī Maṣāliḥ al-Anām, in his chapter on bidʿah.
Therefore, Imam al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām explicitly used a fivefold classification.
13. The Five Categories of Bidʿah According to This Classical Approach
1. Bidʿah Wājibah — Obligatory Innovation
This refers to something newly developed which becomes necessary for fulfilling an established Islamic obligation.
Examples discussed by classical scholars include:
systematic preservation of Islamic knowledge;
sciences necessary to understand the Qur’an and Sunnah;
grammatical sciences needed to protect correct understanding of Arabic;
systematic compilation and preservation of religious knowledge.
The newly developed method is not itself a new revelation.
Rather, it serves an obligation already established by Islam.
2. Bidʿah Mandūbah — Recommended Innovation
A new method may be recommended when it serves an established Islamic objective.
Examples can include:
organized Islamic educational institutions;
beneficial methods of teaching Qur’an and Sunnah;
structured programs for Islamic learning;
beneficial forms of religious instruction.
Again, the underlying objective must already have a basis in Islam.
3. Bidʿah Mubāḥah — Permissible Innovation
These are newly introduced matters that fall under general permissibility and do not contradict Islamic law.
Examples include many developments in:
food,
clothing,
architecture,
transportation,
communication,
technology,
administration.
These are not necessarily “religious innovations” at all. They are included only when the word bidʿah is being used in its broad linguistic sense.
4. Bidʿah Makrūhah — Disliked Innovation
A newly introduced practice may be disliked if it falls under principles of dislike or involves unnecessary practices that conflict with Islamic values.
Classical scholars gave examples such as excessive decoration in certain religious contexts, although individual examples may themselves be subject to scholarly disagreement.
The important point is that the ruling comes from the Sharīʿah principles, not merely from the fact that something is new.
5. Bidʿah Muḥarramah — Prohibited Innovation
This is the most serious category.
It includes a newly introduced religious belief or practice that contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah or established principles of Islam.
Examples would include:
inventing a new act of worship and declaring it divinely prescribed;
changing an established obligation;
declaring something ḥalāl or ḥarām without evidence;
introducing beliefs that contradict Islamic revelation.
Such innovation is blameworthy and falls under the Prophet's warning:
وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
“Every bidʿah is misguidance.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 867.
14. Why Did Some Scholars Say “Every Bidʿah Is Misguidance”?
Another group of scholars preferred to use the word bidʿah in a narrower Sharʿī sense.
According to this approach, if something is genuinely a religious innovation, meaning that it has been introduced as part of Islam without legitimate evidence, then it is blameworthy.
This explains the statement:
كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
“Every bidʿah is misguidance.”
Scholars following this terminology do not necessarily deny that new educational institutions, books, microphones, schools, classifications of knowledge and other means can be permissible or even necessary.
Rather, they would say:
These things are new linguistically, but they are not “Sharʿī bidʿah.”
This is an important distinction.
15. Imam al-Shāfiʿī and the Meaning of New Matters
Imam al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله is among the scholars frequently cited in this discussion.
His position, as transmitted in the classical literature, distinguishes between newly introduced matters that contradict the Qur’an, Sunnah, established reports or consensus and those that do not contradict these foundations.
This is consistent with the broader principle:
A new matter is not judged merely because it is new; it is judged according to its relationship with the Sharīʿah.
This is why scholars could discuss bidʿah ḥasanah while simultaneously taking very seriously the Prophet's warning against innovation.
16. Imam al-Nawawī and the Classification of Bidʿah
Imam al-Nawawī رحمه الله also discussed bidʿah using the broader linguistic and legal classification.
The important point is that scholars who classified bidʿah into categories were not saying that revelation is incomplete.
They were examining matters that appeared after the Prophetic period and asking:
Does this new matter fall under an existing Islamic command, prohibition, recommendation or general principle?
This is precisely the method attributed to Imam al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām.
17. The Two Classical Usages Can Be Summarized
The disagreement becomes much easier to understand if we distinguish the terminology.
First usage: Broad linguistic meaning
Bidʿah = anything newly introduced.
Under this meaning, the new matter can be:
obligatory,
recommended,
permissible,
disliked,
prohibited.
This is the approach associated with scholars such as Al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām and others.
Second usage: Specific Sharʿī meaning
Bidʿah = introducing into the religion something that has no legitimate basis in the Qur’an, Sunnah or established Sharīʿah principles.
Under this definition:
Every Sharʿī bidʿah is blameworthy.
This is why scholars who use the second definition can say:
“There is no good bidʿah in religion.”
They are not necessarily denying that something can be linguistically called a bidʿah and still be permissible or beneficial.
18. A Very Important Distinction: New Means vs. New Worship
This is perhaps the most useful principle for modern Muslims.
New means
A new means can be permissible if it serves an established Islamic objective.
Examples:
a microphone for the adhān;
a website teaching Qur’an;
a printed book;
an Islamic school;
an online lecture;
a digital Qur’an application;
a sound system in a mosque.
The Prophet ﷺ did not need to use these things because they did not exist at that time.
They do not change the religion.
They are means.
New acts of worship
The matter is different when someone creates a new ritual and claims:
“This is a special act of worship prescribed by Allah.”
Such a claim requires evidence.
For example, one cannot simply invent:
A new ṣalāh,
A new obligatory fast,
A new religious festival,
A fixed number of dhikr,
A fixed religious ritual,
and then declare that Allah or His Messenger ﷺ prescribed it without evidence.
This is where the warning of the Prophet ﷺ applies directly.
19. General Worship and Specific Forms of Worship
There is another important distinction.
Islam sometimes gives a general command without restricting every detail.
For example, Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
“O believers, remember Allah with abundant remembrance.”
Qur’an 33:41
The command to remember Allah is general.
But if someone claims:
“Allah specifically prescribed this exact formula, exactly 1,000 times, at this exact time, and gave this special reward,”
then evidence is required for those specific claims.
The principle is:
General permission does not automatically establish a specific religious prescription.
This distinction is essential when discussing dhikr, duʿāʾ and other acts of worship.
20. The Prophet ﷺ Did Not Leave the Religion Incomplete
The Qur’an states:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
“Today I have perfected for you your religion.”
Qur’an 5:3.
Therefore, no Muslim should believe that a newly invented ritual is necessary to complete Islam.
The role of later generations is not to add revelation.Our role is to:
understand revelation;
preserve revelation;
teach revelation;
apply revelation;
develop lawful means for serving revelation.
This distinction protects the religion from both extremes.
21. Two Extremes Must Be Avoided
The First Extreme: Inventing Religion
A person may say:
“It is good, therefore it must be part of Islam.”
This is not sufficient.Good intentions do not transform an unsupported religious ritual into Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
عن أم المؤمنين عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله ﷺ
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَٰذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
“Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it will be rejected.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2697.
The Second Extreme: Calling Every New Thing Bidʿah
The opposite extreme is to declare every new method or development forbidden merely because it did not exist during the Prophet's lifetime. This would create serious difficulties.
For example:
books of detailed fiqh did not exist in their later forms;
organized Islamic schools did not exist in their modern form;
microphones did not exist;
modern printing did not exist;
universities did not exist in their current form;
digital Qur’an applications did not exist.
The mere fact that something is new does not make it prohibited.
The question is whether it introduces a new religion or serves an established Islamic purpose.
22. A Practical Test for Determining Bidʿah
When faced with a new religious practice, ask the following questions:
1. Is it being claimed as part of Islam?
If not, it may simply be a worldly custom or means.
2. Does it have a basis in the Qur’an or Sunnah?
If there is a specific evidence, it should not be called an innovation merely because its particular arrangement is new.
3. Does it fall under a general Islamic principle?
If yes, scholars may regard it as a new means serving an established objective.
4. Does it contradict an established Islamic ruling?
If it contradicts the Qur’an or authentic Sunnah, it cannot become acceptable simply because people regard it as beneficial.
5. Is a specific time, number, manner or reward being attributed to Allah without evidence?
This requires particular caution.
6. Is it being presented as obligatory or Sunnah?
The stronger the religious claim, the stronger the requirement for evidence.
23. The Correct Way to Understand “Bidʿah Ḥasanah”
The phrase بدعة حسنة — bidʿah ḥasanah should be used carefully. It does not mean:
“Any religious practice that I personally like is permissible.”
Rather, according to the classical terminology of scholars who accepted this expression, a bidʿah ḥasanah is a newly introduced matter that is praiseworthy because it falls within an established principle of the Sharīʿah.
Dar al-Iftāʾ al-Miṣriyyah explicitly presents this classical approach and explains the fivefold classification of bidʿah.
On the other hand, scholars who reserve the term bidʿah for religious innovation would say that such matters should not technically be called bidʿah at all; they should instead be called permissible or recommended means.
Thus, much of the disagreement is terminological, although there can also be genuine disagreement over particular practices.
24. A Balanced Conclusion
The evidence of the Qur’an and Sunnah establishes several principles simultaneously.
First:
Islam is complete.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
“Today I have perfected for you your religion.”
Qur’an 5:3.
Second:
The Prophet ﷺ rejected religious additions that have no legitimate basis.
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَٰذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
“Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it will be rejected.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2697.
Third:
The Prophet ﷺ warned:
وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
“Every bidʿah is misguidance.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 867.
Fourth:
The Prophet ﷺ praised establishing a good practice:
مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً
“Whoever establishes a good practice in Islam...”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1017.
Fifth:
ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said:
نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ
“What an excellent bidʿah this is.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2010.
And the practice he organized already had a basis in the Prophetic Sunnah.
Sixth:
ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه introduced an additional Friday adhān when the Muslim population increased.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 915–916.
These evidences show why the classical scholars carefully distinguished between a new religious invention with no basis and a newly introduced means or arrangement that falls within established Islamic principles.
25. Final Summary of the Classical Positions
26. The Most Precise Statement
The most balanced way to express the matter is:
There is no room in Islam for inventing a new religion, new belief, new obligation or new prescribed act of worship without evidence from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. However, the word bidʿah was used by classical scholars in both a broad linguistic sense and a narrower Sharʿī sense. Those who used it linguistically classified newly introduced matters according to the five rulings of the Sharīʿah, while those who used it technically reserved bidʿah for blameworthy religious innovations.
Therefore, when someone says:
“Every bidʿah is misguidance,”
this is firmly established in the Prophetic Sunnah when referring to religious innovation in its blameworthy sense.
And when a classical scholar says:
“There is a bidʿah ḥasanah,”
we must examine what he means by bidʿah: whether he is using the word linguistically for a newly introduced matter that is supported by an established principle of Islam, rather than claiming that Muslims may invent new acts of worship without evidence.
Conclusion
Bidʿah is not a subject that should be approached through slogans alone.
The Qur’an teaches us that the religion is perfected.
The Sunnah teaches us to hold firmly to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ and the rightly guided Caliphs.
The Prophet ﷺ warned against introducing into Islam what does not belong to it.
At the same time, the Companions introduced new arrangements and means when circumstances required them, and classical scholars carefully analyzed such matters according to the principles of Islamic law.
The safest and most academically accurate conclusion is therefore:
Do not invent religion.
Do not change the Sunnah.
Do not attribute to Allah or His Messenger ﷺ something for which there is no evidence.
But do not call every new worldly means, institution, method or organizational arrangement a prohibited religious innovation merely because it did not exist during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.
The decisive question is always:
Does the new matter contradict the established teachings of Islam, or does it operate within a principle already established by the Qur’an and Sunnah?
That distinction allows us to preserve the Sunnah while also understanding the breadth of the classical Islamic legal tradition.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
And Allah knows best what is correct.
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