As we promised in the introduction to the false manhaj of the man called Muhammad Awwal Jabata, here we want to look at the very basis of his manhaj and Da’wah upon which he had declared many scholars of the Deen, past or present, such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanee, al-Imaam As-Suyootee, Al-Imaam an-Nawawee (he allegedly recanted this last one after his ‘ijtihaad’ made him come across a purported repentance of the Imaam from Ash’ariyyah), as Kuffaar. The commoners too are not spared.
The issue is the question of whether every act of Bid’ah is tantamount to unbelief that takes one out of the Deen. According to Muhammad Alee Jabata, the Philosopher, in what has come from him in more than one tapes, rather what he is known for in South West Nigeria, is that every act of Bid’ah, no matter its nature, size and manner, will take whomever is guilty of it out of the pale of the Deen, no excuse!
This article will delve into the issue of whether every act of Bid’ah really takes one out of the Deen. It is written with the aim of clarifying the truth; one to save whomever might fall in the man’s trap, and perhaps it will bring out those who are already in his net the bulk of whom are ignoramuses who cannot even spell their names correctly in Arabic but go about declaring people as kuffaar due to one Bid’ah or the other. By the mercy of Allâh, the work is based upon the works of past and present scholars. The writer, in no way, claims any scholarship for he is still a Taalib.
What is Bid’ah?
Linguistically, Bid’ah is an innovation the like of which had not been. Allâh says in the Qur’aan:
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
The Originator of the heavens and the earth. when He decrees a matter, He Only says to it : "Be!" - and it is. [Al-Baqarah:117], so badeeus-samawaat wal-ard, means Allâh is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. Before these heavens and the earths there were none.
Also in the Word of Allâh the Mighty,
قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ
Say (O Muhammad):"I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allâh)… [Al-Ahqaaf: 9], Thus the Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) was not the first person to come with a message from Allâh to His slaves; many Messengers had come and gone before him. In other words, he was never a Bid’ah (an innovation).
In its applicability to the Deen, Bid’ah is ‘an innovated path in the Deen corresponding with the Sharee’ah which is intended to exaggerate an act of worship for Allâh the Most Blessed.’ That is the definition given of Bid’ah by al-Imaam al-Allaamah Abu Ishaaq Ash-Shaatibee (may Allaah bestow mercy on him) in al-‘Itisaam.
Innovation can be generally grouped into two: innovation in mundane affairs such as the system of transportation, communication, farming, production etc. innovations in this arena are generally permissible, because, as said by Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life), in al-Bid’ah: Ta’reefu-ha, An’waa’u-ha Wa Ahkaamu-ha p.5, [You can also see the same article in Kitaab Tauheed of the Shaykh pp. 100-104] ‘The basis in ‘Aadaat (norms, customs, mundane systems) is permissibility.’
The point above therefore will quickly quash the claim of those who say all innovations are innovations whether mundane or otherwise, therefore they are all blameworthy. That also slightly deals a blow on the view of Jabata who says the use of spoon and fork, despite being glaring that it is norm that calls for them when eating meals like rice and beans, is Bid’ah upon which whoever uses them is thrown out of the Deen. Some of those who sheepishly follow him are bringing all sorts of things to say he has now ‘modified’ the view.
The other type of innovation is the type that takes place in the Deen. There is no dispute among the people of knowledge that innovations in that area is prohibited, because, ‘the basis in the matters of the Deen is refraining from carrying out actions,’ as said by Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life) in al-Bid’ah: Ta’reefu-ha, An’waa’u-ha wa Ahkaamu-ha p.5.
The Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam), while outlawing introducing acts that have not been commanded in the Deen, said:
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
‘Whoever introduces in this matter of ours what is not part of it will have it rejected.’ The hadith was variously recorded in the books of hadith such as Saheeh Al-Bukhari (2697), Muslim (4589), etc. He (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) also categorically stated in the version of Muslim and Ahmad, that
مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
‘whoever carries out an action which we have not sanctioned will have it rejected.’
So Islam is a no-go area for whoever thinks he can carry out any deed or concoct any thought. The innovations that have come in the Deen are in various ways, as outlined by Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life) in al-Bid’ah: Ta’reefu-ha, An’waa’u-ha wa Ahkaamu-ha p.6.
Innovated statements that go back to the creed such as the statements that have been known with the sects like Jahmiyyah, Mu’tazillah, Rawaafid, Qadariyyah and other misguided sects in Islam.
Important Notice: The misguided sects in Islam are not upon the same dalaalah (misguidance); some are very serious while some are just serious. This is even why we say the misguided sects in Islam – al-Firaq Ad-Daalah Al-Islaamiyyah. There are some sects who attribute themselves to Islam while Islam is totally free from them. The point however is that not all the sects are to be thrown out of the Deen like that but all of them are evil that must be warned against. Please refer to al-Farq Bayna al-Firaq of Al-Imaam Aboo Mansoor Abdul-Qaadir bn Taahir bn Muhammad al-Baghdaadee (d.429AH/1038CE) (may Allaah bestow mercy on him) . We once prepared a small book on the evils of the sects and groupings of our time; you can download it here free.
There are other innovated practices in the Deen that go back to the acts of worship such as carrying out acts of worship not sanctioned by Allâh and His Messenger (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam). Examples of such are a prayer instituted without any Sharee’ah proof, or fasting or festivals which people attribute to Islam. The clearest example of the latter is what is popularly known as Maulid Nabee today. This kind of innovation is called Al-Bid’ah al-Haqeeqiyyah – Fundamental Innovation.
Innovations in acts of worship can also be in the form of making additions to the established acts of worship. Examples of that are if a person were to add to the number of a specific prayer. Such a Bid’ah is called Al-Bid’ah al-Idaafeeyyah – Attributive Innovation.
Similar to the above, is a form of an innovated practice in the Deen that comes in the form of carrying out an act of worship but not the way it has been established in the Sharee’ah. Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life) cited an example of congregational saying of words of remembrance in a loud voice otherwise known as adh-Dhikrul-Jamaa’ee.
Yet another form of innovated practice in the Deen is specifying a time for an act of worship that has not been specified in the Deen such as specifying the middle of the day and night of Sha’baan for fasting and prayer. ‘There is basis for fasting and prayer in the Sharee’ah but to specify them to a particular period of time requires proofs,’ said Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life) in al-Bid’ah: Ta’reefu-ha, An’waa’u-ha wa Ahkaamu-ha p.6.
Having the proper knowledge of what constitutes innovation in the Deen and what does not, is among the religious requirements a slave must possess. Said Ash-Shaykh al-Albaanee (may Allaah bestow mercy on him): ‘Among what a slave must have an adequate knowledge about is acts of innovations that have been introduced into the Deen; this is very important. This is because a slave cannot attain closeness to Allâh except by shunning acts of innovations in the Deen, that itself is not possible except by knowing the specifics of what constitutes Bid’ah as well as the principles and foundations guiding that. If a slave does not know all these, he will fall into Bid’ah while he is unaware…’ [Al-Ajwibah An-Naafi’ah (109-110) as cited in Qaamoos Al-Bid’ah p.27].
Ruling of Bid’ah in the Deen
Every innovated practice, act, statement in the Deen is prohibited, not only that it is dalaalah (misguidance)! The Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) said:
وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْأُمُورَ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ
‘…be wary of newly-introduced matters because every newly-introduced matter is Bid’ah and every Bid’ah is misguidance.’ [Sunan Abee Daawud (4609), Sunan Tirmidhi (2676), Sunan Ibn Maajah (46)].
In the authentic addition in Sunan An-Nasaa’ee, the Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) said:
وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
‘…and every misguidance leads to the Hell.’
Scholars of the Deen however have not said that since every Bid’ah is misguidance that leads to the Hell therefore every Bid’ah is a Major Kufr that takes one out of the Deen. But that is the solid view of Muhammad Jabata unless if he has recanted this yesterday. Unfortunately though, Jabata is not a scholar we can give his word any consideration. But some people in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria think Jabata is a mujtahid who follows nothing but ‘hujjah and daleel.’ How erroneous are these people. May Allâh take them out of their slumber.
Ash-Sahykh al-Albaanee (may Allaah bestow mercy on him) said while reproaching those who think that every time a scholar of the Deen said an act of Bid’ah is misguidance (as stated in the hadith) therefore whoever’s act is referred to as misguided is himself a misguided person (let alone a Kaafir), ‘…no, such thought is an illusion and falsehood rather it is ignorance of the highest order because the act of Bid’ah which whoever does it is blameworthy and which the (strong) Ahadith on Bid’ah will be applicable is the act of Bid’ah which whoever does it does it as ‘an innovated path in the Deen corresponding with the Sharee’ah which is intended to exaggerate an act of worship for Allâh the Most Blessed;’ whoever therefore innovates a Bid’ah seeking to exaggerate worship for Allâh while he knows that the act is not part of the Deen, those are the people we will apply those Ahadith to, as for whoever falls into n act of Bid’ah while he does not know and does not intend to exaggerate any worship for Allâh, those Ahadith do not absolutely apply to them; they do not refer to them at all, rather they apply to those figureheads of Bid’ah who stand against the spread of Sunnah and legislate every act of innovation without any recourse to knowledge, guidance or an illuminating book, even not blind-following any person of knowledge, rather follow their whims to satisfy the masses…’ [See Salaatu-Taraaweeh p.35-38 as cited in Qaamoos al-Bid’ah p.35].
Praise to Allâh that the Ummah of Islam is a Ummah of scholars, had we been left in the hands of people like Jabata – a claimant to knowledge, we would have suffered ourselves and others greatly.
Al-Imaam al-Albaanee (may Allaah bestwo on him) continued while saying it is possible for any scholar of the Deen to fall into one form of the Bid’ah or the other, that not everyone of them will be declared as a Mub’tadi let alone a Kaafir as a result, ‘Yes any of them (that is, the people of knowledge) could fall into one error in the Sharee’ah while he will not be held liable due to that, he would rather be forgiven or sometimes be rewarded…because it was as a result of his personal effort, thus there is no doubt as regard a situation whereby a scholar falls into an act of Bid’ah thinking it is Sunnah (as it occurred to Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanee and others like him) and another situation is whereby he falls into a prohibition thinking it is permissible; all these are forgivable errors…’ [See Salaatu-Taraaweeh p.35-38 as cited in Qaamoos al-Bid’ah p.35].
But Jabata said they are not forgivable because Laa Udhra bil-jahl [‘there is no excuse in matters done out of ignorance.’] That is one of the slogans the Jabtawis are known with.
What Ash-Shaykh al-Albaanee (may Allaah bestow mercy on him) was trying to point out in the foregoing is the principle Laysa Kull Man Waqa’a Fil-Bid’ah Waqa’atil-Bid’atu ‘Alayhi, ‘not everybody that falls into Bid’ah becomes an innovator’.’ The people of Sunnah accept the principle as being correct.
Said Ash-Shaykh Fauzaan (may Allaah preserve his life), ‘The hadith indicates that every innovated matter in the Deen is Bid’ah and that every Bid’ah is misguidance that is consequently rejected.’
He also said in his commentary on Shar’hus-Sunnah of Al-Bar’bahaaree p.36: ‘[The hadith] is an indicator that the people of Bid’ah will be in the hell but according to the degrees (of the Bid’ah); some will be in the hell because of their Bid’ah that made them to be Kuffaar, some according to their Bid’ah that made them sinners; some will remain forever in the hell while some others will be removed thus they will come under the same ruling as that of a person guilty of the major sins.’
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