Topic Ten
On the Concept of Innovation (Bidʿah)

Many people in later times have gone astray in their understanding of innovation and its rulings. They say that innovation divides into good and bad, that not every innovation is misguidance, and that whatever the Muslims approve of and become accustomed to cannot be called an innovation. All of these ideas emerged only after the first three virtuous generations.

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—was able to ground this issue on firm principles, survey its evidences, clarify its rulings, and expose the error involved, as follows:

• He showed, by the explicit wording of the Sunnah, that every innovation is misguidance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said, “Every innovation is misguidance” (1); “The worst matters are those that are newly introduced” (2); and “Every newly introduced matter is an innovation” (3). Thus, the claim of some people that not every innovation is misguidance directly contradicts and opposes the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

• The innovations under discussion here are those that people have introduced into acts of worship