Blessing Of Tarawih: Bid‘ah Ḥasanah and Bid‘ah Sayyi’ah in the Light of the Qur’an, Sunnah

Every Bid'ah isn't heterodoxy

A question may arise in someone's mind as to what the following two blessed Aḥādīš mean:

1. كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَّ كُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِى النَّار [Every innovation is heterodoxy (i.e. deviation from Islamic teachings) and every heterodoxy leads to Hell]. (Sunan Nasāī, pp. 189, vol. 2)
   
   
   
2. شَرُّ الْأُمُوْرِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَ كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ [The worst of actions are innovations and every innovation is heterodoxy]. (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 430, Ḥadīš 867)

Without doubt, both the blessed Aḥādīš are true. In fact, the word Bid'ah mentioned in these two Aḥādīš refers to Bid'at-e-Sayyi'ah (بِدْعَتِ سَیِّئَه), (misleading innovation) and indeed every Bid'ah that contradicts or removes a Sunnah is misleading.

The detailed description of this issue has been clearly mentioned in some other Aḥādīš. Therefore, the one who introduces such a misleading innovation that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and His Beloved Rasūl صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم are not pleased with, will have the sin of all the followers of that Bid'ah, without any reduction in their sins.' (Jāmi' Tirmiḏī, pp. 309, vol. 4, Ḥadīš 2686)

In another Ḥadīš the mother of the believers Sayyidunā 'Āishaḥ Ṣiddīqaḥ رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہَا has narrated that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: مَنْ اَحْدَثَ فِیْ اَمْرِنَا هٰذَا مَا لَیْسَ فِیْهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ (The innovation that is not based on our religion is rejected.) (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, pp. 211, vol. 6, Ḥadīš 2697)

These blessed Aḥādīš clarify that any innovation which contradicts the Sunnah, misleads people and is not based on the principles of our religion is a Bid'at-e-Sayyi'ah, (misleading innovation) but any such innovation that helps people practice Sunnah and is based on Sharī'ah is a Bid'at-e-Ḥasanah (a good innovation).

Committing on the Ḥadīš 'كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ فِى النَّار' Sayyidunā Shaykh 'Abdul Ḥaq Muḥaddiš Dihlvī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْہِ has stated, 'Any Bid'ah that complies with the principles of Sunnah and does not contradict Sharī'ah or Sunnah is a Bid'at-e-Ḥasanah. Otherwise, it is a Bid'at-e-Dalālah, i.e. a misleading innovation.' (Ashi'at-ul-Lam'āt, pp. 135, vol. 1)

We cannot do without good innovations

Anyway, it is necessary to categorize innovations into good and bad. At present era, there are many such good innovations which didn't exist in the first three ages, i.e. the age of the Beloved and Blessed Rasūl صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the honourable successors (Tabi'īn). If such innovations are discarded, the existing religious system will not survive. For example, religious schools, Dars-e-Nizāmī, publishing copies of the Holy Quran, and Ḥadīš books etc. are all such acts that were not done in the first three eras and were introduced later and are classed as Bid'at-e-Ḥasanah.

Anyway, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم could have enforced all these acts during his apparent life, but Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has given many opportunities of earning perpetual reward (Ṣawāb-e-Jāriyaḥ) to the Ummah of His Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Therefore, in order to earn perpetual, pious people introduced a lot of innovations that do not contradict Sharī'ah. Such good innovations enforced by the pious include reciting Ṣalāt-'Alan-Nabī and Salām before the Aḏān, celebrating the Mīlād with illuminations, waving beautiful green flags and chanting slogans of Marḥabā in procession, Giyārhwīn and the 'Urs of Auliyā رَحْمَهُمُ اللّٰه. This process still continues.

اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Dawat-e-Islami has also made its contribution to the introduction of good innovations in Islam by enforcing the slogans اَذْکُرُوْا اللّٰہ (i.e. Do the Ẕikr of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب (i.e. Send Ṣalāt upon the Beloved صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) in its Ijtimā'āt, making the atmosphere pleasant by the sound of the Ẕikr of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and His Beloved Rasūl صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

History of green dome

The green dome that every devotee desires to behold with tear in eyes is also a Bid'at-e-Ḥasanah because it was made hundreds of years after the apparent demise of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

Here is a brief history of the blessed dome: The first dome on the blessed tomb of our Beloved Rasūl صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was constructed in 678 AH (1269 AD). As it was yellow, it used to be referred to as the yellow dome. Different changes took place in different eras. In 888 AH (1483 AD) a new dome was made from black stone, and it was painted white. Devotees used to call it 'قُبَّةُ الْبَیْضَاء' or 'کُبَة بَیضَاء' meaning the white dome.

An extremely beautiful dome was made in 980 AH (1572 AD) and was adorned with different coloured stones, now it became multicoloured and didn't have just one colour. It was most probably referred to as the multicoloured dome due to its different attractive colours. It was reconstructed in 1233 AH (1818 AD) and painted green. It then began to be called the green dome and has not been changed ever since. The green colour is blessed with the privilege of being used to paint the blessed dome.

The green dome, which is definitely and certainly a Bid'at-e-Ḥasanah, is now the focal point of all Muslims throughout the world, the apple of our eyes, and the peace of our hearts. اِنْ شَاءَاللّٰه No power of the world can demolish it, and anyone who attempts to demolish it will be ruined himself, اِنْ شَاءَاللّٰه.

All these new innovations are based on the blessed Ḥadīš mentioned earlier with the reference of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim that the one who introduces a good innovation in Islam will get its reward as well as the reward of all those acting upon it after him (For further details of the types of Bid'ah/innovations please refer to the book 'Jā-al-Ḥaq-Wa-Zahaq-al-Bāṭil' by a renowned exegetist of the Quran, Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān Na'īmī رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْہِ).

Beholding Holy Prophet 🌹

Dear Islamic brothers! For the rectification of beliefs and deeds and for acquisition of necessary religious knowledge, please travel with the Madanī Qāfilahs of Dawat-e-Islami, a global & non-political religious movement of the Quran and Sunnah. اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ Dawat-e-Islami is the movement of the Muslims possessing correct Islamic beliefs. Listen to a faith-refreshing and heart-warming account.

Numerous Madanī Qāfilahs of Rasūl's devotees travel to various cities at the end of the 3-day Sunnah-Inspiring global Ijtimā' of Dawat-e-Islami. One of these Madanī Qāfilahs reached a Masjid in Agra Taj Colony (Bāb-ul-Madīnaḥ, Karachi). When the participants went to sleep at night, one of the Islamic brothers was blessed with beholding

the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in his dream. He became very delighted and realized the truth and greatness of Dawat-e-Islami from the bottom of his heart and joined the Madanī environment.

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد