The Consequences of Bid’a (innovation)
The Consequences of Bid’a (innovation)
When people became indulgent about this matter, disorder began to spread in the religion. We began to see innovation-taking root, first in the call to prayer and then in the prayer itself, then in all kinds of worship. Once it started to spread, it knew no bounds. Much of what the Prophet and his companions used to do was transformed beyond recognition. This is a situation that could never be pleasing to Allah and His
Messenger.
What has befallen is backwardness and the empowerment of the enemies of Allah over us. We are largely responsible for this situation. So long as we do not take the initiative to put a stop to this constant adding to our religion, so long as we do not take the initiative to command what is right and forbid what is wrong, then the condition of this Nation can only go from bad to worse.
Nothing is more detrimental to a person’s faith than bid’a and shirk. Satan’s greatest aim is to plant these two things in the hearts of Muslims as he did to others before them, till they changed the whole of Islam. Then generations coming after them will think that Islam is a new innovation and they will be changed from
faithfulness to faithlessness.
Following will remain always the criterion, test, and the measure of love. One can not combine the loving of the Prophet , and the innovation to his Sunnah. For love is a claim that needs the proof of one’s truthfulness. Imam Ahmad showed the essentials of following the Sunnah by saying “The bases of Sunnah is the clinging to the attitude of the Prophet’s companions, following their example, and abandoning innovations, for every innovation is misguidance, and the abandonment of dispute in religion.”
