DEFINITION OF BID'AH (INNOVATION)

[Taqavi]

What is Bid‘ah (Innovation), and How Is It Defined?

 

Throughout history, the concept of bid‘ah has always been significant and often debated; from positive and constructive innovations to negative changes and transformations that may affect social, religious, and cultural structures, bid‘ah has always held a particular place in societies; understanding the concept of bid‘ah and distinguishing it from positive innovations and changes is essential, as this can help us consciously and effectively face transformations and changes; now let us examine the definition of "bid‘ah" in both literal and terminological contexts:

Linguistic Meaning:

Literally, bid‘ah means creating something without a previous background and model;[1] this concept can pertain to speech or actions that have no precedent and are regarded as a sort of innovation; this is why Allah is called Badi‘ al-Samāwāt wa al-Arḍ, "The Originator of the heavens and the earth..." [2] since He created the heavens and the earth without a model and resembling nothing that came before. 

Elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an, it is stated: "Say, I am not a newcomer among the messengers..."; [3] meaning say, I am not something new among the prophets, and many prophets have come before me; this verse also points to the same concept that innovation and novelty has also existed in the history of the prophets. [4]

Innovation in terminology: 

The terminological definition of bid‘ah means creating something new that has no basis in the Book and the traditions; as Sayyid Murtaḍa defines bid‘ah: It means adding to religion or subtracting from it with reference to religion; [5] likewise, Allameh Majlisi has stated in defining bid‘ah: "Bid‘ah in Sharia is something that has emerged after the Prophet (SAW) and has no specific text about it, and is not included in general religious principles, or there has been no specific or general prohibition regarding it." [6] Mohaghegh Aashtiani has defined bid‘ah as follows: "Any action that is not established by the legislator cannot be performed with the belief that it is from the legislator. However, it may be carried out in a way that seems to be from the legislator, or it may be introduced to others as if it were religious; and this is a form of legislation and an introduction into the religion even if the doer does not actually consider it religious. And this is the very definition of bid‘ah." [7]

To further explain, we can describe bid‘ah in this way: bid‘ah is a type of intervention in the realm of divine legislation; meaning that the innovator intends to take God's place and create new laws and propagate them among people; in other words, bid‘ah means introducing new beliefs or religious practices without reference to credible sources like the Quran and the traditions of the infallible Imams (AS).

In contrast to bid‘ah, "tradition" refers to a collection of beliefs, ethics, and practical rulings that were established by the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and the infallible Imams (AS). [8]

In conclusion, it should be noted that bid‘ah, with all the complexities and multiple aspects it possesses, can be both challenging and opportunistic; the difference between bid‘ah and tradition is actually the difference between change without reference to principles and change with adherence to principles; understanding this distinction allows us to better manage transformations and benefit from beneficial renewal.

 

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[1] . Majmaʿ al‑Baḥrayn, al‑Ṭurayḥī al‑Najafī, Fakhr al‑Dīn, vol. 1, p. 164.

[2] . Al‑Baqarah: 117 «بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ»

[3] . Al‑Aḥqāf: 9 «قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ»

[4] . jamharat al-lughah, ibn duraid, vol. 1, p. 298 /  Tahdhīb al‑Lughah, al‑Azharī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, vol. 2, p. 142 / Al‑Furūq fī al‑Lughah, Abū Hilāl al‑ʿAskarī, p. 126 / Al‑Mufradāt fī Gharīb al‑Qurʾān, al‑Rāghib al‑Iṣfahānī, p. 39.

[5] . Rasāʾil al‑Sharīf al‑Murtaḍā, al‑Sayyid al‑Sharīf al‑Murtaḍā, vol. 2, p. 264.

[6] . Biḥār al‑Anwār, al‑ʿAllāmah al‑Majlisī, vol. 74, p. 202.

[7] . Baḥr al‑Fawāʾid fī Sharḥ al‑Farāʾid, al‑Āshtiyānī, al‑Mīrzā Muḥammad Ḥasan, vol. 1, p. 384.

[8] . ʿAwāʾid al‑Ayyām, al‑Narāqī, al‑Mullā Aḥmad, p. 113 «... فالبدعة فعل قرره غير الشارع شرعا...»