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Imam al-Shatibi's Comprehensive and Definitive

Definition of Bid'ahPosted byAbu.Iyaadon Monday, July, 11 2011 and filed under Foundations

Key topics:Al-Shatibi Al-Shaatibee

Imaam al-Shatibee in his excellent work, al-I'tisaam, has provided the most comprehensive, concise

and definitive legislative definition of al-bid'ah ) ) and the foundations would not be complete

except by a discussion of it. Imaam al-Shatibee said in al-I'tisaam(1/43):

:

[The word] innovation (al-bid'ah) then, is an expression of:

1. A path taken in religion

2. Which is invented

3. And resembles the Shari'ah

4. And by whose practice exaggeration in worshipping Allaah, the Exalted, is

intended.

This definition was elaborated upon by al-Shatibee himself and likewise there are from the Scholars

from Ahl al-Sunnah who have commented upon it. It contains numerous elements and they can be

summarized as follows:

Element 1:A path ,(), this is any sabeel, tareeq, sunan (all terms referring to ways)

they are all the same, and it refers whatever is laid down in order to be followed and

traversed. So this is the first matter here, that the intent behind the devising or initiation of

such a path is for it to be taken as a course of action.

Element 2:In religious matters (

), so this excludes all other affairs, such as habits,

customs and so on, and this is because this path or way is being ascribed to the religion,

and if it was a worldly matter, it would not be labelled a bid'ah (innovation) [in the

legislative sense]. Thus all worldly affairs are outside of the definition of bid'ah. This is

important to grasp because in the language of some of the Scholars one can find them

using this term in its wider linguistic sense, and examples of this can be found in the

speech of Imaam al-Shafi'ee, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh Muhammad bin

Abd al-Wahhaab.

Element 3:Invented (), meaning it has no previous example or model, and with this

restriction, many things are excluded from the definition of bid'ah, in particular those

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things that do have a foundation in the Shari'ah and such things include the compilation of

the Qur'an, the writing and compiling of hadeeth, the congregational tarawih prayer, the

principles of fiqh, knowledge of grammar and morphology and so on. Even if they were

not formally present, their foundations can be found in the Shari'ah. So these are not

considered innovations in the legislative (blameworthy sense), and whoever referred to

them as innovations, only did so in the linguistic sense, as is found in the saying of Umar

bin al-Khattaab about his gathering the people together in a single jamaa'ah for the

taraaweeh prayer, that it is an "excellent bid'ah," and this action has a foundation in the

Sunnah as the Messenger (alayhis salaam) led the people for three days in Ramadan in

congregational taraweeh prayer.

Element 4: Resembles the Shari'ah ( ), this is a another crucial part to the

definition, because innovation in the religion is of two types. One that has absolutely no

basis and is completely alien to the religion and other type which resembles the Shari'ah

in its foundation, but opposes the Shari'ah in its form and details and most innovations are

of this nature. Al-Shatibee gives some examples of what is meant by this part of his

definition and he mentions congregational dhikr (remembrance in unison with a single

voice), annd taking the birthday of the Prophet (alayhis salaam) as a day of celebratoin

(eed). Dhikr has a foundation in the Shari'ah as does a day of celebration (eed), howeverin the particular details, these matters (dhikr in unison and the celebrating the Prophet's

birthday) are innovations.Al-Shaatibeesays that if it was not the nature of innovations to

resemble the Shari'ah they would be treated nothing more than habitual actions. Al-

Shatibee also explains that the person of innovation innovates these matters from the

outset to make them resemble the Shari'ah so that he can deceive others and he will mix

affairs of the Sunnah with his innovation, as this is the only way that he will get any

response from the people. This is from the most important things that al-Shatibee points

out, because you see the innovators, from the contemporary grave-worshippers and other

than them who try to justify their actions by claiming they have a basis in the Shari'ah.

This is not the place to refute this doubt, inshaa'Allaah it will be done in another article, butit is important to make careful note of this, that it is the very nature of innovation to

strongly resemble the Sharee'ah and thus most innovation will have a basis in the

Sharee'ah in some aspect, but depart from it in other aspects.

Element 5: Exaggeration in worship of Allah is what is intended by traversing the

particular innovated way (

), this is from the completion of

the definition of bid'ah, because this is the main objective behind inventing it, and it is as if

the Innovator thinks that he has license to do this because it is the objective for his

creation, as per the saying of Allaah, "I have not created Jinn and Men except to

worship me" (51:56). However, it has not become clear to him that what Allaah haslegislated of the laws, rules and limits is sufficient. However, often the innovator has

desires such as wanting to be followed, and this is what motivates him to innovate for the

people through the claimed objective of bringing them closer to Allaah. And in this regard

al-Shatibee quotes the saying of Mu'adh bin Jabal (radiallaahu anhu):

It is feared that a man might say: They are not my followers and will

not follow me, even though I have recited the Qur'an to them. They will not

follow me until I innovated something else for them. So beware from what

he innovators, for what he innovates is misguidance. Reported by Abu Dawud in

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his Sunan, al-Darimi in his Sunan, and likewise al-Aajurree in al-Shari'ah, Ibn Waddah in al-Bida'

and others.

Al-Shatibee also points out that from this part of the definition, it becomes clear that the

notion of innovation [that is blameworthy] does not enter into the habitual matters (al-

aadaat). There are ways and matters innovated, which resemble the Shari'ah but

nearness to Allaah and worship of Him are not intended by them, so these matters do not

enter into the definition of bid'ah. Examples he gives include imposed fines (that a ruler

may subject upon his subjects) that have a particular value which may resemble that of

zakah, likewise making use of sieves and washing hands with potash from the things that

were not previously present. Whilst they may resemble something from the Shari'ah, they

are not intended to make exaggeration in worshipping Allaah, the Exalted.

Element 6: Al-Shatibee also explains that included within this definition is the bid'ah

tarkiyyah, and this is when a person abandons an action, seeking closeness and

nearness to Allaah, and this abandonment is in opposition to the Shari'ah. This matter will

be touched upon in a separate article inshaa'Allaah.

Refer to:

al-I'tisaam(tahqiq, M. Salman, Maktabah al-Tawhid) 1/41-55.