Before we jump into talking about all of what we previously mentioned, we need to discuss something very important to this topic. It is important that we all are on the same page when we talk about innovation and what it is. You find that, sometimes when some people talk and use the term bidah or innovation, they are referring to one thing, and others mean something else by it. Thus, we want to make it clear as to what we are going to be discussing.
An innovation, generally is something that there is no precedence for, and then something new appears that was not thought of or done before. This is what people refer to as “Innovative Ideas”. This is a usage that we have all heard before.This type of innovation does not go against what we want to discuss, but it is not exactly the type of innovation that we are going to be focusing on in this series.
The type of innovation that is important to us as Muslims these days, is that which is in contradiction to the Quran and Sunnah. These are things that were not done by the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), nor his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). These are things that were not ordered in the book of Allah. In other words, these are newly invented matters. Now you may be thinking, but why are people so focused on these issues, and everyone talking about them. This is because these innovations are not just things which were not around before, rather they are issues that people have no precedence for, that they are trying to make part of the legislation that Allah has sent down to us as guidance. This is something that no one has the right to do. We can not just add on to that which Allah has revealed, and say that it is part of it, or from it. Yet that is what people are doing.
Now, people that are not aware of that which is going on, are not only practicing these things, but teaching them to others. They are telling people that they are actually practicing something that is from the religion that is not from it. This leads the people to worshiping Allah in ways in which He did not reveal. This causes us to, in many cases, leave off that which Allah has revealed, to do other than it in it’s place.
Do you see now, why people are stopping what they are doing to clarify these issues for us? If the people continue to sit back and just watch as this is done to a group of people that are not aware, the Sunnah will eventually be replaced with other than it. As you can see, this is not as light of a situation as some are trying to make it appear.
