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Q&A: Bidah and Durud at the Door | Sheikh Ata’ Abu Rashtah


The following is the translation of an Arabic Q&A from the website of the noble mujtahid and faqih, Sheikh `Ata’ Ibn Khalil Abu Rashtah (Allah preserve him).

Question:
السؤال:
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
في الأمس كان الناس خارجين من صلاة الجمعة، وتعلمون تجمّع الناس على باب المسجد فقال شخص “صلوا على النبي” فقال له شخص آخر اسكت إنها بدعة.
السؤال هل هي بدعة أم لا؟ وجزاكم الله خيراً
al-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh;
Yesterday, people were exiting the Friday Prayer and would congregate by the Mosque door where a person then said: ‘impart salutations upon the Prophet!’ (sallu `ala’l-nabi). In response to that, another person then said, ‘be quiet! To say this is bid`ah!’ My question: is this bidah or not? May Allah give you good and reward.
Answer:
الجواب:
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته،
قول ذاك الرجل “صلوا على النبي” على باب المسجد ليس بدعة، وذلك لأن البدعة هي مخالفة أمر الشارع الذي وردت له كيفية أداء، فالبدعة لغة كما في لسان العرب: “المبتدع الّذي يأتي أمراً على شبهٍ لم يكن…، وأبدعت الشّيء: اخترعته لا على مثالٍ”. وهي في الاصطلاح كذلك، أي أن يكون هناك “مثال” فعله الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ويأتي المسلم بخلافه، وهذا يعني مخالفة كيفية شرعية بيَّنها الشرع لأداء أمر شرعي، وهذا المعنى هو مدلول الحديث. «وَمَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ» [البخاري ومسلم]. وهكذا فإن من سجد ثلاثاً في صلاته بدل اثنتين فقد جاء ببدعة، لأنه خالف فعل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ومن رمى ثماني حصيات بدلاً من سبع على جمرات منى فقد جاء ببدعة لأنه كذلك خالف فعل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ومن زاد على ألفاظ الأذان أو أنقص منها فقد جاء ببدعة لأنه خالف الأذان الذي أقره رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Wa `alaykum al-salam;
That person saying, ‘impart salutations upon the Prophet!’ (sallu `ala ’l-nabi) is not bid`ah. This is because ‘bid`ah’ is something that is contrary to the command of the legislator that has a specific way of it being performed. The term ‘bid`ah’ linguistically as recorded in theLisan al-`Arab [s: of Ibn Manzur] is: The term ‘al-Mubtada`’ (‘that which is newly innovated’) is something that is brought without a previous likeness. Hence, to say, ibtada`tu ’l-shay’ (‘I innovated something’): ikhtara`tuhu la `ala mithal (‘I invented it without a likeness’). And likewise in the case of the technical definition, i.e. where there is an action the Messenger of Allah did and a Muslim then comes and does an action contrary to that. In other words, it is when the shari`ah manner in which an action has been clarified by the Lawgiver (shar`) to carry out a shar`i command and this is the meaning in the hadith that reads: “Whoever does and action that not based on our commands is rejected”. [Bukhari, Sahih (#2907)] Thus, as an example, if a person performs three acts of prostration (sajdah) instead of two then he has committed an act of bid`ah because he has acted contrary to the way the Messenger of Allah had specifically performed it. Whoever throws eight stones instead of seven at Jamarat in Mina [s: during the Hajj circuit] then he has committed an act of bid`ah because again he has acted contrary to the manner and way in which the Messenger of Allah performed it. Another example is if one adds or subtracts from the words of the adhan (‘call to prayer’) because to do that would be to act contrary to how the Messenger of Allah has affirmed it to be.
أما مخالفة أمر الشارع الذي لم ترد له كيفية أداء، فهي تقع في الأحكام الشرعية، فيقال عنها حرام، أو مكروه… إن كان خطاب تكليف، أو يقال باطل أو فاسد… إن كان خطاب وضع، وذلك حسب القرينة المصاحبة للأمر فمثلاً: أخرج مسلم عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها وهي تصف صلاة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «… وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ لَمْ يَسْجُدْ، حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ قَائِمًا، وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السَّجْدَةِ، لَمْ يَسْجُدْ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ جَالِسًا… » فهنا بيّن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم أن المسلم بعد أن يرفع من الركوع لا يسجد حتى يستوي قائما، وإذا رفع من السجود لا يسجد السجدة الأخرى حتى يستوي جالساً، فهذه كيفية بينها الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، فالذي يخالفها يكون قد أتى ببدعة، فإذا قام المُصلي من الركوع ثم سجد قبل أن يستوي قائماً فيكون قد أتى ببدعة لأنه خالف كيفية بينها الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهذه البدعة ضلالة وصاحبها آثم إثما كبيرا.
لكن مثلاً أخرج مسلم عن عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ: إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَنْهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ، وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ، وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ، وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ، وَالتَّمْرِ بِالتَّمْرِ، وَالْمِلْحِ بِالْمِلْحِ، إِلَّا سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ، عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ، فَمَنْ زَادَ، أَوِ ازْدَادَ، فَقَدْ أَرْبَى»، فلو خالف مسلم هذا الحديث فباع الذهب بالذهب بزيادة، وليس وزناً بوزن، فلا يقال إنه أتى بدعة، بل يقال إنه ارتكب حراماً، أي الربا
As for contravening a command of the Legislator that does not have a specified manner in which to fulfil it, then it falls under the area of ahkam shar`iyyah (‘Islamic legal rulings’) which can be haram or makruh or mubah if it is a khitab taklifi (‘prescriptive legal communication’) or batil or fasid if it is a khitab wad`i (‘descriptive legal communication’) This depends on the contextual indications (qara’in) whether in the form of a decisive command (jazm), preferential command (tarjih) or optional command (takhyir) […] however, another example is what Muslim narrates from `Ubadah Ibn al-Samit who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt – like for like, equal for equal, and hand-to-hand; if the commodities differ, then you may sell as you wish, provided that the exchange is hand-to-hand”. [Muslim, Sahih (#1584)] If a Muslim opposes this hadith and transacts gold with gold with increase and not equal to equal, it cannot be said that he has committed bid`ah, rather it would be said he has performed something unlawful , i.e. he has undertaken a usurious transaction.
والخلاصة: أن مخالفة الكيفية التي يبينها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هي بدعة، ومخالفة الأمر المطلق للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم دون بيان الكيفية يقع في الأحكام الشرعية: الحرام والمكروه… الباطل والفاسد… وذلك حسب الدليل.
وفي سؤالك فإن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يبين كيفية الكلام المصاحب للخروج من المسجد بعد صلاة الجمعة، ولذلك فقول ذلك المسلم وهو خارج من المسجد “صلوا على النبي” لا يقع في باب البدعة، بل يدرس ضمن الأحكام الشرعية، وهو جائز لا شيء فيه، بل له أجر وفق نيته إن شاء الله.
أخوكم عطاء بن خليل أبو الرشتة
In summary: acting contrary to the specific manner in which the Messenger of Allah has clarified act to be implemented or carried out is bid`ah whereas acting contrary to a general command of the Messenger of Allah that has no specific manner by which to implement it or carry it out falls under the general shari`ah rulings such as harammakruhbatilfasid, etc. based on the evidence.
As for your question, the Messenger of Allah has not clarified a specific manner in which to speak when leaving the Mosque after the Friday Prayer therefore the statement of the Muslim, ‘impart salutations upon the Prophet!’ (sallu `ala’l-nabi), does not fall under bid`ah but falls within the area of general shari`ah rulings and is permitted and there is nothing wrong with it; instead he will be rewarded for doing so according to his intention – insha’allah.
From your brother,
`Ata’ Ibn Khalil Abu Rashtah

Comments

Anonymous said…
Assalamu alaikum for you article.


1) you mentioned in your conclusion that prophet saw has not prescribed a method of exiting masjid. However, we know that there is dua for entry and exiting masjid, so doesn't making salutation contradicts the duas and will it then not be bidah.

2)some say scholars duch imam Shafi and Imam nawai divided bidah into 5 categories, is this correct.

3) is there any tafsir on the hadith you mentioned regarding whatever not on our command is rejected.

4) can you clarify issues such as celebrating 15th Shaban, or saying jummah mubarak, or eid Mubarak whether it is bidah.

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