The quote by Imaam Malik is found in
al-I'tisaam by Imam Ash-Shaatibi.
Salaam
lets not forget about Imam Shafee on Bidaa
As-shafi says, " Bid'a is of two types: Praiseworthy (good) and blameworthy (bad), that which is agreeable with Sunnah that is good and that which is disagreeable with it is bad."
peace.
I think it's necessary that this statement is explained by none other than Ibn Hajar himself who clarifies that Imaam ash-Shafiee was speaking in terms of linguistics and not the
shari'i definition:
Ibn Hajar on
bid'ah as in '
Fath (13/314+)
Kitaabul-I'tisaam, Chapter: Following The
Sunan of The Prophet (
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).
"His saying,
'and the worst of matters are the newly invented matters….': …and
muhadathaat means the newly invented matters that have no basis in the
sharee'ah, and they are called according to the convention of the
sharee'ah '
bid'ah', and that which has a basis in the sharee'ah that would prove it then it is not a
bid'ah. So
bid'ah in the convention of the
sharee'ah is blameworthy in contravention to the language,
for linguistically every thing that is newly invented, be it blameworthy or praiseworthy, is called bid'ah….and ash-Shaafi'ee said, 'bid'ah is of two types….' Reported by Abu Nu'aym via the route of Ibraaheem Ibn Junayd, and there occurs from ash-Shaafi'ee also what is reported by al-Bayhaqee in his 'Manaaqib', 'the newly invented matters are of two types…' end. And some of the scholars divided
bid'ah into the five categories of
ahkaam and this is clear.
And it is established from Ibn Mas'ood that he said,'indeed you have matured upon the fitrah, but indeed you shall innovate, and things shall be innovated for you, so when you see the innovations then stick to the original guidance'….And Imaam Ahmad reported with a good
sanad from Ghadeef Ibnul-Haarith who said, 'al-Malik Ibn Marwaan sent (someone) to me and he said: indeed we gather the people for two matters: raising the hands (for
du'aa) upon the
minbar on the day of
jumu'ah, and giving exhortations after the
fajr and '
asr prayers.
So he said: as for these two, then they are examples of your innovations in my opinion and I will not accept anything of them from you because the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, 'a people do not introduce an innovation except that a sunnah the likes of it is raised (i.e. forgotten and neglected)' and sticking to the sunnah is better then introducing a bid'ah'. So if this was the answer of this Sahaabee concerning a matter that has a basis in the religion, then what do you think the case would be concerning a matter that has no basis in the religion?
And how about when it includes things that contradict the sunnah?….and this matter (of giving exhortations) was present during the time of the Prophet (
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) but it was not done constantly like the
jumu'ah khutbah rather it was done as the need dictated.
And as for his saying in the
hadeeth of al-Irbaadh,
'indeed every bid'ah is a misguidance' after saying,
'and beware of the newly invented matters' proves that newly invented matters are called bid'ah. And his saying, 'and indeed every bid'ah is misguidance' is a complete sharee'ah principle both in wording and understanding. As for in wording then it is as if it is said, 'the ruling of such and such is that it is a bid'ah and every bid'ah is a misguidance' and so it would not be from the sharee'ah because the sharee'ah, in it's totality, is guidance….and the meaning of his words 'every
bid'ah is a misguidance' is that which has been introduced that has no evidence in either a specific or general way…..Ibn 'Abdis Salaam said at the end of
'al-Qawaa'id':
bid'ah is of five classifications…[mentioning the five and some examples of them]"
[End of Ibn Hajar's words]
wr wb,