Imam Ibn Athir, al-Nihayah fi Garib al-Hadith wa al-Athar

Imam Ibn Athir, al-Nihayah fi Garib al-Hadith wa al-Athar, Publish: Dar al-Ihyah al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon

Imam Imam Ibn Athir said: “Bid`a is two kinds: the bid`a of guidance and the bid`a of misguidance (bid`atu hudâ wa-bid`atu d.alala). Whatever contravenes the command of Allah and His Messenger : that is within the sphere of blame and condemnation. And whatever enters into the generality of what Allah or His Prophet commended or stressed: that is within the sphere of praise. Whatever has no precedent such as extreme generosity or goodness – such are among the praiseworthy acts. It is impermissible that such be deemed to contravene the Law because the Prophet has stipulated that such would carry reward when he said: “Whoever institutes a good practice in Islâm (man sanna fil-islami sunnatan h.asana) has its reward and the reward of all those who practice it.” And he said, conversely, “whoever institutes a bad practice in Islam (waman sanna fil-islami sunnatan sayyi’atan) bears its onus and the onus of all those who practice it.” [Narrated from Jarir Ibn Abd Allah al-Bajali by Muslim] Such is when the act goes against what Allah and His Messenger commanded…. It is in this sense that the hadith “every innovation is misguidance” [Bukhari, Muslim] is understood: he means, whatever contravenes the bases of the Law and does not concur with the Sunna.” [Imam Ibn Athir, al-Nihayah fi Garib al-Hadith wa al-Athar, Volume 001, Page 106-7]