4. Imitating the Disbelievers

It is one of the most compelling causes leading to bid'ahs. According to the Prophetic hadith narrated on the authority of Abu Waqid Al-Laytht, who said: "We went along with Allah's Messenger (PBUH) to Hunayn. At that time, we were new to Islam. We passed by a lote tree called Dh4tu Anw4l belonging to the polytheists who were intent on devotion to it and they used to hang their arms on it. After that, we passed by a lote tree that we said, '0 Messenger ofAllah!

Make --------- ...~ - ------------------­ ...~~~ ... this tree be for us Dhatu Anwat (a tree to hang our arms on) as the disbelievers have Dhatu Anwat.' The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'Allah is the Greatest! (You have followed the evil) traditions (ofprevious nations). By the One in Whose Hand my life is, you have said the same as the Children of Israel said to Musa (Moses), ~ ••make for us a god just as they have gods: He said, 'Indeed, you are a people traditions ofthose (nations) before you.' " (Related by At-Tirmidhl) According to the aforementioned Prophetic hadith, imitating the practices of the disbelievers drove the Children of Israel and some of the followers of Muhammad (PBUH) to ask for deities besides Allah to be solicited as a source of blessings. People nowadays imitate the disbelievers in acting upon bid' ahs and other practices ofpolytheism such as celebrating birthdays and commemorating specific occasions, sculpturing statues and constructing memorials. They also introduce other innovations in funerals.

Chapter Four Muslim Nation and Innovators The Adherents of the Sunnah and Muslim Community still refute all the arguments of innovators and reject their bid'ahs (acts innovated in religion). They also make it hard for them to practice such bid' ahs. The following are but few examples of the Muslims' stances against such innovations: 1. Ummud-Darda' reported: '1ibud-Darda' entered the house in a rage, so I said to him, 'What makes you angry?' He replied, 'By Allah! I do notfind the followers ofMub.ammad doing (those good things which they used to do before) except offering of congregational prayer.' " 2.

'Amr Ibn Yabya reported on the authority ofhis father that his grandfather (' Amr Ibn Salamah) said: "We were sitting by the door of 'Abdulldh Ibn Mas 'ud before the Subb. (Morning) Prayer waiting for him until he would get out that we could walk with him to the mosque. Abu Musa AI-Ash 'art came to us and said, 'Has Abu 'Abdur-Rab.man (meaning 'Abdullah Ibn Mas 'ud) come to you?' We replied, 'Not yet: So, he sat with us until 'Abdullah Ibn Mas 'ud got out. When he got out, we all stood and Abu MUsa said to him, '0 Abu 'Abdur-Rab.man! I have seen in the mosque something which I disliked, despite the seeming good of what I have seen.' 'Abdullah said, 'What is it?' Abu Musa said, 'Ifyou live, you will see it.' And Abu Musa added, 'I saw in the mosque some people sitting in circles waiting for prayer having pebbles in their hands.

In every circle of those circles, there was a man saying to them, 'Say ~llah is the Greatest' one hundred times'so they would say so. Then, he would say, 'Say 'There is no deity but Allah' one hundred times'so they would say so. After that, he would say, 'Exalt Allah one hundred times' and they would exalt Allah. Thereupon, 'Abdullah said to him, 'Why have you not ordered them to count their evil deeds and guaranteed that nothing oftheir good deeds will be missed?' Then he ('Abdullah) went and we went along with him until he reached one of those circles and stood by them and said, 'What is that thing I see you doing?' They replied, '0 Abu 'Abdur-Rab.man! These are pebbles by which we count (the number ofutterances) declaring the Greatness ofAllah, that there is no deity but Allah, exalting Allah, and praising Allah: He said to them, 'Then count your evil deeds for I guarantee that nothing ofyour good deeds will be missed.

Woe unto you, 0 nation of Muhammad! How rapidly you are going to be ruined! These are his (the Prophet's) Companions who are many; and these are his clothes that have not been tattered yet and his vessels have not been broken yet (he wonders that the Prophet (PBUH) died not long ago and they innovate matters in religion). By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, you either are maintaining a religion that is more guiding than that ofMuh.ammad or you are on a way that leads to going astray!'s They said, '0 Abu 'Abdur-Rahman! By Allah, we intended nothing but good: He said, 'Many are those who intend what is good but do not achieve it!

Allah's Messenger (PBUH) told us that some people will recite the Quriln but it will not excee4 their throats (i.e., they will not act on it). By Allah, I think the most of those people may be from amongst you: Then he ('Abdullah) left them. 'Amr Ibn Salamah added, 'We saw most of those people (circulating in the mosque) fighting us on the Day of(the Battle of) Nahrawan (a place in Iraq) with the Kharijites," (Related by Ad-Darimi) 3. A man came to Imam Malik Ibn Anas (may Allah have mercy on him) and said, "From where should I commence the state of ihram 6?" He said, "You should commence the state ofil1ram from the place assigned by the Prophet (PBUH)." The man asked again, "What if I observe ihram from a remoter place?" Thereupon, Malik replied, ''] do not agree with that view." Then the man asked, "What is detestable in that?" Malik answered, ''] am afraid that you may fall into error." The man asked, "What error may be expected if I do more than what is obligatory?" Malik said, ''Almighty Allah says, ~ •• So let those beware who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's] order, lest fltnah strike them or a painful punishment: (Quran: An -Nu.r: 63) What error may be held graver than innovating an additional good deed not enacted by Allah's Messenger (PBUH)." These are but a few examples of innovative bid'ahs which are always rejected by scholars everywhere and at all times. Chapter Five Refuting the Arguments of Innovators: Methodology of the Adherents of the Sunnah and Muslim Community The methodology of the Adherents of the Sunnah and Muslim Community in refuting the arguments of heretics and innovators was mainly based on the Ever-Glorious Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).

They usually cite the relevant misconceptions of heretics and innovators and then refute them through proofs derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, which necessitate abiding by the acts and practices of the Prophet and abandoning all innovations and heresies. In addition, the Adherents of the Sunnah and Muslim Community authored a number of books on such topics. They also refuted the misconceptions of Shiites, Kharijites, Al-Jahmiyyah, Mutazilites and Ash' ariyyah with regard to the Principles of Faith and Creed. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal wrote his Ar-Rad 'Ala AI-/ahmiyyah' (Refutation of AI-/ahmiyyah). Other prominent scholars such as 'Uthman Ibn Sa'id Ad-Darimi, Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and his disciple Ibnul-Qayyim, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab and others confuted the doctrines of such sects in addition to the false tenets ofSufis.

As for treatises written for refuting the views ofheretics and innovators, they are numerous and may, for instance, include the following: 1. AI-I'ti5.dm (the Book of Adherence) by Ash-Shatibi 2. Iqtidd' N-Siratul-Mustaqim (The Indispensable Requisite for the Straight Path) by Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. He dedicated a large amount of this book for disproving the heretics' views. 3. InkarAI-Hawadith wal-Bida' (Renunciation of Fables and Bid'ahs) by IbnWaddah. 4.

AI-Hawddith wal-Bida' (Fables and Bid'ahs) by A!-l'artOshi. 5. AI-Bd'ith 'aid Inkar AI-Bida' wal-Hawddith (Motives for Renouncing Bid 'ahs and Fables) by Abu Shamah. There are also a number of modern treatises written for the same purpose sumas: 1. AI-Ibdd 'fl Maddrul-Ibtidd' (The Perfection in Demonstrating the Evils of Bid' ahs) by Sheikh 'Ali Mahftiz. ... --~ ... ----------------­ 2. As-Sunan wal-Mubtada'dt AI-Muta 'aliqah bil-Adhkar was-Salawdt (Practices in the Sunnah and Bid' ahs Related to Words ofRemembrance and Prayers) by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ash-Shuqiri Al-Hawamidi. 3.

At-Tahdhfr minal-Bida' (Warning against Bid'ahs) by Sheikh 'Abdul­ , Aziz Ibn Biz. Muslim scholars still denounce all forms of bid'ahs and refute all arguments raised by heretics and innovators through articles published in newspapers and magazines, by speeches broadcasted through radio stations, and by sermons, lectures and symposia. All these means play an influential role in warning people against bid'ahs and heretics, and in refuting their views. Chapter Six Living Examples of Bid 'ahs Nowadays The following are examples of innovated matters proliferating nowadays: 1. Commemorating the Prophet's birthday