DctaI!

cd dIscussInn nf bId'ah and shIrk

QucstInn:
Can ve caII peopIe vho do shiik and lid'ah MusIins`
Answcr:
This queslion invoIves lvo issues, oidan (innovalion) and snir|(poIylheisn,
associalion of olheis vilh AIIah).
A. BId'ah
This issue nay le divided inlo lhiee lopics:
1. Definilion of lidah
2. Calegoiies of lidah
3. RuIings on one vho connils lidah - does lhal nake hin a kafii oi nol`
1. DcfInItInn nf bId'ah
Shaykh Muhannad iln 'Ulhayneen (nay AIIah have neicy on hin) said:
Accoiding lo Shaii'ah, lhe definilion is 'Woishipping AIIah in vays lhal
AIIah has nol piesciiled. If you vish you nay say, 'Woishipping AIIah in
vays lhal aie nol lhose of lhe Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah le upon
hin) oi his iighlIy guided successois (a|-|nu|afaa a|-raasnidccn).
The fiisl definilion is laken fion lhe ayah (inleipielalion of lhe neaning):
Or natc |ncq par|ncrs ui|n A||an (fa|sc gcds) unc natc ins|i|u|cd fcr |ncn a rc|igicn
unicn A||an nas nc| crdaincd? (Quran 42.21)
The second definilion is laken fion lhe hadilh of lhe Iiophel (peace and
lIessings of AIIah le upon hin), vho said:
I uige you lo adheie lo ny vay (Sunnah) and lhe vay of lhe iighlIy-guided
successois (a|-|nu|afa a|-raasnidccn) vho cone aflei ne. HoId fasl lo il and
lile onlo il vilh youi eyeleelh |i.e., cIing fiinIy lo ilj, and levaie of nevIy-
invenled nalleis.
So eveiyone vho voiships AIIah in a nannei lhal AIIah has nol piesciiled oi
in a nannei lhal is nol in accoidance vilh lhe vay of lhe Iiophel (peace and
lIessings of AIIah le upon hin) oi his iighlIy-guided successois (a|-|nu|afa a|-
raasnidccn), is an innovaloi, vhelhei lhal innovaled voiship has lo do vilh
lhe nanes and alliilules of AIIah, oi lo do vilh His iuIings and Iavs.

Wilh iegaid lo oidinaiy nalleis of halil and cuslon, lhese aie nol caIIed
lidah (innovalion) in IsIan, even lhough lhey nay le desciiled as such in
Iinguislic leins. ul lhey aie nol innovalions in lhe ieIigious sense, and lhese
aie nol lhe lhings lhal lhe Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah le upon hin)
vas vaining us againsl.
And lheie is no such lhing in IsIan as oidan nasanan (good innovalion).
(Majnoo Ialaava Iln 'Ulhayneen, voI. 2, p. 291)
2. CatcgnrIcs nf bId'ah
idah nay le divided inlo lvo calegoiies:
(i) idah vhich conslilules |ufr
(ii) idah vhich does nol conslilule |ufr
If you ask, vhal is lhe definilion of lidah vhich conslilules kufi and lhal
vhich does nol conslilule kufi`
Thc answcr Is:
Shaykh Hafiz AI-Hukani (nay AIIah have neicy on hin) said: The kind of
lidah vhich conslilules kufi is vhen one denies a nallei on vhich lheie is
schoIaiIy consensus, vhich videIy-knovn, and vhich no MusIin can have
any excuse foi nol knoving, such as denying sonelhing lhal is olIigaloiy,
naking sonelhing olIigaloiy lhal is nol olIigaloiy, oi naking sonelhing
haiaan haIaaI, oi naking sonelhing haIaaI haiaan, oi leIieving sone nolion
aloul AIIah, His Messengei and His ook vhen lhey aie fai alove lhal,
vhelhei in leins of deniaI of affiinalion - lecause lhal neans disleIieving in
lhe Quian and in lhe nessage vilh vhich AIIah senl His Messengei (peace
and lIessings of AIIah le upon hin).
LxanpIes incIude lhe lidah of lhe }ahaniyyah, vho denied lhe alliilules of
AIIah, oi lhe nolion lhal lhe Quiaan vas ciealed, oi lhe nolion lhal sone of
lhe alliilules of AIIah veie ciealed, oi lhe lidah of lhe Qadaiiyyah vho
denied lhe knovIedge and aclions of AIIah, oi lhe lidah of lhe Mujassinah
vho Iikened AIIah lo His ciealion. elc.
The second calegoiy, lidah vhich does nol conslilule kufi, is defined as lhal
vhich does nol inpIy iejeclion of lhe Quian oi of anylhing vilh vhich AIIah
senl His Messengeis.

LxanpIes incIude lhe Maivaani lidahs (vhich veie denounced ly lhe

giealesl Sahaalah vho did nol appiove of lhen, aIlhough lhey did nol
denounce lhen as kafiis oi iefuse lo give lhen layah lecause of lhal), such
as deIaying sone of lhe piayeis unliI lhe end of lhe due lines, doing lhe Lid
khullah lefoie lhe Lid piayei, deIiveiing lhe khullah vhiIsl silling dovn on
Iiidays, elc.
(Maaarij a|-Quocc|, 2/5O3-5O4)
3- Thc ru!Ing nn nnc whn cnmmIts bId'ah - Is hc rcgardcd as a kafIr nr nnt?
The ansvei is lhal il depends.
If lhe lidah conslilules kufi, lhen lhe peison is one of lhe foIIoving lvo
lypes:
(i) Lilhei il is knovn lhal his inlenlion is lo deslioy lhe foundalions of IsIan
and nake lhe MusIins doull il. Such a peison is definileIy a kafii, indeed, he
is a sliangei lo IsIan and is one of lhe enenies of lhe failh.
(ii) Oi he is deceived and confused, he cannol le denounced as a kafii unliI
pioof is eslalIished againsl hin, faii and squaie.
If lhe lidah does nol conslilule kufi, lhen he shouId nol le denounced as a
kafii. Ralhei, he ienains a MusIin, lul he has done a giaveIy eviI aclion.
If you ask, hov shouId ve deaI vilh lhose vho connil lidah`
The ansvei is:
Shaykh Muhannad iln 'Ulhayneen (nay AIIah have neicy on hin) said:
In lolh cases, ve have lo caII lhese peopIe - vho cIain lo le MusIin lul
vho connil acls of lidah vhich nay conslilule kufi oi nay le Iess lhan lhal
- lo lhe liulh, ly expIaining lhe liulh vilhoul leing hosliIe oi condenning
vhal lhey aie doing. ul once ve knov lhal lhey aie loo aiioganl lo accepl
lhe liulh - foi AIIah says (inleipielalion of lhe neaning), And insu|| nc| |ncsc
uncn |ncq (disoc|ictcrs) ucrsnip ocsidcs A||an, |cs| |ncq insu|| A||an urcngfu||q
ui|ncu| |ncu|cdgc. ja|-Anaan 6.108] - if ve find oul lhal lhey aie slulloin
and aiioganl, lhen ve shouId poinl oul lheii faIsehood, lecause lhen poinling
oul lheii faIsehood lecones an olIigalion upon us.
Wilh iegaid lo loycolling lhen, lhal depends upon lhe lidah. If il is a lidah
vhich conslilules kufi, lhen il is olIigaloiy lo loycoll lhe peison vho does il.
If il is of a Iessei degiee lhan lhal, lhen il is essenliaI lo exanine lhe silualion
fuilhei. If sonelhing nay le achieved ly loycolling lhe peison, lhen ve do
il, if no puipose viII le seived ly il, oi if il viII onIy nake hin noie
disoledienl and aiioganl, lhen ve shouId avoid doing lhal, lecause vhalevei

seives no puipose, il is lellei nol lo do il. And aIso in piincipIe il is haiaan lo

loycoll a leIievei, lecause lhe Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah le upon
hin) said: 'Il is nol peinissilIe foi a nan lo foisake |nol speak loj his liolhei
foi noie lhan lhiee |daysj.
(Adapled fion Majncc |a|aaua |on U|naqnccn, voI. 2, p. 293)
. Snir|, ils lypes and lhe definilion of each
Shaykh Muhannad iln 'Ulhayneen said:
Snir| is of lvo lypes, najoi snir|vhich puls a peison leyond lhe paIe of
IsIan, and Iessei snir|.
The fiisl lype, najoi shiik, is Lveiy lype of snir|vhich lhe Lavgivei
desciiled as such and vhich puls a peison leyond lhe paIe of his ieIigion -
such as devoling any kind of acl of voiship vhich shouId le foi AIIah lo
soneone olhei lhan AIIah, such as piaying lo anyone olhei lhan AIIah, fasling
foi anyone olhei lhan AIIah oi offeiing a saciifice lo anyone olhei lhan AIIah.
Il is aIso a foin of najoi snir| lo offei suppIicalion (duaa) lo anyone olhei
lhan AIIah, such as caIIing upon lhe occupanl of a giave oi caIIing upon one
vho is alsenl lo heIp one in sone vay in vhich no one is alIe lo heIp excepl
AIIah.
The second lype is ninoi snir|, vhich neans eveiy kind of speech oi aclion
lhal IsIan desciiles as snir|, lul il does nol pul a peison leyond lhe paIe of
IsIan - such as sveaiing an oalh ly sonelhing olhei lhan AIIah, lecause lhe
Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah le upon hin) said lhal vhoevei sveais
an oalh ly sonelhing olhei lhan AIIah is guiIly of |ufr oi snir|.
The one vho sveais an oalh ly sonelhing olhei lhan AIIah lul does nol
leIieve lhal anyone olhei lhan AIIah has lhe sane giealness as AIIah, is a
nusnri| vho is guiIly of Iessei snir|, iegaidIess of vhelhei lhe one ly vhon
he svoie is veneialed ly peopIe oi nol. Il is nol peinissilIe lo sveai ly lhe
Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah le upon hin), oi ly lhe piesidenl, oi ly
lhe Kalah, oi ly }ilieeI, lecause lhis is snir|, lul il is ninoi snir|vhich does
nol pul a peison leyond lhe paIe of IsIan.
Anolhei lype of ninoi snir|is shoving off, vhich neans lhal a peison does
sonelhing so lhal peopIe viII see il, nol foi lhe sake of AIIah.
The vays in vhich shoving off nay canceI oul acls of voiship aie eilhei of
lhe foIIoving:
The fiisl is vhen il is appIies lo an acl of voiship fion lhe oulsel, i.e., lhe
peison is nol doing lhal aclion foi any ieason olhei lhan shoving off. In lhis
case, lhe aclion is invaIid and is iejecled, lecause of lhe hadilh of Alu

Huiaiiah vhich vas alliiluled lo lhe Iiophel (peace and lIessings of AIIah
le upon hin), vhich says lhal AIIah said, I an so seIf-sufficienl lhal I an in
no need of having an associale. Thus he vho does an aclion foi soneone
eIses sake as veII as Mine viII have lhal aclion ienounced ly Me lo hin
vhon he associaled vilh Me.
(Naiialed ly MusIin, Ki|aao a|-Zund, no. 2985)
The second is vhen lhe shoving off happens Ialei on duiing lhe acl of
voiship, i.e., lhe aclion is oiiginaIIy foi AIIah, lhen shoving off cieeps inlo il.
This nay le one of lvo cases:
The fiisl is vhen lhe peison iesisls il - lhis does nol hain hin.
Ioi exanpIe, a nan has piayed a iakah, lhen sone peopIe cone aIong duiing
his second iakah and il occuis lo hin lo nake lhe iukoo oi sujood Iongei, oi
nakes hinseIf veep, and so on. If he iesisls lhal, il does nol hain hin,
lecause he is sliiving againsl lhis idea. ul if he goes aIong vilh lhal, lhen
eveiy aclion vhich slenned fion shoving off is invaIid, such as if he nade
his slanding oi pioslialion Iong, oi he nade hinseIf veep - aII of lhose
aclions viII le canceIIed oul. ul does lhis invaIidalion exlend lo lhe enliie
acl of voiship oi nol`
We say lhal eilhei of lhe foIIoving nusl appIy:
Lilhei lhe end of his acl of voiship vas connecled lo lhe leginning (vilh no
pause), so if lhe end of il is invaIidaled lhen aII of il is invaIidaled.
This is lhe case vilh lhe piayei - lhe Iasl pail of il cannol le invaIidaled
vilhoul lhe fiisl pail aIso leing invaIidaled, so lhe vhoIe piayei is invaIid.
Oi if lhe leginning of lhe aclion is sepaiale fion lhe end of il, lhen lhe fiisl
pail is vaIid lul lhe Iallei pail is nol. Whalevei cane lefoie lhe shoving off is
vaIid, and vhal cane aflei il is nol vaIid.
An exanpIe of lhal is a nan vho has a hundied iiyaIs, and gives fifly of lhen
in chaiily foi lhe sake of AIIah vilh a sound inlenlion, lhen he gives fifly in
chaiily foi lhe puipose of shoving off. The fiisl fifly aie accepled, and lhe
second fifly aie nol accepled, lecause lhe Iallei is sepaiale fion lhe foinei.
Majncc |a|aaua ua Rasaai| |on U|naqnccn, and a|-Qau| a|-Mufccd Snarn Ki|aao
a|-Taunccd, voI. 1, p. 114, 1
sl
edilion
Sheikh Mohanned SaIih AI-Munajjid