Bidʿah and acceptance of a report

Two categories and conditions of acceptance Read the bilingual lesson for Bidʿah and acceptance of a report and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Introduction

Giving something religious status on one’s own authority, or lowering the status of a religious matter, are examples in this lesson. We will study how a narrator’s bidʿah relates to accepting his report: • What does bidʿah mean here? • How do its two categories differ? • In which case are two conditions stated for accepting a report?

2. The meaning of bidʿah

Bidʿah is a belief or practice introduced or adopted as religion after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Companions and the Successors. Here the discussion concerns a narrator’s deviant beliefs. • This is the ninth cause in the studied list of reasons for unreliability. • Something merely being new is not the whole definition; its adoption as religion is also part of it. 1. Lexical background: the root carries meanings of producing, newly inventing and being without a parallel.

3. Bidʿah mukaffirah

Bidʿah mukaffirah is a belief that entails disbelief. The nature of the belief is central to this category. • We are studying a classification of beliefs. • We will then study the stated ruling concerning transmission. • Memorizing this definition does not authorize a judgment on a particular person. 1. Belief: a proposition a person holds as part of their creed.

4. Examples of bidʿah mukaffirah

Examples in this category include belief in: • God indwelling in ʿAlī. • Alteration of the Qur’an. • Denial of the finality of prophethood. • Denial of, or belief contrary to, a religious ruling transmitted by tawātur and widely known. 1. Ḥulūl: here, belief that God entered or indwelled in ʿAlī. 2. Alteration of the Qur’an: here, belief that the Qur’an has been changed. 3. Finality of prophethood: no new prophet comes after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. 4. Transmitted by tawātur and widely known: both descriptions qualify the religious ruling in this example.

5. Bidʿah mufassiqah

Bidʿah mufassiqah is a belief or practice that entails sinfulness and deviation. Its examples include: • Giving a matter religious status on one’s own authority. • Lowering the standing of a religious matter. This definition includes practice as well as belief. 1. Fisq: departure from religious obedience into disobedience. 2. Religious matter: a religious ruling or a matter with religious standing.

6. The transmission ruling for each category

• Bidʿah mukaffirah: the report of a narrator who holds it is not a valid proof. • Bidʿah mufassiqah: the narrator’s report is reliable subject to two conditions. The two categories do not have the same stated ruling. Acceptance in the second category must not be separated from its conditions. 1. One who holds or commits it: a person to whom that belief or practice pertains. 2. Ḥujjah: a report that can be relied upon as evidence.

7. First condition: not inviting others to it

The first condition concerning bidʿah mufassiqah is that the narrator does not invite people to that bidʿah. • This concerns the narrator’s activity in promoting it. • It is not enough merely to know that the report’s wording does not discuss it. • The second condition, concerning the report itself, must also be satisfied.

8. Second condition: the report must not establish or strengthen it

The second condition is that the report neither establishes that bidʿah nor strengthens it. • Establishing: the report serves as evidence for that bidʿah. • Strengthening: it supports or reinforces that bidʿah. Both effects must be absent. If the narrator does not promote it but the report strengthens it, the two stated conditions have not both been met.

9. Summary: category and conditions

• Bidʿah in this discussion concerns a defect relating to the narrator’s beliefs. • Bidʿah mukaffirah is a belief entailing disbelief; its holder’s report is not a valid proof. • Bidʿah mufassiqah is a belief or practice entailing sinfulness and deviation; acceptance is stated with two conditions. • The narrator does not invite others to it. • The report neither establishes nor strengthens it. Meeting one condition does not mean that both have been met.

Practice questions

Question 1

Is merely being new the full definition of bidʿah here?

  • Yes; every new thing fits.
  • No; introducing or adopting it as religion is also part of the definition.
  • No; it only means not knowing the narrator’s name.

Question 2

Which definition was given for bidʿah mukaffirah?

  • A belief that entails disbelief.
  • Weakness in a narrator’s memory.
  • Mentioning a narrator by an unfamiliar name.

Question 3

A belief or practice entailing sinfulness and deviation defines which category?

  • Majhūl al-ḥāl
  • Majhūl al-ʿayn
  • Bidʿah mufassiqah

Question 4

For which category are two conditions stated here for the narrator’s report?

  • Bidʿah mukaffirah
  • Bidʿah mufassiqah
  • Both have exactly the same ruling.

Question 5

What does the first acceptance condition concern?

  • The narrator does not invite others to that bidʿah.
  • The report is very short.
  • The narrator’s name is less familiar.

Question 6

Which statement gives the complete second condition?

  • It must not establish the bidʿah; strengthening it does not matter.
  • The narrator does not promote it; the report’s content need not be considered.
  • The report neither establishes nor strengthens that bidʿah.

Question 7

The narrator does not promote it, but the report strengthens it. Are both conditions met?

  • Yes, non-promotion alone is enough.
  • No, the second condition is not met.
  • Yes, if the narrator’s name is known.

Open the interactive quiz