Beware of innovations during Ramadan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين و الصلاة و السلام على رسوله الكريم على نبينا محمد و على اله و صحبه و سلم تسليما كثيرا أما بعد

Musa Millington
date Fri, Jul 22, 2011

I ask Allah ta'ala, the mighty, to bless us all with a beneficial Ramadan. A Ramadan in which we would inculcate the noble characteristic of piety. Allah has said:

يأيها الذين امنوا كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

"Oh ye who believe fasting has been prescribed upon you like those before you so that you may gain piety."

One of the many definitions of taqwa (piety) is to obey Allah in what he has legislated and to distance oneself from what he has prohibited wanting by this the pleasure of Allah.

From the matters which have been forbidden in the legislation is innovation (بدعة). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said in the Hadeeth of 'Irbaad Ibn Saariyah:

"و إياكم و محدثات الأمور فإن كل محدثة بدعة و كل بدعة ضلالة و كل ضلالة في النار"

And beware of newly invented matters in this religion. For every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every (person of) misguidance is in the hellfire.

And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said pertaining to the one begins the innovation:

"من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد"

Whoever innovates in this matter of ours it is rejected.

And he said pertaining to the one who acts upon the innovation:

"من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد"

Whoever does an action that is not from our actions it is rejected.

My dear readers, without doubts these conclusive proofs show that every single innovation is misguidance and that there is no such thing as good innovation (بدعة حسنة) because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said :

"و كل بدعة ضلالة"

And every innovation is misguidance.

This, me dear readers, is a general description about what innovation is and one has to bring clear, distinct evidence from either the Qur'an and the Sunnah to prove that the above statements of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) are to be taken out of its generality.

An important principle taken from the above Hadeeth is the statement:

"الأصل في العبادات المنع"

The basis of all worship is that they are prohibited (unless proven Halaal).

Therefore, it is unlawful to venture into any act of worship unless there is clear evidence to do that worship. For example we worship Allah through making Thikr (الذكر). However this Thikr has to be done in the manner which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) did it. And it is unlawful to do it in a manner otherwise. Whether it is through dancing, singing (like what is found in the Anasheed) and otherwise.

On this note I will simply list some of the innovations that become apparent before and during Ramadan so that our Muslim brothers and sisters be on the alert:

1. Moon-sighting using calculations. This is an innovation of the Raafidah Shee'ah as Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani stated in Fath Ul Baari. And this goes contradictory to the Hadeeth in Bukhari and Muslim where the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

"صوموا لرؤيته و أفطروا لرؤيته"

Fast by seeing it and break the fast by seeing it.

Therefore the moon-sighting has been ascribed to sight rather than calculation in the Shar'iah.

If a person says: "Well in the Prophet's time they did not calculate the moon due to their incapability"

We say to them, Ya Akhii, without doubt calculations for different things were used in the Prophet's time. Two examples of this are Zakaah and Inheritance. Therefore, this statement is completely incorrect.

2. Articulating the intention for Ramadaan (Nawaitu An Asuuma Yauma Ghadin ....)

This has no evidence, neither the Qur'an nor the Sunnah. Rather the intention is the decision made in the heart first. Hence, once a person's intention is in his heart it is not required of him to recite the intention aloud. Rather his actions would show his intention.

3. Making the time to stop eating the Suhoor different from the time of Dawn. On many calenders we see: Time to stop eating. And in a separate column: Time for dawn. This goes in direct contradiction with the Qur'an where Allah has said:

"و كلوا واشربوا حتى يتبين لكم الخيط الأبيض من الخيط الأسود من الفجر"

"And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn is separate from the black thread. "

Allah permitted for the Muslims to eat until dawn. And he did not say stop eating five or ten minutes before dawn.

4. Delaying breaking the fast beyond sunset. We see imams give a talk, then make a long du'a and five minutes after the sun has set the Mu'adhin calls the Adhan and everyone breaks the fast. And this is contrary to the Hadeeth in Saheeh Bukhari where the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

"لا يزال الناس بخير ما عجلوا الفطر"

The people would remain upon good once they hurry in breaking the fast.

5. Congregational Du'a in breaking the fast. Where we see Imams raising their hands with the rest of the Jama'ah and then they break the fast. This has no basis whatsoever in the Sunnah. Rather the Muslim he says Bismillah then eats.

And as for the du'as for breaking the fast many of them are weak. Wallahu Musta'aan.

6. Tasbeeh for Taraweeh. (Subhana Zil Mulki Wal Malakoot) after every 4 Raka'ah. This has no basis in the Sunnah.

7. Making Du'a Khatmul Qur'an in congregation on the 27th night. This has two issues:

i. Making the Du'a Khatmul Qur'an in congregation. This is not from the Sunnah of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم). Rather there are Aathar of Anas Ibn Malik doing it outside of prayer. Meaning that after he finished reading the Qur'an he used to gather his family and make Du'a with his family.

As for those who wish to make it seem that I accuse the 'Ulama of Bid'ah by putting this, this is the information given to me by Shaikh Hasan Ibn Abdul Wahhab Al Banna when I called him about three years ago pertaining to the issue.

ii. Doing so on the 27th night. The fact is that we are not even sure whether or not the 27th night is Lailatul Qadr. As we were told by the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) to seek out the night of Qadr in the last ten nights. And in another narration in the last 7 nights (Bukhari, Muslim)

8. Visiting the graves on the day of 'Eed. Although visiting the graves is a Sunnah, to make this visit specific on certain occasions such as the 15th of Sha'baan and the day of 'Eid makes this a type of innovation called (بدعة إضافية) or where the innovation has one aspect of Sunnah but because it does not fulfill one of the conditions of worship it becomes an innovation. In this case it is putting forward a specific time for an act of worship in which there is no specific time for.

And Allah knows best.