Reasons for the spread of Bid'ah

• Not applying the Shari'ah of Allah, and being content with other than it. Allah says: (O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad) and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger () if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.) (4:59)
• Not applying the Sunnah of the Prophet and abandoning it. The more a person strays away from the observance of Sunnah practices, the closer he would be to the Bid'ah. The Sunnah of the Prophet is rich with his actions, statements and approvals. There is no need for a person to resort to applying Bid'ah practices. The Prophet said: 'I have indeed left two things with which you will not go astray; the Book of Allah, and My Sunnah; they will not part until I meet them at the Hawdh.' (Haakim #319)
• *Not applying or pondering the meanings of the Qur'an, and using it as a means of attaining blessings; and abandoning the remembrance of Allah, and not wanting to educate oneself in matters of Deen. Allah, the Exalted, says: (And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this Qur'an and worship of Allah) We appoint for him Shaitan (Satan - devil) to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him.) (43:36)
• Rejecting the truth, and not accepting it, Allah says: (And when it is said to him, "Fear Allah", he is led by arrogance to (more) crime. So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest!) (2:206)
• *Appointing pseudo-scholars. The Prophet said: 'Allah does not remove knowledge by snatching it from his slaves. He does so, by collecting scholars (by death) until when no scholar is left, people will take for themselves ignorant leaders who will be consulted, and they will issue Fatawa (religious verdicts) without knowledge, and will misguide people and they themselves will be misguided.' (Bukhari #100)
• Seeking knowledge from books alone and not attending the sessions of scholars. It has been said: 'Whoever's 'Sheik' is his book (i.e. he depends solely on books to gain knowledge) his errors would be more than his accuracies. One should abstain from reading books which raise doubtful points. Umar b. al-Khat'taab, with whom Allah is pleased, was reading a letter which he had received from some of the People of the Book, and the Prophet was angry and said: 'Are you uncertain about it (i.e. the Deen) O son of Khat'taab? By the One in Whose hand is my life, I have brought to you the Shari'ah which is clear-cut and chaste. Do not ask them about anything; for they may inform you with the truth and you would disbelieve it, or they would inform you with falsehood and you would believe it. By the One in Whose hand is my life, were Musa alive he would have no choice but to follow me.' (Ahmed #15195)
• Not spreading sound knowledge; such that the scholars would remain aloof from people, silent and not convey the knowledge that they have. Allah, the Exalted, says: (Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers. Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.) (2:159-160)
• Extremism and fanaticism in Deen. This is one of the reasons why Bid'ah and Shirk (polytheism) spread among people. The Prophet said: 'Beware of extremism in Deen, for indeed those before you were destroyed due to their extremism in Deen.' (Ibn Hib'ban #3871)
• Depending on the intellect to deduce rulings in matters of Deen. Allah, the Exalted says: (It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any reservation in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.) (33:36)
• Following one's whims and desires, Allah says: (Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (god) and Allah knowing (him as such) left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?) (45:23)
• Blindly following men's opinions and imitating people in matters of Deen, while this is not based on knowledge and proper guidance, and not referring these issues to the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of his Prophet. Allah says: (When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?) (2:170)
• Befriending evil people and keeping evil company. Allah says: (And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, and he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad). "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! "He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur'an) after it had come to me. And Shaitan (Satan) is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need.) (25:27-29)



• Not ordering with the good and forbidding evil. Allah says: (Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.) (3:104)
• The Prophet said: 'No Prophet was commissioned among previous nations except that he had helpers and aids, and companions who would apply that Prophet's Sunnah. After them came a people whose statements were contrary to their actions, and whose actions were contrary to their commands. So whoever fights them with his hands, he is a believer, and whoever fights them with his tongue, he is a believer, and whoever fights them with his heart, he is a believer, and there is no Iman beyond that.' (Muslim #50)
• Following dubious texts in the Shari'ah, which the general public does not understand. Allah says: (It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur'an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkam (commandments, etc.), Al-Fara'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Rubb." And none receive admonition except men of understanding.) (3:7)
• Leniency in the issue of al-Wala and al-Bara (loving and hating for the sake of Allah). It includes loving the enemies of Allah for this love would lead to emulating them. Abu Waqid al-Laithi, with whom Allah is pleased, said: 'When the Prophet conquered Makkah, we went out with him (before the battle with the tribe of Hawazin) until we passed by a lote-tree called 'Dhat Anwaat' which the unbelievers were beseeching and calling upon. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, assign for us 'Dhat Anwaat' as they have! The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah is the Greatest! The Children of Israel asked Musa, 'Assign for us a god similar to theirs! Indeed you are a people who know not.' Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah said: 'Indeed you will emulate and follow those before you.' (Ibn Hib'ban #6702)
• Exerting effort to reach a ruling or conclusion in issues which do not require such, and deducing issues from textual proofs which are not relevant. It should also be known that there are Hadeeth which are not authentic, as there are fabricated traditions, which one should be aware of and should not spread around, nor use as proof in any issue.
  There are also the weak Hadeeth. Some scholars legalized using these Hadeeth to encourage people to do virtuous deeds, as long as these Hadeeth do not contradict authentic Hadeeth. But these weak Hadeeth cannot be used in establishing acts of worship. Acts of worship are established through authentic Hadeeth which have been authentically narrated from the Prophet.

Warning and Admonition

Abdullah ibn ad-Dailami said: 'It has reached me that the Deen would fragment and become lost by abandoning the Sunnah. People would abandon Sunnah practice after Sunnah practice, just as a rope would become weaker and weaker.' (Ad-Darimi #98) ...