The Division of Bid‘a

Question

The division of bid‘a which appears in some books — who is the originator of this division? If, supposing, a division into bid‘a hasana, sayyi’a and so on is established, then what will be the answer to the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: [ar]كُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ[/ar] “Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire”?

Answer

In Shami, in Bab al-Imama, the kinds of bid‘a are set out. It is reported from ‘Allama ‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam. Regarding the combined congregation of tarawih there is the saying of Hazrat ‘Umar ﵁: [ar]نِعْمَتِ الْبِدْعَةُ[/ar] “What an excellent innovation!” — for this reason the division into sayyi’a and hasana was made.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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