Taking Part in Bid‘a for the Sake of Reform

Question

In some places — quite apart from [the division into] Deobandi and Barelvi, merely because of blind imitation of one’s forefathers — certain bid‘as (innovations in religion) have been imbibed so deeply, as if with mother’s milk, that if someone forbids them, the one forbidding is regarded as devoid of love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Answer

After taking part in bid‘as for someone’s sake, reforming gradually becomes difficult; indeed, even the fact that the bid‘as are bid‘as slips out of one’s mind, and then no thought of reform remains either. And even if it does remain, no resolve remains to forbid the common people from that which one has confirmed by one’s own practice; and if one does forbid it, people by no…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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