Refutation of Good Bidah (Saying of Umar bin Al Khattab

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hlul Bidah use the statement of Good Bidah by Umar bin Al Khattab (ra) to show that bidah
has various interpretation which is far from true since anything that supports sunnah or
revives is bidah hasanah & anything that opposes it is bidah dalalah
The issue raised by the Ahlul Bidah against Ahlus Sunnah is the congregational
prayer of Taraweeh which was done by Umar (RA) and the Opponents; upon the
statement of Umar:
States not every state Umar (RA) introduced the congregational Jamaath to Ummah.
By this statement.
Bidah has various interpretations and its linguistic and the interpretation of Shariah
both are different:
a) Imam Ibne Katheer said:
Mujahid and As-Suddi said that this is the linguistic meaning, for all new matters are called
Bid`ah. Muslim recorded the Messenger of Allah saying,
(.every innovation (in religion) is a Bid`ah.)
There are two types of Bid`ah, religious, as mentioned in the Hadith:
(.every innovation is a Bid`ah and every Bid`ah is heresy ...)
And there is a linguistic Bid`ah, such as the statement of the Leader of the
faithful `Umar bin Al-Khattab when he gathered the Muslims to pray the Tarawih
prayer in congregation (which was also an earlier practice of the Prophet ) and said,
"What a good Bid`ah this is.''[Tafsir of Surah al-Baqrah ayah 117]
b) Imaam ash-Shaatibee (rahima-hullaah) mentions:
Linguistically bid'ah (innovation) means 'a newly invented matter'. And in Shariah he
defines as follows and in the case of Shairah is as given below :

Thus "A newly invented way [beliefs or action] in the religion, in imitation of the
Sharee'ah (prescribed Law), by which nearness to Allaah is sought, [but] not being
supported by any authentic proof - neither in its foundations, nor in the manner in
which it is performed)).[Ref : al-I'tisaam of ash-Shaatibee (1/37)]
In order to understand thi we need to :
1. Narrate the whole hadith in full , not just the portion :
2. Are there any reference from Quran and hadith for this action of Umar (RA)
3 The need and circumstance at the time of the Prophet to the time of Umar Bin Al
Khattaab (RA) .
Point 1:

Ibn Shihab said, "Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing that (i.e.
Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was during the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate." 'Abdur Rahman
bin 'Abdul Qari said, "I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in
Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man
praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar said, 'In my
opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari
(Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to
congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in his
company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked,
'What an excellent Bid'a , this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep
at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last
part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night."
From the hadith we come to know the following points:
1.
Prophet
(SAW)
passed
away.
2.
People
did
keep
praying
Qi
yam
Ramadan
in
mosques
3. Umar gathered the people under one Imaam (Ubayy bin Ka'b)
4. Umar comments and then compares this act to the people who prayed between
those
who
were
sleeping
5. Reference from Quran and Hadith for this act of Sahaba:
As already mentioned Sunnah is not what Prophet (SAW) did , but also his
commands and approval also:
The narration which already provided is enough to state that this act is a Sunnah and
not any innovation in religion.

I urge you to adhere to my Sunnahs and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided

khaleefahs after me"
So its the command of Rasoolullah to obey the Khulafau Rashideen , and this
command is from the Sunnah :

(59. O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those of you who
are in authority. If you differ in anything among 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"
Now Quran asks us to obey Allah and his messenger and also those who are in
authority? Umar Bin Al Khattab was indeed the authoritative figure in Islam and did he go
anything to the Sunnah From the first proof itself its understood, its not against the Sunnah,
Further we can add to more evidences for this act:
Proof 3: Prophet himself performed Salathul Taraweeh in Jamat

1077 -

)
. (

Narrated 'Urwa:
That he was informed by 'Aisha, "Allah's Apostle went out in the middle of the night
and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed behind him. In the morning, the
people spoke about it and then a large number of them gathered and prayed behind
him (on the second night). In the next morning the people again talked about it and
on the third night the mosque was full with a large number of people. Allah's Apostle
came out and the people prayed behind him. On the fourth night the Mosque was
overwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet came
out (only) for the morning prayer. When the morning prayer was finished he recited
Tashah-hud and (addressing the people) said, "Amma ba'du, your presence was not
hidden from me but I was afraid lest the night prayer (Qiyam) should be enjoined on
you and you might not be able to carry it on." So, Allah's Apostle died and the
situation remained like that (i.e. people prayed individually)
The need and circumstance at the time of the Prophet to the time of Umar Bin
Al Khattab (RA) .
At the time of Prophet :
1.
Prophet
was
alive
2. Revelations and laws of Shariah kept coming to him from Allah
3. Prophet himself prayed with the people and continued for 3 nights.
4. Prophet stopped praying fearing that it would be made compulsory since Prophet

was
alive
and
revelation
kept coming onto him and seeing the enthusiasm of the Sahaba it might have been
made
compulsory.
5. Had the law been established as compulsory, if anyone missed the prayer, then he
would be blamed for such action.
At the time of Umar bin Al Khattab:
1.
Prophet
passed
away.
2. Deen was complete and there was NOTHING to ADD or DELETE in Shariah.
3.
Prophet
himself
peformed
for
3
nights
in
congregation.
4.
The
fear
of
making
it
compulsory
no
longer
holds
valid
5. The blame of avoiding such prayer is no longer valid since the prayer is not a
compulsory one and with the wafath of Rasoolullah there is no more additions in
Deen
to
take
place
6. From the examples from both the narrations we know that Prophet (SAW) , whose
mercy can be understood again from this event. He stopped it for a reason so that
it's
not
a
burden
for
us
for
it
to
be
made
compulsory
7. Umar Bin Al Khattab only revivied this Sunnah since on what grounds Prophet
had
stopped
,
it
no
longer
holds
valid
8. Prophet stopped for a specific reason and need because of his mercy towards us
9. Umar only revived the Sunnah for the reason why Prophet stopped no longer is
valid
Now coming to the wordings of Umar : some people attribute that
we can invent good things in religion and this is not blameworthy.
And they use the statements of Imaam Shafie from Manaaqib Shafie of Baihaqi and
also from Abu Nuayms Ilya Al Awliya as follows:
:

There are two types of Bidah , Bida praise worthy and Bidah blame worthy and
anything that supports the Sunnah is Bidah Hasanah and that opposes to it is Bidah
Dalaalah This wording of Umar and this statement of Imaam Shafie is used for
promoting and innovating things in Deen and they say we are doing its good and
agreed upon there is no fault:Now what did Imaam Shafie mean by this its clearly
explained by a) Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali in his Sharah of Forty hadith of Imam
Nawawi as follows:
: - -
:
(28 - ) . .

So what Imaam Shafie is saying about is the linguistic Bidah and has nothing to do
with good or bad in Shariah for in Shariah there is nothing to be added or deleted
and it needs to have a base to return to :
Also you can find the same Sharah in Albanis Salatul Taraweeh Sheikh Salih Al
Fawzaan in his Sharah of Kitaab Thawheed the same explanation from b) Shaykh
Albanis explanation you can see below:



" .

Its a linguistic Bidah what Umar told and has nothing to do with adding or deleting
things in Shariah Umar only revived the Sunnah , which was kept away by Prophet
for his mercy upon us.(end)
Now two more Imaams to give the complete anaylsis of the statement of Umar
c) Shaatibi in al Itisaam says a beautiful explanation on this

.

As for the category of recommendation it is not from bidahs in any situation. This
may be clarified by considering the examples used in support of it, like Salat alTarawih during Ramadan in congregation in the mosque, since the Prophet (Allah
bless him and grant him peace) established it and the people gathered behind him.
:
"
:
: :
." : :

Abu Dawud transmitted from Abu Dharr [that] he said: We fasted with the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) during Ramadan, but he
did not stand with us [in prayer] in any part of the month till seven [nights] remained;
then he stood with us till a third of the night had passed. When the sixth [remaining
night] came, he did not stand with us. When the fifth [remaining night] came, he
stood with us till a half of the night passed. So we said, We wish you had led us in
supererogatory prayers during the whole of tonight. He said, When a man prays
with an imam till he goes, he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer.
When the fourth [remaining night] came he did not stand with us. When the third
[remaining night] came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people and prayed
with us till we were afraid we should miss success [The sub-narrator] asked: What is
success? He said: Suhur Then he did not stand with us for the remainder of the
month. Al-Tirmidhi [narrated something] similar to this and he said in it sound and
authentic (hasan sahih).

" :

:
"

However when he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) feared it would become
obligatory on the ummah he withheld from it. Thus, in the Sahih [it is narrated] from

Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) that one night Allahs Messenger (Allah bless him
and grant him peace) prayed in the mosque and the people followed him in prayer.
The next night he also prayed and the people increased. On the third or fourth night
they gathered, but Allahs Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not
come out to them. When morning came he said, I saw what you were doing and
nothing but the fear that it might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming. And
that was in the month of Ramadan. Malik also transmitted it in al-Muwatta.

Pay careful attention, for in this hadith is that which proves it is sunnah since his
standing [in prayer] with them first is a proof for the standing in the mosque in
congregation during Ramadan and his prohibition to come out after that, for fear of it
becoming obligatory, does not prove it is absolutely prohibited because his age was
the age of revelation and legislation, so it was possible revelation would come to him
if he practiced it with the people with persistence. Thus when the cause of legislation
disappeared with the death of Allahs Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him
peace), the matter returned to its origin, and the permissibility is established, as
nothing abrogated it.
:

.
:

.

Abu Bakr did not establish it for one of two reasons: either because he saw people
standing in the last part of the night and what they were on was better according to
him than their gathering under an imam in the first part of the night - this was
mentioned by al-Turtushi; or because of the shortness of his time to look into these
peripheral matters along with his preoccupations with the apostates and other than
that which was more pressing than Salat al-Tarawih. And when Islam became
established in the time of Umar (Allah be pleased with him) and he saw people in
the mosque scattered, as has come in the narration, he said, it would better if these
[people] gathered under one reciter and when that was done for him, he drew
attention to the prayer in the last part of the night being better. Then the
predecessors agreed on the correctness of this and its approval, and the ummah
does not agree on misguidance. Legal theorists have explicated that ijma is not but
a [result] of evidence from the Sharia.
: :
.
:

If it is said that Umar (Allah be pleased with him) called it a bidah and deemed it
good by his statement what a blessed bidah this is so when one bidah is deemed
good in the Shariah, the general [principle] of deeming bidah good is established.
The response is: Umar only called it bidah by consideration of the apparent
situation from the perspective that Allahs Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him
peace) left it and it so happened that it did not occur in the time of Abu Bakr (Allah be
pleased with him), not that it is bidah in the [proper] sense. Thus, whoever calls it
bidah by this consideration there is no fundamental quarrel, and thereupon it is not
permissible to adduce this as proof for the permissibility of innovation in the sense
discussed [previously], because that is a kind of distortion of words from their
[proper] contexts.(end)
d) Imaam Ibn Abdul Birr in Tamheed gives the same understanding
:

- -
:
.

This indicates that praying qiyaam in Ramadaan is one of the Sunnahs of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and is recommended and
encouraged. It was not introduced by Umar ibn al-Khattaab, rather he revived
something that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
loved and approved of. Nothing stopped him from doing it regularly except the fear
that it might be made obligatory upon his ummah. He (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was kind and compassionate towards his ummah. Umar knew from
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that the
obligatory duties would not be increased or decreased after his death (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), so he revived this practice and enjoined it upon the
people. That happened in 14 AH, and Umar has the honour of being the one who
revived this Sunnah.
e) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said
With regard to qiyaam in Ramadaan, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) introduced this to his ummah, and he led them in prayer for a
number of nights, because at his time they used to pray in congregation and
individually. But he did not persist in leading them in one congregation, lest that be
made obligatory for them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) died, shareeah was established (and would not change after that). When Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) became caliph, he united them behind one imam,
Ubayy ibn Kab, who united the people in one congregation on the orders of Umar
ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him). Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) was one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, of whom the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the
way of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after me; cling tightly to it. So what he did was
Sunnah but he said, What a good innovation this is, because it was an innovation
in the linguistic sense, as they were doing something that they had not done during
the life of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), i.e.,

gathering to do this, but it is Sunnah in the shari sense.[Majmoo al-Fataawa,

22/234, 235]
Lastly own son of Umar bin al Khattab Ra said
f) Ibn e umar r.a said
Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something
good."[kitab al sunnah page 24 hadees 82, sharah asool aiteqaad ahlus sunnah wal
jamah hadees 126, al mudakhal behqi hadees 191]
Related links
a) Did Omar change the words of Adhaan in Fjr?
http://www.amjaonline.com/en_d_details.php?id=286
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