Question

What is the ruling on Bid‘ah (religious innovation) and the person who does Bid‘ah?.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

Innovations in religion are impermissible. The Messenger of Allah said that every Bid‘ah (religious innovation) leads to going astray. [Imam Muslim]

The repentance of a person who does Bid‘ah is not accepted until he stops doing the Bid‘ah. The Messenger of Allah said that Allah the Almighty does not accept the repentance of a person who does Bid‘ah until he stops doing the Bid‘ah. [Imam At-Tabarani in Al-Kabeer and Shaikh Al-Albani graded this Hadeeth as Saheeh (authentic)].

The ruling that applies to the person who does Bid‘ah differs according to the type of Bid‘ah he does and whether or not it results in disbelief, in order to know how to deal with such a person and the ruling on the permissibility of praying behind (when he is leading the congregational prayer) and whether or not to abandon this person.

Allah Knows best

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb