Bid’ah: A Study of its Usage and Legal Application

by Zameelur Rahman

The article linked below presents a thorough treatment of the concept of bid’ah based on the book, al-I’tisam, by Imam al-Shatibi. This is from its introduction:

The notion of “bid‘ah” in Islam is one that is confusing to many. There are a number of reasons for this which are not the concern of this paper, but suffice it to say, there is very little clarity presented on the more nuanced aspects of this concept, and unfortunately there are few works in English, if any, that attempt to tackle the concept of bid‘ah accurately and with serious depth.

Fortunately, however, we have an excellent and well-researched work on the subject in Arabic by the eminent pre-modern scholar, Imam Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Musa ibn Muhammad al-Lakhmi al-Shatibi (d. 790 H), called al-I‘tisam. Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi was a Maliki Ash‘ari jurist and scholar, particularly known for his contributions in the fields of usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) and fiqh (jurisprudence). He is the author of al-Muwafaqat, an authoritative work on the subject of usul al-fiqh.

This paper is primarily based on Imam al-Shatibi’s definitive study of bid‘ah in his seminal work, al-I‘tisam, but will also draw on other sources to support some of his conclusions. The aim is to present a coherent and satisfactory examination of the concept of bid‘ah, with a treatment of all its important aspects, while keeping it as short and digestible as possible.

Link: http://bawariqalghaybtranslation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/bidah-a-study.pdf

Names of scholars who were against mawlid

 Names of scholars who were against mawlid: 

1. Mujaddid Alf-i-Sani Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi

2. Imam Shatibi al-Gharnati al-Maliki

3. ‘Allamah Qadi Shihab al-Din Dolatabadi Hanafi, Sahib Tafsir Bahr al-Mawaj

4. ‘Allamah Muhammad bin Fazal Jonpuri

5. ‘Allamah Qadi Nasir al-Din Gujrati

6. ‘Allamah Taaj al-Din Fakhani al-Maliki

7. Hafiz Abul Hassan ‘Ali bin Fazal Maliki

8. Shaykh Ibn al-Haaj Maliki

9. Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah

10. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Maghribi

11. Imam Nasir al-Din Shafi’i

12. ‘Allamah Sharf al-Din Hanbali known as Qadi Jabal.

13. Shaykh Nur al-Din Sharalmsi in Sharh Mawahib al-Laduniyyah

14. ‘Allamah Hassan bin ‘Ali

15. Shaykh Ahmad bin Muhammad Maliki

16. ‘Allamah Abul Qasim ‘Abd al-Rahman Maliki

17. Shaykh ‘Usman Dan Fodio Maliki

18. Shaykh Muhammad bin Abu Bakar Makhzumi Maliki

19. ‘Allamah ‘Alu al-Din ibn Isma’il Shafi’i

20. Hafiz Abu Bakar known as Ibn Nukta Baghdadi

21. Shaykh ibn Rajab Efindi, Sahib Sharh Tariqah Muhammadiyyah

22. ‘Allamah Fakhr al-Din Khurasani

23. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahhab Sha’rani

24. Sahib Nur al-Yaqin

25. Sahib Tariqah Muhammadiyyah

26. Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri

27. Imam Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi

28. Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Thanwi

There are some scholars who allowed mawlid but were againt qiyam during the mawlid and considered it bid’ah.

1. ‘Allamah Muhammad bin ‘Ali Dimishqi – student of ‘Allamah Suyuti

2. Hafiz Ibn Hajar Makki

Source: Marwajah Milad