There is no such thing as a good bid’ah in the religion
There is no such thing as a ‘good bid’ah (innovation)’ as is claimed by some of the ignorant ones. Innovations – in their entirety are a going astray, as was judged by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his saying: “Every bid’ah (innovation) is a going astray.” 1 and in another narration: “And every going astray is in the Hell-fire.” 2.
As for the saying of Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the Tarawih prayer: ‘What a good bid’ah this is’ – then he did not intend by this the bid’ah (innovation) in the religion. Since he said this statement when the people gathered to pray the Tarawih prayer, and the Taraweeh prayer is not an innovation. Rather it is a Sunnah which has been established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He prayed it along with his companions on some of the nights of Ramadhan. Then he kept away from them at the end for fear that it should seem obligatory upon them. The affair remained so during the Khilafah of Abu Bakr, and for some time during the Khilafah of ‘Umar, they would pray it separately whereupon ‘Umar gathered the people behind a single Imam, just as they had gathered behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Thus ‘Umar revived this Sunnah, since the object of caution had ceased; which was: taking it as an obligation. So he revived a Sunnah – he did not come with an innovation.
Rather his saying: ‘What an good bid’ah this is’ – then his intent with that – and Allah Knows best – was the linguistic meaning of an innovation not the Shar’i (legislative) innovation. This is because legislative innovations are prohibited in Islam, and the proof is based upon what we mentioned: that he intended by it the Tarawih prayer – and the Tarawih prayer is not an innovation – rather it is a Sunnah.
Reported by Abu Dawud as Hadeeth no. 4607, and At-Tirmidhi as Hadith no. 2676, and it was declared Sahih (authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albani. ↩
Reported by An-Nasa’i vol 3 pages 188-189 and was declared Sahih (authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albani. (See his Sahih Sunan An-Nasa’i vol 1 page 512 Hadith no. 1577) ↩