[Jaysh]

A Refutation of those Who Dare Argue that It is Only Bidah if One thinks it is Obligatory

This argument--that it is only bidah if one thinks it is obligatory--is one of the ways that Ahl al-Bidah intends to justify all their innovations! What a horrendous lie this is.

I will show you the narration itself, and this will be PROOF ENOUGH that it does not matter if one thinks that the thing is obligatory or not; no matter what, it is bidah and HARAM. Only the fools and liars will remain unconvinced.

’Amr Ibn Salamah narrated:

We used to sit at the door of ’Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood before the morning Prayer, so that when he would come out we would walk with him to the mosque. One day Aboo Moosaa al-Ash’aree came to us and said:

"Has Aboo ’Abdur-Rahmaan (i.e. Ibn Mas’ood) come out yet?"

We replied:

"No!"

So he sat down with us until he came out. When he came out we all stood along with him, so Aboo Moosaa said to him:

"O Aboo ’Abdur-Rahmaan! I have just seen something in the mosque which I deemed to be evil, but - and all praise is for Allaah - I did not see anything except good."

Ibn Mas’ood inquired, ‘‘What did you see?’’

Aboo Moosaa replied:

‘If you live, you too will see it. In the mosque I saw people sitting in circles awaiting the Prayer. In each circle they had pebbles in their hands and a man would say: repeat Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is greater) a hundred times. So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say: repeat Laa ilaaha illallaah (There is none worthy of worship besides Allaah) a hundred times. So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say: repeat Subhaanallaah (How free is Allaah from all imperfection) a hundred times. So they would say it a hundred times.’

Ibn Mas’ood then asked, ‘‘What did you say to them?’’

Aboo Moosaa said, ‘I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to hear your view, or what you declared.’

Then we went along with him, until he came to one of these circles and stood up and said: ‘‘What is this I see you doing?’’

They replied, ‘O Aboo ’Abdur-Rahmaan! These are pebbles upon which we are counting takbeer, tahleel and tasbeeh.’

He said to them, ‘‘Rather, count up your evil deeds. For I assure you that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe be to you O Ummah of Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)! How quickly you head into destruction! These are the Companions of your Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and who are widespread. There are his clothes which have not yet decayed, and his bowl which is unbroken. By Him in whose Hand is my soul! Either you are upon a religion better guided than the Religion of Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), or you are opening the doors of misguidance.’’

They said, ‘O Aboo ’Abdur-Rahmaan! By Allaah! We only intend good.’

He said to them, ‘‘How many there are who intend good, but do not achieve it. Indeed Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said to us, ‘A people will recite the Qur‘aan, but it will not pass beyond their throats.’ By Allaah I do not know, but perhaps most of them are from you.

----------------------------------

Where did anyone here say that they thought this action was obligatory!? Did any of the people say that? Is there anything AT ALL that implies that?!

May Allah [swt] save us from the misguidance and lies of the innovators. We say to these innovators:

"By Allaah I do not know, but perhaps most of them are from you!"