What is BIDAAH?

Word of bidaah have a specific meaning to describe and can be elaborate into two aspects, in general and while the other one is in technical meaning. According to Muhammad B. Abi Bakr al-Razi rahimahullah in Mukhtar al-Sihah about the meaning of bidaah in general, he said, bidaah is something that have been created without example before this. I would like to take opinion by Imam as-Syatibi rahimahullah (790H) to describe about the meaning of bidaah in technical. He wrote in his book that is known among us, Al-I’tishom:

“Bidaah is something way that has been created in religion and it is like a ‘Syariah’, purpose to abundant in worship to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala”.

We must know the different between ‘Ibadah’ and Culture. In the method of the feqh motion (Usul Feqh), all ‘Ibadah’ is illicit, but we just do what was commanded by Allah and our Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam such as in Solah, Zakat, Hajj, and so on. Culture is differing with ‘Ibadah’ because all culture is lawful, and we cannot do what has been prohibited by Allah and our Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam in term of food, transport, and other else. However, some culture is become ‘Wajib’ to be complete the ‘Ibadah’ such as riding an aeroplane to perform hajj and pilgrimage.

Imam as-Syatibi said about the meaning of “تضاهي الشرعية ” is something similar with law in Islam, but it is not in reality. ‘Bidaah’ is a true deed in beginning, but it was added and changed by people. They specialize this commanded in their own way, in time, and in certain event. In example, ‘tahlil’ reciting, ceremony of prophet birth, takbir from one home to other homes in night of Islam celebration (Raya), Yassin reciting in the night of Friday and so on. Reciting Yassin is an ‘Ibadah’, but why they are limiting this ‘Ibadah’ in a night of Friday? In reality, purpose of bidaah is for abundant their worship to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. Do you think what Allah has created and invariable in Islam are not enough yet? And, how about the decree of God in our holy scripture in Surah Al-Maidah, ayat 3? Allah says:

“Today, I am complete your religion…..”

How about our society had been always talk about the word of good bidaah? In fact, the term of good bidaah was misunderstood by our Muslims society. Al-Imam Malik B. Anas rahimahullahsallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam. It is because Allah says: “Today, I am complete your religion (Islam)”. Something which are not become our religion in the past, surely will not become our religion nowadays”. (179H) said in Al-I’tishom: “Whoever do any of bidaah in Islam and assume what they have done are good, verily he was insulted and betrayed our Prophet

We cannot denied what has Imam asy-Syafi’e (204H), Imam An-Nawawi (676H), and Imam Sayuti (911H) rahimahullah said, we have a good bidaah, but when we delve about their speeches, we found that the true meaning of good bidaah referred to general aspect, not in techniqal. As we know, bidaah in general refer to our culture and not refer to ‘Ibadah’.

I would like to take quotation by Imam asy-Syafi’e rahimahullah about good bidaah and explain it briefly. According to Ibn Rejab Al-Hanbali rahimahullah (795H), Asy-Syafi’e said: “There are two types of bidaah in Islam, good bidaah and the other one is despicable bidaah. What is exactly and occupied with sunnah, so it is called good bidaah while what is unoccupied with sunnah, it is called despicable bidaah”. During explaining about division of bidaah by Imam asy-Syafi’e, Al-Hafizd Ibn Hajr Al-‘Asqalani rahimahullah (852H) said in ‘Syarah Bukhari’ (Fath al-Bari, chapter 15): “Term of bidaah is despicable and this differ with meaning of bidaah in general where all things that have been created without example before this is a bidaah either good or bad”. Imam asy-Syafi’e refused that good bidaah and this can be proven in his book, Al-Umm. He protest one group that still reciting zikr with a raise sound after performing Solah. Many people assumed or expected this as a good bidaah. We can take the other examples of false or wrong bidaah which is connected with good bidaah in his books.

Finally, I would like to bring up one popular example among Muslims about good bidaah. One hadith said: “If Muslims are predicted that something are good for them, so it will become good for God, otherwise if they are predicted that something are bad for them, so it will become bad for God too”. In fact, this hadith are weak because of several reasons with strong evidence. The several are:

1. Syeikh Nasiruddin Al-Albani rahimahullah, is one of the famous Ulama in hadith’s field prove that this hadith is not come from Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, but it is come from Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud. Al-Albani said: “This is hadith mauquf (words by Sahabah), and because of that, this hadith cannot be a contention because it is opposite with a word by Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam: “All bidaah are mislead”.

2. The significant of ‘Al-Muslimun’ in this hadith refer to sahabah agreement and this can be proven in the first part of this hadith which he said: “A great liver as a slave of God is the liver of Sahabah, and they become as a minister for their Prophet…..”

3. ‘Al-Muslimun’ in this hadith also not suitable to refer for all Muslims because the fool person cannot do any opinion and agreement.

4. A lot of statement by Ibn Mas’ud is opposite and different with this hadith like a ‘sahih’ word by him which is created by Imam at-Tabrani: “Follows up and don’t create something (bidaah). Actually, it was enough for all of you (Al-Quran and Hadith)”

-Wallahu a’lam-

Allah wujud tiada bertempat?

Jumhur ulama dari kalangan Ahli Sunnah Wa al-Jamaah yang berfahaman Salaf al-Soleh telah bersepakat bahawa Allah bersemayam di atas ArasyNya berdasarkan apa yang thabit didalam Al-Quran, Hadis baginda Sallallahu ‘alahi wasallam, dan atsar para sahabat. Adapun beberapa ayat yang dijadikan hujah oleh para ustaz dan mereka-mereka yang mengatakan Allah di mana-mana, di setiap tempat, di setiap ruang dan sebagainya adalah hujah yang hanya berasaskan kepada pantafsiran al-Quran berdasarkan pemikiran mereka semata-mata dan bukannya berdasarkan fahaman para Salaf as-Soleh (mereka yang terawal). Antara ayat-ayatnya:

1. “Dan Dia (Allah) bersama kamu di mana sahaja kamu berada”. (Al-Hadid, 57;4)

- Berkata Az-Zahabi: “Telah diriwayatkan bukan sahaja hanya dari seorang, dari Ma’dan berkata: Aku telah bertanya kepada Sufyanat-Thauri tentang firman Allah (Dan Dia bersama kamu di mana sahaja kamu berada), beliau berkata: “IlmuNya”. [Lihat: ‘alaqah al-Ithbat wa at-Tafwidh bisifat rabb al-‘Alamin, hlmn 81, Ridza B. Nu’san Mu’ti]

- Imam Ibn Katsir mengatakan dalam tafsirnya: “Allah mengawasi kamu, memerhati segala perbuatan kamu di mana sahaja kamu berada, di daratan atau lautan, di malam hari atau siangnya, di dalam rumah-rumah kamu atau di luar. Segala-galanya dalam pengetahuanNya tanpa terkecuali. Segala-galanya di bawah penglihatan dan pendengaranNya, Dia mendengar percakapan kamu, melihat kedudukan kamu, mengetahui segala rahsia kamu, dan bisikan kamu kerana Dia telah berfirman: “Ingatlah! Sesungguhnya (orang munafik itu) memalingkan dada mereka untuk menyembunyikan diri daripadanya (Muhammad). Ingatlah! Di waktu mereka menyelimut dirinya dengan kain, Allah mengetahui apa yang mereka sembunyikan dan apa yang mereka lahirkan, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui segala isi hati”. (Hud, 11;5)

- Syeikh Uthaimin menjelaskan: “Allah bersatu dengan mereka KudratNya, pendengaranNya, pentadbiranNya, kerajaanNya, atau dengan makna kerububiyahanNya, sedangkan Dia di atas arasyNya dan di atas segala makhluq-makhluqNya”. [Lihat: al-Qawaid al-Muthla fi as-Sifati Allah wa Asma ihi al-Husna, hlmn 58, Uthaimin]

- Ibn Jarir rahimahullah berkata dalam menafsirkan ayat ini: “Dia (Allah) melihat kamu wahai manusia! Di mana sahaja kamu berada, Dia mengetahui (apa sahaja) tentang kamu dan mengetahui segala amalan kamu….., Dan Dia di atas ‘ArasyNya dan ‘ArasyNya di atas langit yang ketujuh”. [Lihat: Tafsir at-Tobari, jilid 27, hlmn125]

- Berkata Abu al-Qasim al-Asfahani rahimahullah: “Jika mereka mempersoalkan kamu tentang pentakwilan ayat (dan Dia bersama kamu di mana sahaja kamu berada) dan kamu menafsirkan (maksud ayat tersebut yang bersama ialah) IlmuNya? Kamu katakana: “Kami tidak mentakwilkan kerana sesungguhnya ayat tersebut menunjukkan bahawa yang dimaksudkan yang bersama ialah ilmuNya kerana Dia berfirman di akhir ayat tersebut: “Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui di atas segala sesuatu”. [Lihat: Tafsir at-Tobari, jilid 2, hlmn 186]

- Berkata Abu Hayyan Al-andalusi, at-Thauri, dan al-Qurtubi: “Dia bersama kamu: Yang bersama ilmuNya dan kudrahNya”. [Lihat: Bahr al-Muhit, jilid 9, hlmn 217, dan Tafsir al-Qurtubi, jilid 18, hlmn 137]

2. “Tidakkah kamu perhatikan bahawa sesungguhnya Allah mengetahui apa yang di langit dan apa yang ada di bumi. Tiada perkataan rahsia antara tiga orang, melainkan Dialah yang keempat, dan tiada lima orang melainkan Dialah yang keenam, dan tiada perkataan antara yang kurang dari itu atau yang lebih banyak melainkan Dia ada bersama mereka dimanapun mereka berada. Kemudian Dia akan memberitakan kepada mereka pada hari kiamat apa yang telah mereka kerjakan. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui segala sesuatu”. (Al-Mujadalah, 58;7)

- Ibn Katsir menafsirkan: “Oleh kerana itu, telah menceritakan bukan seorang malah secara ijmak atas kesepakatan mereka bahawa yang dimaksudkan oleh ayat ini ialah Allah bersama seseorang dengan ilmuNya”. [Lihat: Tafsir Ibn Katsir, jilid 4, hlmn 322]

- Ibn Jarir menafsirkan dari ad-Dahak: “Dia (Allah) di atas ‘arasyNya dan yang bersama dengan mereka (manusia) ialah ilmuNya”. “Bahawasanya Dia (Allah) menyaksikan mereka dengan ilmuNya dan Dia (Allah) di atas ‘ArasyNya”. [Lihat: Asy-Syari’ah, hlmn 298]

- Menurut Imam Ahmad rahimahullah ayat ini menjelaskan tentang ilmu Allah bukan memperkatakan ‘tempat’ atau ‘Di mana Allah’. Beliau berkata: “ayat ini di mulakan dengan memperkatakan ilmu dan di akhiri juga dengan memperkatakan ilmu”. [Lihat: Thobaqot al-Hanabilah, 2/15 dan al-Ibanah hlmn 260]

* Berkata Imam Syamsuddin az-Zahabi rahimahullah (salah seorang dari ulama besar mazhab asy-Syafi’e): “Sesiapa mengingkari bahawa Allah Ta’ala di langit, maka dia seorang yang kafir”. [Lihat: Mukhtasar al-‘uluw lil’aliy al-Ghaffar, hlmn 137]