Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

With reference to the question of Quran Khwani being halal or haram....or Bidah as phrased by the religious scholar responding here...i have certain points that i would like to ask and would like people to think about it as well

For a thing to be HALAL or Jaiz in religion is it necessary that its commencement is during PROPHET`s time ?

OR

To prove something Halal do we refer Quran and Hadees or to declare somehting Haram we refer Quran and Hadees

got my point ?

According to my limited knowledge .. in order to declare something HARAM .. u MUST show its condemnation directly from QURAN OR SUNNAH ...if you cannot show its condemnation from QURAN OR SUNNAH then its Halal this is the basic rule. You dont need proof for Halal, you need proof for Haram. Things declared by our Allah or Rasool SAW to be Haram, they are the only things Haram, the rest is Halal. Is Reciting Holy Quran Halal or Haram? One will say Halal ofcourse because it is a very noble thing to do.

Now if we talk about reciting Quran altogether i.e. what we do in Quran Khwani..will u call people gathering to recite the words of Allah Halal or Haram? if you say Haram i will strongly demand the reference through which your condemning it. Which i believe you`ll never find.

Now as far as the Matter of Bidah is concerned, the person answering this mail says innovating something new in the religion which cannot be proved or jis ki ASAL sabit na ho sake is Bidah e.g Quran khawani is a combination of two things

reciting Quran (ofcourse this is proved)

secondly Ijtamai nafali ibadat (which is also proved)

other then that Quran has Siparahs,is there a hadees that proves it? Quran has ruku,is there hadees to prove? PROPHET pbuh used camel and horses for traveling u use cars isnt it innovation ? the whole world used schools to teach, muslim nations use deeni madaris to teach, in the era of PROPHET pbuh there were NO deeni madaris is it innovation on our part then? Quran in the form of a book was not present in the era of PROPHET pbuh even this is innovation. Gumbad on top of Mosques even they were not present

after the death of PROPHET pbuh ... our mother bibi ayesha siddiqa (ra) said that "First bidah - innovation people did after the death of PROPHET pbuh is that they started eating too much food ( peet bhar kar khana shuru ker deya tha )". Now bibi Ayesha is calling eating too muc h food a Bidah why? cuz Prophet never ate too much. now tell me is it haram ?

NO ITS NOT .. though its disliked in religion but NOT HARAM...

Hazrat Umer (ra) reign ... when sahaba prayed Taravee with Jamaat Hazrat Umer said that its a wonderful Bidah, during Ramadan Propher SAW prayed Taraveeh with Jamaat for 3 days and then he didnt,now why people still pray with Jamaat, Now can u call Taravee with Jamaat Haram?

dear readers there is no sense in quoting Ahadees when you cant think over what the Prophet is actually saying.Call those things Haram which our Prophet SAW and Allah has quoted Haram.Dont just Quote Ahadees in the air when there is no link to the jist of what is being discussed.May Allah guide you all to the right path...Ameen

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Quran khani khatm bida

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 87-88:

87 O ye who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, but commit no excess: for Allah loveth not those given to excess.

88 Eat of the things which Allah hath provided for you lawful and good: but fear Allah in Whom ye believe.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 116:

But say not for any false thing that your tongues may put forth "This is lawful and this is forbidden" so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah will never prosper.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, it is Allah and His Messenger (saws) Alone who have a right to declare a thing ‘haraam’ or ‘halaal’ for the believers. Indeed everything in creation would be lawful and halaal for the believers to use, eat, consume, or do unless one finds a specific prohibition for its usage in the Glorious Quran or the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have not provided the believers with a ‘halaal’ list (for that would indeed be endless!), but rather the Lord and His Messenger (saws) have only listed those things which are ‘haraam’ or prohibited for the believers. Thus if one wishes to determine whether something is ‘halaal’ or ‘haraam’ one would look into the ‘haraam’ list provided by Allah and His Messenger (saws), and if one does not find that thing in the ‘haraam’ list, it would be deemed absolutely permissible for the believers to eat, use, or consume as they will and please.

But when one wishes to determine whether any act or deed of worship or rite or ritual, etc. in Islam is permissible or impermissible, then indeed one would have to look into and follow only those deeds alone which were practiced or endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws) for it is the ardent and solemn belief of every true believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, that there was, is, or never will be anyone in the annuls of creation who worshipped Allah Subhanah more or better than the Noble Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 79-80:

We have sent you (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah’s witness suffices for this. Whoever obeys the Messenger, in fact obeys Allah, and whoever turns away from him, he will be accountable for his deeds. Anyhow, we have not sent you (O Mohamed) to be a guardian over them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 31-32:

O Prophet, tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do not accept your invitation, warn them that Allah does not love those, who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.

Thus if anyone dares to comes up with any act of worship like celebration, commemoration, or prescribes importance to any prayer, or fast, or night or day, or invents, innovates, or adds anything in the deen of Islam which is not endorsed by the Noble Prophet (saws), then it implies one of three things:

1. that the person who claims that worship is due on this specific night in this specific way loves and worships Allah more than the Noble Prophet (saws)!!!
2. or, that the person knows more than the Noble Prophet (saws)!!!
3. or, that the person has received revelations from Allah Subhanah after the death of the Prophet Mohamed (saws)!!!

Allah is our witness brother, if anyone in the annuls of creation ever claims to have any of the above three qualities is nothing more than a confirmed and manifest liar!; for Allah is our witness, no man in the annuls of creation loved or worshipped their Lord more than Prophet Mohamed (saws), no man in the annuls of creation had more knowledge of the Truth than the Noble Prophet Mohamed (saws), and Allah is our witness, the Last and Final Revelations of The Lord Most Majestic were revealed on Prophet Mohamed (saws), and there is none who will or can receive revelations after him (saws)!

A bida or innovation is something which is invented, innovated, and added to the deen of Islam after the deen was completed on Prophet Mohamed (saws). It especially concerns the rites and rituals of worship, or any deed which was not performed or endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), but was added as a part of the deen after his (saws’s) death. It also concerns any innovated deed which one does and believes that by doing this innovated deed, he is eligible to earn more reward from Allah Subhanah.

If one brings, invents, adds or innovates any act or deed in religion which has not been specifically endorsed by Allah and His Messenger (saws), then it has to be a ‘bida’ (innovation in the religion after the deen was completed on Prophet Mohamed (saws)), and Allah is our witness, every innovation in the deen of Islam is an error in the Sight of Allah Subhanah!

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’

Related by Bukhari.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”

Thus in conclusion brother, if one wishes to determine whether a thing or product is ‘halaal’ or ‘haraam’ one would have to look into the ‘haraam’ list provided by Allah and His Messenger (saws); and if one finds no prohibition for that thing or product, it would be considered absolutely ‘halaal’ for the believers to use or consume.

But if one wishes to determine whether a deed or act or rite or ritual of worship is permissible in Islam, one would have to look into the example of the Messenger of Allah (saws); and if one does not find the deed, act, or rite or ritual of worship endorsed by Allah and practiced by His Messenger (saws)…then without an iota of a doubt, such a deed or act or rite of worship would be considered an ‘innovation’, and every single ‘innovation’ in the pure and perfect deen of Islam would be an error and a sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Thus before accepting or following any act or rite of worship in the deen, a believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day must ask and determine only one question:

DID THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (SAWS) ENDORSE THIS ACT AS A RITE OF WORSHIP???

If the answer is yes, one may do so in the manner prescribed without stint.

If the answer is no, then this act or rite has to be an innovation, and it must be immediately rejected by the believers.

Lets take some other scenarios:

1. Fasting in Islam is considered a great virtue in Islam….lets say someone invented a rite and called upon a gathering at the birth of their child, or at one’s marriage, or at one’s death anniversary and asked everyone in the gathering to fast for 3 or 7 or 10 or 40 days!!! Can such a self-invented rite or ritual which is not endorsed by the Messenger of Allah be considered a part or worship or Islam??? Will such a rite be acceptable to Allah Subhanah as worship???
2. Reciting the ‘durood’ on the Prophet (saws) is considered a great virtue in Islam…. lets say someone invented a rite or ritual and called upon a gathering at a specific time of the day or night and asked everyone in the gathering to recite the durood for 100 or a million times??? Can such a self-invented rite or ritual which is not endorsed by the Messenger of Allah be considered a part or worship or Islam??? Will such a rite be acceptable to Allah Subhanah as worship???
3. Offering of ‘nafl’ or supererogatory prayers is considered a great virtue in Islam….. lets say someone invented a rite or ritual and called upon a gathering at their self-appointed auspicious day or night, and asked everyone in the gathering to offer a 100 or a million rakahs of ‘nafl’ prayers??? Can such a self-invented rite or ritual which is not endorsed by the Messenger of Allah be considered a part or worship or Islam??? Will such a rite be acceptable to Allah Subhanah as worship???
4. Doing the ‘tawaaf’ of the Sacred House in Makkah is considered a great virtue in Islam……lets say someone starts doing the ‘tawaaf’ of their local mosque saying this too is a House of Allah, or one starts doing ‘tawaaf’ of the graves or their pious loved ones, etc.!!!! Can such a self invented rite or ritual which is not endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws) be considered a part or worship of Islam??? Will such a rite be acceptable to Allah Subhanah as worship???

One only needs to imagine what would be the state of Islam if anyone and everyone were to start innovating their own rites and rituals of worship in the deen! The deen of Islam would lose its simplicity and purity, and become a concoction of self-invented and innovated rites and rituals. Every birthday and every death day of every loved one would have a ritual associated with it; every anniversary of the birth or death day of a Prophet or a pious slave of Allah would have a ritual associated with it; every marriage of every believer would have a ritual attached to it; etc. etc…..so much emphasis would be put on these self-invented rituals, that a time would come when the following of the deen would become a burden if one were to fulfill all the rituals associated with every occasion!

The people who received the Divine Scriptures before us did exactly the same thing with their deen until their deen became a celebration and commemoration of rituals like Christmas, and Easter, and Good Friday, and Baptism, and Confessions, and Haluka, and Passover, etc. etc. until they became astray from their true faith!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157:

(So, now mercy has been assigned to those) who follow this Messenger, the Gentile Prophet (Mohamed (saws)), whose mention they shall find in the Torah and the Gospel with them. He enjoins them to do good and forbids them from evil; he makes pure things lawful for them and impure things unlawful; he relieves them of their burdens and frees them from the shackles (of self-invented rites and rituals) that bound them. For this reason, those alone who believe in him, support him, succour him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with him shall attain true ‘success’.

There is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah regarding the concept and rite of ‘Quran-Khani’ or ‘Khatm-e-Quran’ rituals which are so prevalent today amongst the ignorant; thus without an iota of a doubt, someone invented this rite without any authority from Allah and His Messenger (saws)…and thus it is a clear and manifest act of ‘bida’ or innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam….and every single innovation in Islam is an error and a sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan