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:

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rhamathullahi Wa Barakathuh,

Dear Sheikh, we are expats from India working in Saudi Arabia and we are a group of people who are engaged in calling people to Allah (to follow the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as understood by the Salaf al-swaliheen).

We organize a get-to-gather on every Eid and this year also we have planned to conduct this program, insha-Allaah. One of our close associates says that it is Bid’ah to conduct such a program particularly on the day of Eid, as there is no evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) celebrated the Eid in such a manner.

Please be kind enough to tell us whether it is permissible to conduct such a program between ‘Asr and ‘Isha prayer on the day of Eid and entertain children and deliver some speech on Islamic matters such as Tauheed and the importance of following the Sunnah of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upoh him).

Jazaakumullahu Khairan

(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:

Islamic program bida or not

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.

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.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 218 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The seeking of (religious) knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 249 Narrated by Al-Hasan al-Basri

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘He whom death overtakes while he is engaged in acquiring (religious) knowledge with a view to reviving Islam with the help of it, there will be one degree between him and the Prophets in Paradise.’

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 6518 Narrated byAbuHurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) as saying: ‘He who alleviates the suffering of a brother from the affections of the world, Allah will alleviate his affections from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection. He who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, Allah will make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother. He who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah will make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in one of the houses of Allah (mosques), recite the Book of Allah and learn and teach the Qur'an (among themselves). There will descend upon them tranquillity, mercy will cover them, the Angels will surround them and Allah will mention them in the presence of those near Him. He who is slow-paced in doing good deeds, his (long) descent does not make him go ahead.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 256 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘Acquiring (religious) knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 220 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘One who goes out to search for (religious) knowledge is (devoted) to the Cause of Allah till he returns.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 257 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

Allah's Messenger (saws) happened to pass by two groups (of muslims) in the mosque and he (saws) said: ‘Both of them are good, but one is superior to the other. One group is supplicating Allah and praying to Him. If He so wills, He will confer upon them and if He so wills He will withhold. So far as those who are acquiring the understanding of religion and its knowledge and are busy in teaching the ignorant, they are superior. Verily I have been sent as a teacher.’ He (saws) then sat down amongst them.

To organize a get-together and learn or instruct people in the deen is without an iota of a doubt, an extremely meritorious act in the Sight of Allah Subhanah. Thus if one wishes to organize such a noble get-together to acquire knowledge, regardless if such a get-together happens to be on the day of Eid or any other day, there is absolutely no harm and it would definitely not constitute a ‘bida’ in the Sight of Shariah Law or of Allah Subhanah.

But if one believes that to organize such a get-together is only meritorious and acceptable to Allah Subhanah if organized on a particular or specific day (like Eid, etc.)….then indeed it would constitute a ‘bida’ or innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam. Or if one believes that to attend or organize such a gathering is an obligatory part of the commemoration of the day of Eid, or one believes that one would be eligible to receive more rewards from Allah if such a gathering is organized on the Day of Eid than on any other day of the year, etc…….then indeed it would constitute ‘bida’.

But if one chooses the day of Eid to organize such a noble event, only because the day of Eid happens to be a holiday and it would be easier and convenient for the people to attend the gathering on this day rather than on any other day….there is absolutely no harm and we absolutely assure you in light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah that such an event would not constitute ‘bida’ or innovation in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

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