The Aversion the Pious Predecessors had for Acts of Bid'ah

When Imaam Maalik RAH.heard the Mu'adhin announcing the arrival of dawn to the people in Madinah. he asked him what he was doing. "I am announcing the arrival of dawn to the people so that they may rise." He replied. Imaam Maalik RAH. rebuked him thus, "Do not start in our city something that has never existed before. Rasulullaah SAW. lived here for ten years and so did Hadhrat Abu Bakr RADI. Hadhrat Umar RADI. And Hadhrat Uthmaan RADI. and none of them did this. You should therefore not start in our city something that has never existed before."

The Mu'adhin then desisted. However, after a long while, he one day went up to the Minaarah and started to cough at the time of dawn. "Did I not forbid you from starting in our city something that has never existed before?" Imaam Maalik RAH. asked. "You forbade me from announcing the arrival of dawn," he replied. "Then do not do this either," Imaam Maalik RAH. warned. However, after desisting for some time, the Mu'adhin then started knocking at people's doors at the time of dawn. Imaam Maalik RAH. for the man and asked, "Now what is this you are doing?" I want to inform the people that dawn has arrived," he replied. "Do not do this." Imaam Maalik RAH. repeated, "Do not start in our city something that has never existed before."'

Now when Imaam Maalik RAH. stopped the Mu'adhin from calling the people to salaah in his various manners, how can Adhaan by the graveside be tolerated when it does not even serve this function?

The Fuqahaa have forbidden performing more than four Rakaahs with one Takbeer Tahreema during the day only because Rasulullaah SAW. never did this. The same reason is cited for not delivering any Khutbah for the salaah performed during an eclipse". Despite his fervour for performing salaah. Rasulullaah SAW. did not do so at the Eid Gah before the Eid salaah. It is therefore not permitted. It is also not permitted to leave the town for more than three days to perform the Istisqaa salaah (salaah for rain) because Rasulullaah SAW. did not do so'.

Just as all these acts are not allowed solely because they had never been carried out by Rasulullaah SAW. so too is Adhaan by the graveside also not allowed because it cannot be proven that Rasulullaah SAW. did it. True love and obedience to Rasulullaah SAW. is depicted by doing exactly what Rasulullaah SAW. did and in the manner that he did it. One should not add or omit to that which Rasulullaah SAW. did. For example:

1. It has been proven that Rasulullaah SAW. recited the Takbeer audibly when proceeding for Eid salaah on the day of Eidul Adhaa and did so silently on the day of Eidul Fitr (the converse will therefore be Makrooh)
2. It has been proven that Rasulullaah SAW. pertormed salaah in Jamaa'ah when a solar eclipse took place and performed salaah by himself when a lunar eclipsed took place. It is therefore forbidden to perform the salaah for a lunar eclipse in Jamaa'ah.
3. A Khutbah is delivered for the Istisqaa salaah and not for the eclipse salaah because this is not proven from Rasulullaah SAW.
4. While the Witr salaah is per-formed in Jamaa'ah during Ramadhaan, it is forbidden to do so out of Fiamadhaan because Rasulullaah SAW. never did it..
5. While the Adhaan is called out twice for the Jumu'ah salaah and the Iqaamah is also called out before the salaah, there is neither Adhaan nor Iqaamah for the Eid salaahs because it has never been proven from Rasulullaah SAW.
6. While the Ishraaq salaah (after sunrise) is always performed and carries the reward of Hajj and Umrah, it is forbidden on the days of Eid because Rasulullaah SAW. did not perform it then.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah (Vol.1)

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