Our Imaams (عليهم السلام) Attitude Towards Bid'ah

Here are some SaHeeH aHaadeeth that shows our how strict our Imaams (عليهم السلام) were towards bid`ah (innovation).

 إِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَ كُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ سَبِيلُهَا إِلَى النَّارِ

“Verily, Every bid`ah is astray, and every (thing that is) astray leads to the fire (i.e. Hell).”

Source:

1.     Al-Toosi, Tahdheeb, vol. 3, ch. 4, pg. 69-70, hadeeth # 29

2.     Al-Sadooq, Man Laa YaHDuruh Al-Faqeeh, vol. 2, pg. 137, hadeeth # 1964

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH (Authentic)
à Milaadh Al-Akhyaar, vol. 5, pg. 28

2.       Al-Majlisi I (Al-Majlisi’s Father) said this hadeeth is SaHeeH

à RawDah Al-Muttaqqeen, vol. 3, pg. 381

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْحَلَالِ وَ الْحَرَامِ فَقَالَ حَلَالُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَلَالٌ أَبَداً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ حَرَامُهُ حَرَامٌ أَبَداً إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يَكُونُ غَيْرُهُ وَ لَا يَجِي‏ءُ غَيْرُهُ وَ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ع مَا أَحَدٌ ابْتَدَعَ بِدْعَةً إِلَّا تَرَكَ بِهَا سُنَّةً

“I asked Imam Aboo ‘Abd Allaah (عليه السلام), about halaal and haraam (matters). So he (عليه السلام) said, ‘Whatever the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), has made halaal will remain halaal forever up to the Day of Judgment and whatever he has made haraam will remain haraam forever up to the Day of Judgment. There will be no one other than him and there will come no one other than him.’ He (عليه السلام) said that Imam `Alee (عليه السلام) has said, ‘No one has established a bid'ah (innovation) without abandoning a sunnah.’”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pg. 58, hadeeth # 19

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 1, pg. 200