Sunna Notes Volume 2: The Excellent Innovation in the Qur’an & Hadith 2

Nowhere in the field of Islamic jurisprudence is a blatant tampering with the truth felt more than in the redefinition of "Sunna" and "bid'a". The understanding of the pious Salaf such as Imam al-Shafi'i for these terms is arrogantly cast aside. Their crystal-clear distinction: "Bid'a is of two kinds; praiseworthy innovation and blameworthy innovation" is being abandoned, while in their place, later, controversial figures are invoked as "more representative of the Salaf". Newfangled theories worm their way into the discourse on right and wrong and - even worse - entire generations of Muslims have been weaned on these perversions of the truth and go into the world parroting the terms "Sunna" and "bid'a" without ever understanding them. Choice victims for this campaign of disinformation in our time are English-speaking Muslims, especially new Muslims. They learn a few expressions then, coiffed with their new hat of condemnatory phrases, go out and blast away at other Muslims. The purpose of this book is to do away once and for all with these perilous misconceptions and to present over 160 proofs for the Sunni understanding of Sunna and bid'a as it was - and continues to be - set forth in classical , moderate, mainstream Islam according to the Sunni Salaf and Khalaf including the four Schools of Fiqh. Abbreviations  Introduction  Part One: e Meaning of Sunna and Bidʿa & the New Sunnas of the Salaf in the Religion  e meaning of Sunna and Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jamāʿa  “e Common Person’s Imitation of the Learned One” from al-Bayhaqī’s al-Madkhal ilā al-Sunan al-Kubrā  e Prophetic Recommendation of the Companions’ Excellent New Sunnas  Companion-Reports on the Exemplariness of the Companions in the Religion  Successor-Reports on the Exemplariness of the Companions and Successors in the Religion  Ibn Rajab’s Commentary on the Ḥadīth: “You Must Follow My Sunna and the Sunna of the WellGuided Successors”  e Meaning of Bidʿa  e Sunna Character of the Companions’ Innovations  Companions’ Innovations aer the Time of the Prophet e or in His Absence  Sunna Innovations of the Ṣaḥāba in Worship  Sunna Innovations of the Tabiʿīn in Worship  Sunna Innovations of the Later Salaf in Worship  e Misconstrued Ḥadīth “Every Innovation is Misguidance”  All-Inclusive Expressions Implying Exceptions  e Universal Understood in Terms of the Specific  e “Good New Sunna” and the “Innovation of Misguidance”  Al-Shāfiʿī’s Definition of Innovation as Either “Good” or “Bad”  Division of Bidʿa into Good and Bad among Ahl al-Sunna and Ẓāhirīs  Conclusion: e Prophet e Distinguished between Good Bidʿa and Bad Bidʿa  Part Two: Case Studies  Collective Supplication (al-Duʿā’u Jamāʿatan)  Collective Loud Recitation of the Qur’ān  Partitions for Women in Mosques  e Ḍuḥā Prayer  Saying “Sayyidinā Muḥammad” in Tashahhud  Proofs for Visitation of the Graves by Women  e Ḥadīth: “Do not make my Grave an ʿĪd”  Rajab and Mid-Shaʿbān Supererogatory Prayers  Epilogue – An Innovation of Misguidance: Unenlightened Feminism  Indexes  Index of Qur’ānic Verses  Index of Narrations  Bibliography  This book presents over 160 proofs for the Sunni understanding of Sunna and bid'a as it was set forth in classical, moderate, mainstream Islam according to the Sunni Salaf and Khalaf, including the four schools of fiqh. It includes case studies on topics such as collective supplication, partitions for women in mosques, and proofs for visitation of the grave by women. The author, Dr. Gibril Fouad Haddad, is a Lebanese-born Islamic scholar, hadith expert, author, and translator of classical Islamic texts. The main purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive understanding of Sunna and bid'a as it was set forth in classical, moderate, mainstream Islam according to the Sunni Salaf and Khalaf. It includes over 160 proofs to support this understanding and provides case studies on various topics such as collective supplication, partitions for women in mosques, and proofs for visitation of the grave by women. The author, Dr. Gibril Fouad Haddad, is a renowned Lebanese-born Islamic scholar, hadith expert, author, and translator of classical Islamic texts. His work is highly regarded in the Muslim world and he is considered one of the clearest voices of traditional Islam in the West. V. 1. Ḥadīth history and principles ; with Musa Furber's translation of Ibn Ḥajar al-ʻAsqalānī's Nukhbat al-fikar -- -- v. 2. The excellent innovation in the Qurʼān and Ḥadīth ; with Ibn Rajab's The sunna of the caliphs --