In the following lines we shall see where in the Qur'an this word has been used and the meaning with which it is associated:

Allah عزوجل says in the Qur'an:

"Say I am no Bringer of New Fangled Doctrine among the Apostles." 

[al-Ahqaf: 9]

"The Originator of the Heavens and the Earth." 

[al-Baqarah: 117]

"But monasticism (which) they inverted. We ordained it not for them." 

[al-Hadid: 23]

In these Ayah from the Qur'an the word Bid'ah has been used in it's literary meaning. It's definition in the technical language of the Shari'ah is different. In the Qur'an it has been used to mean "to invent" and "to create" a new thing", that belief or action which was not in practice during the blessed age of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم but was introduced after him." 

In Islam there are two kinds of Bid'ah; Bid'ah Say'iah and Bid'ah Hasana. If a new thing opposes the Qur’an and Sunnah then it is Say'iah, but if it is not against the Shari'ah then it is Hasanah.                   

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم stated: "He who inaugurates a good practice (Sanna fil-Islam Sunnatun Hasana) in Islam earns the reward of it, and of all who perform it after him, without diminishing their own rewards in the least." 

[at-Tirmidhi]     

We have seen that Bid'ah is of two kinds. 

Bid'ah Hasana (appreciable innovation) and Bid'ah Sai'yya (offensive innovation).

Bid'ah Hasana is divided into three categories:

1) Bid'ah Ja'iz (permissible)

2) Bid'ah Mustahab (appreciable)

3) Bid'ah Wajib (essential)

Bid'ah Sai'yya is categorized in two:

1) Bid'ah Makruh (abominable)

2) Bid'ah Haraam (prohibited)

 

عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين من بعدي

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم stated: ''After my time, people will see much differences occurring. In such a condition, it is compulsory upon you that you hold firmly to my Sunnah and the rightly guided path of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen.'' 

 [Mishkaat] 

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه said: “Whatever the (Majority of) Muslims (scholars) see as right, then it is good to Allah عزوجل, and whatever is seen by the (Majority of) Muslims (scholars) as evil, it is evil to Allah عزوجل.” 

[Musnad Ahmad, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, al-Bayhaqi, al-Haytami, adh-Dhahabi, others] 

''There are two of them are Bid'ah Say’iah and Bid'ah Hasanah. Bid'ah Say’iah is a Bid'ah that opposes the Qur'an and Sunnah and Bid'ah Hasanah is a Bid'ah that is not against the Qur'an or Sunnah. For example: To invent the Usool (principle) of Hadith, Usool of Fiqh, Usool of Tafsir etc.'' 

[Imam an-Nawawi ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمة الله عليه in Tahzeeb al-Asma wal Lughaat] 

“Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه said: “([What a)] Fine innovation!” and in some narrations a (letter) ‘Taa’ is added. The root meaning of innovation (Bid'ah) is what is produced without precedent. It is applied in the law in opposition to the Sunnah and is, in that case, blameworthy. Strictly speaking, if it is part of what is classified as commendable by the law then it is an excellent innovation (Hasana), while if it is part of what is classified as blameworthy by the law then it is blameworthy (Mustaqbaha), otherwise it falls in the category of what is permitted (mubaah). It can be divided into the five legal categories [(or rulings)Ahkaam Al-Khamsah)].

[Imam Ibn Hajar ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمة الله عليه in Fath ul-Baari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari]

“Bid’ah is of two types: Bid’ah that is praiseworthy and Bid’ah that is blameworthy. What agrees with the sunnah is praiseworthy and what contradicts the Sunnah is blameworthy.”

[Shaykh Abu Nu'aym ‎رحمة الله عليه in al-Hilya, Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali ‎رحمة الله عليه in Jaami' Al-'Ulum wal Hikam, Imam Ibn Hajar ‎رحمة الله عليه in in Fath ul-Bari, and the highly respected scholar of the Pseduo Salafi Qadi Shawkaani in Qawl al-Mufid]

Five categories classified Bid`ah: 

1. Obligatory innovation, such as combining and classifying Arabic sciences and teaching them. 

2. Religiously recommended innovation, such as building schools. 

3. Religiously forbidden innovation, such as reciting the Qur’an in a way that changes the meaning of its words from their contexts. 

4. Religiously condemned innovation, such as decorating mosques. 

5. Religiously permitted innovation, such as serving different dishes on one dining table. 

[Imam al-Izz ibn Abd us-Salam ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمة الله عليه]

وإنما يذم من البدعة ما خالف السنة

“Only the bid’ah that contradicts the Sunnah is blameworthy.” 

[Qadi Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki al-Ash’ari ‎رحمة الله عليه in Aridhat Al-Ahwadhi]

Hafidh Ibn Kathir in his great "Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Adhim" classifies Bid'ah into Bid'ah Lugvi and Bid'ah Shari'. He writes that there are 2 kinds of Bid'ah. Sometimes a new act will be called as 'Bid'ah Sharyee' that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم has said "Fa Inna Kullu Muhdasatu Bid'atu Wa Kullu Bid'atin Dalala"; and sometimes a new act will be called as 'Bid'ah Lugvi' like the commandment of Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه to the Sahaba Alayhum Ridwan to perform Taraweeh Prayer in congregation and later on uttered the words "Ne'matul Bidatu Hadhihi"

 [Imam Ibn Kathir ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمة الله عليه Tafsir ul-Quran al-Adhim 1:161]

Sayyiduna Imam Muhammad ibn idris ash-Shafi’i ‎رضي الله عنه said: “The newly-invented matters are of two types: The first of them is that which has been introduced from that which opposes (something from) the book, or (something from) the sunnah, or a narration, or [a matter of] consensus. This is the misguided innovation. And the second is that which has been introduced of goodness and there is no opposition to anyone of these things (Qur'an, Sunnah, Athar, Ijma'). This is the newly-invented matter which is not blameworthy'' Bid'ah.''

 [Imam al-Bayhaqi ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمه الله in Tabaqdt ash Shafi'iyya al-Kubra, Imam Ibn Hajar ash-Shafi’i al-Ash’ari ‎رحمه الله in Fath al-Baari]

''Bid'ah is of two types: praiseworthy and blameworthy. Whatever is in agreemenet with the Sunnah it is praiseworthy and whatever opposes it is blameworthy''

 [sayyiduan Imam Muhammad ibn idris ash-Shafi'i رضي الله عنه]

"The Prophet's saying 'every innovation is a general-particular and it is a reference to most innovations. The linguists say, 'Innovation is any act done without a previous pattern, and it is of five different kinds."' 

Imam an-Nawawi also said in Tahzeeb al-Asma'wal Sifaat:

 "Innovation in religious law is to originate anything which did not exist during the time of the Prophet, and it is divided into good and bad." 

He also said, "al-muhdathat (pi. for muhdatha) is to originate something that has no roots in religious law. In the tradition of religious law, it is called innovation, and if it has an origin within the religious law, then it is not innovation. Innovation in religious law is disagreeable, unlike in the language where everything that has been originated without a previous pattern is called innovation regardless of whether it is good or bad."

Imam lbn Hajar al-Asqalani ‎رحمه الله, the commentator on al-Bukhari, said, "Anything that did not exist during the Prophet's time is called innovation, but some are good while others are not."

Ibn Taymiyya believed in Bid'ah Hassan!

Hafidh ibn Taymiyyah writes that innovation (Bid’ah) is always bad, but some scholars say that there are two kinds of Bid’ah, that one is good and one is bad. If a new thing has origin in the Qur'an and Sunnah it will be called Bid'ah Logaviyya (verbally) but not Bid'ah in Shari'ah. Only the word bid'ah will be used on the new things. Like, the Qur'an was collected in one book after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم, and the congregational Taravi prayer was started in Sayyidna Umar's time but these two things have an origin in the Sunnah. Therefore, it will be called bid'ah verbally. 

[Hafidh Ibn Taymiyyah in Iqtidah al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem chap on Bid'ah]

From the above, the conclusion is that if a new thing has been started, and it 

Shawkani writes "In Islam there are two kinds of Bid'ah: Bid'ah Say'iah and Bid'ah Hasana. If a new thing opposes the Qur‟an and Sunnah then it is Say'iah, but if it is not against the Shari'ah then it is Hasanah. 

[Qadi Shawkani in Nayl-ul-Autaar chapter Salaah al-Taraveeh] 

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه would do masah (wiping) of his neck during wudhu. Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه would put water in his eyes and do masah of the ears, Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه considered it virtuous to walk along the same routes which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم used in his lifetime also to stop where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم stopped, and to perform wudhu where (thw Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم) performed it. Sayyiduan Abdullah Ibn Umar would also touch with his hands the places where (thw Prophet) sat to obtain Baraka (blessings).

 [Hafidh Ibn Taymiyyah in Qaydah Jaleelah p.223] 

"Apart from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم no one has the right to introduce anything new to the Deen (Religion) and then call it Sunnah, the Khulafa ar-Rashideen followed the Sunnah, therefore their way is called the way of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم. Wajib is only what Allah عزوجل has made Wajib and Haraam is only that which Allah عزوجل and his Messenger has forbidden, the authority of classifying Mustahab (Desirable), Mubaah (permissible), and Makrooh (Disliked), is with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم alone. No others have such authority". He continues by saying, "The majority of Scholars do not consider the (above) practice of Abdullah Ibn Umar to be permitted" 

[Hafidh Ibn Taimiyyah in Qaydah Jaleelah chap action of Sihabah]

'The Majority of the Ummah is Ash'ari and Maturidi. Ahlus Sunnah Wa’l Jama'ah is the largest group of Muslims and the only group whose beliefs and teachings are accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah!''

JazakAllah to team

Ahlus Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah i.e. al-Asha'irah Wa al-Maturidiyyah