Good Innovation and Bad Innovation from the views of Traditional and the Greatest Scholars of Islam and Evidence from the Text:
As the scholars Ibn Hajar and An Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on them) explained in their works (Fath Al Bari and Sharh Sahih Muslim):
"That these two ahadith are about any act that is not in the Sunnah or from it."
And the hadith that every innovation is misguidance is also about the acts that are not from the Sunnah, an act that is not proven by the acts of the Companions or anywhere else from the text.
And the Hadith about the Good Sunnah:
"Whoever establishes a good practice in Islam will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection."
And this means here the good deeds and we know that all the good deeds in Islam are from the Sunnah and if there is any other good deed then it is from the way of the Companions and the people of the Salaf.
And innovation is what is not in the Sunnah or any act that cannot be proved from the Sunnah or from the views of the Companions or the Salaf, then they declared it as an innovation, but even innovation (Bid'ah) is in 5 parts.
And the traditional view of Ahlus Sunnah was that innovation is of 5 types, we can take the book of any scholar as an example if we take the work of An Nawawi (rh) "Adab al Quran 189):
"Writing the Quran and noting it down is also an innovation, but it is beneficial, so it is a good innovation according to the consensus."
And when we become scholars, we also study Arabic grammar and many other rules as well, but the Companions didn't learn it all the way we do now, and learning about these things is also an innovation, but its good because its for a good purpose and beneficial.
And Imam Tahawi in Kashf Isthalat:
"Bid'ah is of 5 types Good, Bad (haram), Disliked (Makruh), Recommended (Mustahabb), Neutral (Mubāh)."
Every act proven from the text is a good innovation, as Imam Shafi (rh) said that Bidah is of two types: good, which comes from the Companions, and bad, which contradicts the text.
Sayyiduna Umar (RA) said on two different occasions that this innovation is good and in another narration "Blessing of Bidah".
(Both recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari)
And the scholars of the Sunnah agree on the types of innovation". (Tahawi's quote ends here, it is too long as he quotes too many scholars to prove this).
And Even Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (rh) said:
"Innovation is of types."
So this is proof that the scholars of the Ahlus Sunna throughout history have said that there are types of innovation and there was no disagreement among them, but only a small group that became Ahlul Hadith and ignored the explanations of the Hadith went wrong on issues and committed errors without fixing them.
And if all the scholars of the past were wrong, as some say, then their books shouldn't be studied, but without them we cannot have any Islamic scholarship, and those great scholars are so important that without their works and opinions we cannot understand or go deep into Islam.
And They say that the Hadith regarding
"Every Innovation is Misguidance".
Scholars have explained it that innovation that is in religion and worship that cannot be proved from the text or from the Companions and acts that are added to religion and are not from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ so this is the definition of this hadith that we must avoid this type of innovation and those who do this type of innovation are called innovators.
And the Saying of Muadh Ibn Jabal (RA) :
"Whatever the Muslims (majority of them) see as Good is Good."
This saying of the Companion is explained in Sharh Miskhat Al Masibh by Mulla Ali Qari (rh):
"The saying of seeing as good means what was the consensus of the Muslims on a subject, as the majority that had a consensus on something from the early times will be right."
(Sharh of Hadith number 1345 in the edition which I use)
Shaykh Ibn Tayimiyyah (rh) in Majmu fatawi (20/163):
"The misguidance of those who innovate a path or a belief, claiming that the faith is not complete without it, while knowing that the Messenger did not mention it, is known. Whatever contradicts the texts is an innovation according to the consensus of Muslims. Whatever is not known to contradict them cannot be called an innovation. Al-Shafi'i - may Allah have mercy on him - said: There are two types of innovation: an innovation that contradicts the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus. And according to some of the companions of the Messenger of God, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, this is an innovation of misguidance. And an innovation that does not contradict any of this, then it is good, because of the saying of Umar: What a good innovation this is, these words or something like them. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it with his authentic chain of transmission in Al-Madkhal."
Ibn Abd Al Bar says good bidah exists and whatever is not against the Sunnah is good and quotes Ibn Umar that he said salat duha bidah but the blessings of this bidah was used by him and considered good in lingustics not in sharia as anything traceable is good.
Imam Ibn Abi Al Fath Al Hanbali (RA)) on bidah being 5 types and of guidance and misguidance but said this is not the best place to discuss it.
Imam Ibn Qayyim explains the statement of Imam Shafi about bidah saying what is not against the Sunnah is not bidah of misguidance.
Imam Qurtubi said bidah which has no basis in religion is bad and what is not against sunnah and the book is not a bidah only in linguistics it is.
This information should be more than enough to explain the concept of what innovation (Bid'ah) is in Islam and the view of traditional scholars is always correct as the majority agree and there is a consensus on this issue by the majority that its correct.
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