RNA – Speaking at Mashhad’s Navvab Seminary, Grand Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani said that ibn Taymiyyah and Wahhabism explain the meaning of bid’ah or innovation as “anything which is new and unprecedented” and added: “In the Quran, the creation of the heavens and the earth are also called innovations due to them being unprecedented.”
The revered source of emulation pointed out another meaning of the term innovation, saying that innovation means “any changes in the law of God,” adding that changes in the law of God is done are two ways; sometimes something is added to divine law and sometimes something is taken away from divine law – such as adding or decreasing units in prayer – both are innovations.
Ayatollah Sobhani explained the conditions of the innovator or who seeks to add or subtract something from the religion and added: “We cannot say that everyone is an innovator. To be an innovator a person must have three conditions: first, they must attribute an act to God which is not in the Quran or narrations.”
His Eminence continued, saying that the second condition is for someone to be an innovator. If an individual says something new and attributes it to divine law which isn’t in the Quran or narrations, this person is an innovator but if a new statement is supported by the Quran and narrations, it is not an innovation.
The Iranian cleric provided an example to clarify the issue, saying that Iran may build missiles and this is attributed to Islam but this is not innovation based upon what God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “Hence, make ready against them whatever force and war mounts you are able to muster, so that you might deter thereby the enemies of God…” [8:60] and therefore, building missiles has religious backing and is not an innovation.
Ayatollah Sobhani said that the Wahhabi sect is known for encouraging the tarawih prayer, which is an innovation and for banning the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad while this this is supported by divine law and the Quran.
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