al-Bida al-Hawliya
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- Dar Al-Fadeelah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi'
al-Bida al-Hawliya (The Annual Innovations) is a contemporary treatise on creed and jurisprudence by the Saudi scholar Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tuwayjiri, examining cyclical and seasonal religious innovations practiced throughout the Islamic calendar .
Origin and Composition
The work was originally submitted as a master's thesis in the Department of Creed and Contemporary Ideologies at the Faculty of Usul al-Din at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh . It was supervised by Fahd ibn Humayyin al-Fahd, with the research plan reviewed prior to submission by Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah Al al-Shaykh . The author was awarded his master's degree with distinction in 1406 AH (1986 CE), and the book was later published in Riyadh by Dar al-Fadila in 1421 AH (2000 CE) .
Purpose and Structure
The book seeks to systematically document and critique religious innovations (bida') that reoccur annually across the lunar months, as well as the imitation of non-Muslim seasonal festivities . It consists of an extensive preliminary study followed by nine thematic chapters and a conclusion:
- Preliminary Study (al-Tamhid): Covers the linguistic and technical definitions of innovation, its legal ruling in Islam, the origins and causes of its emergence and proliferation, its societal impact, safeguards against it, and the conceptual framing of annual innovations .
- Chapter 1 (Muharram): Discusses reports concerning the month, the innovation of mourning rituals on the tenth of Muharram (Ashura) among the Rafida, and the counter-innovation of festive celebrations among the Nawasib .
- Chapter 2 (Safar): Details narrations related to Safar and critiques the superstition and pessimism associated with the month .
- Chapter 3 (Rabi al-Awwal): Focuses on celebrating the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid), addressing its historical origins, societal context, arguments advanced by proponents with refutations, practices during its commemoration, and the stance of Sunni scholars .
- Chapter 4 (Rajab): Examines reports on Rajab, pre-Islamic veneration, the atira sacrifice, specific fasts and prayers, the Ragha'ib prayer, and celebrating the night of the Night Journey and Ascension (Isra and Miraj) .
- Chapter 5 (Shaban): Reviews narrations concerning Shaban, the celebration of the night of mid-Shaban, and the thousand-fold prayer (al-Salat al-Alfiyya) .
- Chapter 6 (Ramadan): Treats the virtues of Ramadan along with thirteen specific ungrounded practices, such as reciting Surat al-Anam on specific nights, novel formats of Tarawih prayers, the Salat al-Qadr, distinctive invocations, and rites surrounding the completion of the Quran .
- Chapter 7 (Shawwal): Addresses reports on Shawwal, superstitious beliefs regarding marriage during the month, and the feast termed Id al-Abrar .
- Chapter 8 (Dhu al-Hijjah): Reviews reports concerning the month, gathering for supplication outside Mecca on the Day of Arafah (al-ta'rif), and the Shi'i festival of Ghadir Khumm .
- Chapter 9 (Imitation of Non-Muslim Festivals): Discusses celebrations such as Christmas, Nowruz, personal birthdays, newly instituted holidays, the Hijri New Year, centenary commemorations, and the legal obligation to differentiate Muslim practice from that of the People of the Book .
Method and Findings
Al-Tuwayjiri evaluates each practice against scriptural evidence, identifying weak or fabricated narrations, the historical point of origin of each custom, and classical scholarly verdicts . In his conclusion, he argues that any religious innovation contrary to the Sunnah is misguidance, categorizes innovations according to their severity—ranging from major disbelief to prohibited disobedience and disliked acts—and highlights causes for their spread, notably scholarly silence, ignorance of the Sunnah, and following personal inclination .
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