Is it valid to divide Bid'ah (innovation in religion) into "good" and "bad" when there is the text: "Every Bid'ah is misguidance"?
Innovation (Bid'ah) has two connotations: a linguistic one and a Shar'i (legal) one. From the linguistic connotation, innovation can be divided into good and bad, as it means originating or doing something for the first time. However, from the Shar'i connotation, this division is not valid, because innovation is an introduced matter in religion, and it is always blameworthy, based on the Prophet's ﷺ saying: "Whoever innovates into this matter of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected," and "Every innovation is misguidance."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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