Hadrat [1] Imam-i Rabbani says in the 19th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:
Following the highest of the Prophets requires carrying out all his sunnats [2], that is, his commands and prohibitions, and avoiding the bid’ats [3], which he dislikes. Even if those bid’ats looked bright like the breaking of dawn that annihilated the darkness of night, it would be necessary to abstain from all of them. For, there is no nur, no light in any bid’at, nor any cure for an ill person. They cannot be medicine for a sick person. For, each bid’at either annihilates a sunnat, or it has nothing to do with the Sunnat. However, those bid’ats which have nothing to do with the Sunnat overflow the Sunnat and are superfluous. So they annihilate the Sunnat. For, to do any command more than commanded means to change the command.
Hence, it is understood that each bid’at, no matter how it is, annihilates the Sunnat, and is at loggerheads with the Sunnat. There is no goodness or beauty in any bid’at. I wish I knew why and how they ever said ‘beautiful’ about some of the bid’ats which appeared after the blessings had been completed in this perfect din, Islam, which Allahu ta’ala likes. Why did they not know that when something has been perfected, completed and liked, supplements added to it cannot be beautiful? Any change made in something correct and right is deviation, heresy. If they realized the fact that to say beautiful about something which appeared later in this perfect and complete din would mean to say that the din did not reach perfection or the blessing was not completed, they would not say beautiful about any bid’at. O our Allah! Do not call us to account for what we have forgotten or what we have erred on! I send my salam (greeting) to you and to those being with you.
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GLOSSARY
[1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.
[2] sunnat: i) (when used alone) The Shari’at; ii) (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. iii) (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet.
[3] bidat: (pl. bida’) heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or ‘ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings).
Following the highest of the Prophets requires carrying out all his sunnats [2], that is, his commands and prohibitions, and avoiding the bid’ats [3], which he dislikes. Even if those bid’ats looked bright like the breaking of dawn that annihilated the darkness of night, it would be necessary to abstain from all of them. For, there is no nur, no light in any bid’at, nor any cure for an ill person. They cannot be medicine for a sick person. For, each bid’at either annihilates a sunnat, or it has nothing to do with the Sunnat. However, those bid’ats which have nothing to do with the Sunnat overflow the Sunnat and are superfluous. So they annihilate the Sunnat. For, to do any command more than commanded means to change the command.
Hence, it is understood that each bid’at, no matter how it is, annihilates the Sunnat, and is at loggerheads with the Sunnat. There is no goodness or beauty in any bid’at. I wish I knew why and how they ever said ‘beautiful’ about some of the bid’ats which appeared after the blessings had been completed in this perfect din, Islam, which Allahu ta’ala likes. Why did they not know that when something has been perfected, completed and liked, supplements added to it cannot be beautiful? Any change made in something correct and right is deviation, heresy. If they realized the fact that to say beautiful about something which appeared later in this perfect and complete din would mean to say that the din did not reach perfection or the blessing was not completed, they would not say beautiful about any bid’at. O our Allah! Do not call us to account for what we have forgotten or what we have erred on! I send my salam (greeting) to you and to those being with you.
________________________________________
GLOSSARY
[1] Hadrat: title of respect used before the names of great people like and Islamic scholars.
[2] sunnat: i) (when used alone) The Shari’at; ii) (when used together with the name Book) The hadith of the Prophet. iii) (when used together with the word Fard) Any action, word or thought liked and commanded by the Prophet.
[3] bidat: (pl. bida’) heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or ‘ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings).
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