54. What is bid‘ah in Islam? What sort of bid‘ah can be accepted?

Bid‘ah refers to innovation in religion. According to a hadith, every innovation in the religion of Islam must be rejected:

Aisha has reported that God’s Messenger said: ‘He who innovates things in our affairs something, which does not belong to it, then it will be rejected.’ (Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 1718)

No one has the authority to change the religion of God. Cultural aspects are subject to change, but this is not the case with religious matters. Bid‘ah is to introduce in Islam a religious practice which was originally not a part of Islam.