Is there any such concept as bad or good bid’ah?

Scholars such as Imam an-Nawawi, Ibn Hajr and others took the linguistic meaning of bid'ah, which is any invented thing that has no precedent. So they divided that into two categories, good and bad. However, the correct definition of bid'ah in Islam is more than just the definition taken from the Arabic language. It also includes the definition given by the Prophet (ﷺ) when he said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected,” and: “Every bid’ah is a misguidance and every misguidance is in Hell-fire”.

The Prophet (ﷺ) stated repeatedly that: "Every newly invented thing is a bid'ah (innovation), every bid'ah is a going astray, and every going astray will be in the Fire."[1] Reports with the same meaning were narrated via Jaabir (رضى الله عنه) by Ahmad, via al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah by Abu Dawud and via Ibn Mas'ood (رضى الله عنه) by Ibn Maajah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, when beginning a khutbah (sermon): "… The best of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray…" [2]

This is why al-Hafidh ibn Rajab defined bid'ah as: “Whoever invents something and attributes it to the religion, and it does not have an origin in the religion to refer back to: it is a misguidance, and the religion is free of it.” [3]    If every bid'ah is a going astray, how can some people then say that there is such a thing in Islam as "bid'ah hasanah"?   By Allah, this is an obvious contradiction of the statement and warning of the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Prophet (ﷺ) stated that whoever innovates something new in the deen (religion) will have his deed rejected, and Allah will not accept it, as is stated in the hadeeth narrated by 'Aa'ishah (رضى الله عنها), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected.'"[4] How can anybody then say that bid'ah is acceptable and it is permitted to follow it?

When a person innovates something and adds to the deen something that does not belong to it, he is implying a number of bad things, each worse than the last, for example: That the religion is lacking, that Allah did not complete and perfect it, and that there is room for improvement. This clearly contradicts the statement in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning): "… This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…" [5] That the religion remained imperfect from the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) until the time when this innovator came along and completed it with his own ideas.  That the Prophet (ﷺ) was "guilty" of either of two things: either he was ignorant of this "good innovation," or he knew about it but concealed it, thus letting his ummah down by not conveying it.

That the Prophet (ﷺ), his Companions and the righteous salaf (early generations) missed out on the reward of this "good innovation" - until this innovator came along and earned it for himself, despite the fact that he should say to himself, "If it was truly good, they would have been the first to do it."  Opening the door to bid'ah leads to changing the deen (religion) and opens the way for personal whims and opinions, because every innovator implies that what he is introducing is something good, so whose opinion are we supposed to follow, and which of them should we take as a leader?

Following bid'ah leads to the cancelling out of sunnah practices and the ways of the salaf. Real life bears witness that whenever a bid'ah is followed, a sunnah practice dies out; the reverse is also true. So based on this, anything other than acts of worship that are new and invented (even if it is for the religion or for an act of worship, but not an act of worship in and of itself), then it is not to be considered as a bid'ah and is allowed as long as it does not go against the principles of the religion.

Hence, the difference between those who categorized bid'ah into good and bad, and those who did not, is merely a difference of terminologies and not a difference of opinion as to what kinds of inventions are okay and what kinds are not.  We ask Allah to save us from the misguidance of personal whims and from all trials whether they are open or secret.

And Allah knows best.

References:

[1] (Reported by al-Nisaa'i in al-Sunan, Salaat al-'Eedayn, Baab kayfa al-Khutbah).

[2] (Reported by Muslim, no. 867)

[3] [Jaami' al-Uloom wal-Hikam (2/128)].

[4] (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Baari, no. 2697)

[5] [al-Maa'idah 5:3]

Source:

http://www.islamqa.info/en/ref/864

http://www.islamqa.info/en/ref/205