Bidʿa and Islamic Reform

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ID: 314416
2026
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Abstract
Abstract This chapter examines the concept of innovation (bidʿa) as a tool eliciting Islamic reform. It traces the development of a genre of innovation literature in the early Middle Ages, emerging from engagement with the term in ḥadīth collections and theological and legal works. Medieval texts create a variety of definitions and categorizations of bidʿa, with some contending that it can be good, while others restrict it to anything that violates Islamic law. Definitions and varied approaches to the topic have been reworked by modern reformers. The chapter focuses on this temporal connection through case studies of states and scholars from the eighteenth century to today who consider bidʿa in their attempts to renew the religion and society, such as Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb and Wahhābism in Arabia, Usman Dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate in Nigeria, and Islamic modernists and Salafis from India to Egypt. In addressing contemporary concerns, these case studies illustrate the flexibility of bidʿa as it takes on new meanings, revealing it to be a useful concept for reformers today.
Reference Key
openalex_W7162004166 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Tara Stephan
Journal Oxford University Press eBooks
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197532805.013.57
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197532805.013.57
Keywords Keywords not found

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