Where Do We Draw the Line on Bid‘ah?

About this lecture

In this lecture, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi tackles the heated debate over Mawlid al-Nabi by first grounding the discussion in the psychology of motivated reasoning — arguing that both sides are often driven more by emotion and identity than by evidence alone. He then breaks down the Islamic concepts of bid'ah haqiqiyyah and bid'ah idhaafiyyah, walking through historical examples from the Sahaba to demonstrate that fine-tuning religious practice has precedent, while also acknowledging legitimate concerns about unchecked innovation. The lecture calls for intellectual humility, empathy across sectarian lines, and a broader, more inclusive understanding of Muslim brotherhood and sisterhood.