A clarification: Bid’ah is worse than Sin, and an innovator is more dangerous than a sinner.
Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Umar Baazmool said: Do not generalize saying: “Committing a sin is a lighter matter in comparison to committing a Bid’ah.”
One may find that a person has been abandoned because he uses prayer beads, labeling him as a Mubtadi (religious innovator). Whereas they would have no problem in sitting with a fornicator, or a homosexual, or the one who consumes intoxicants; and their argument is that the one who commits sins is still in a better state (with Allaah) than an innovator.
I (Muhammad Baazmool) say: The intent behind the scholars statement: “the position of Bid’ah is more dangerous than that of a sin”, they say this due to its nature. Depending on the type (category), Bid’ah is more dangerous than sin. End quote.
Notes (by Abu Dalia Fahad Barmem):
*1) The reason why scholars considered Bid’ah as more dangerous than sin is because the one who has fallen into innovation does it thinking it be a righteous deed and he may not repent from it, whereas the one who has fallen into sin may realize his mistake and repent from it.
*2) No doubt that every Bid’ah is misguidance, but not all Bid’ah are of the same level. Like sins, Bid’ah also vary in degrees; some Bid’ah, like sins, can reach to the level of Kufr, and others are less than that. So generalizing that every person who has fallen into Bid’ah is worse than the one who commits a Major or Minor sin, is injustice.
*3) Some of the brothers treat a person who has fallen into an innovation worse than a person who has fallen into Major sin. So we see that those who have fallen into innovations (like using Tasbeeh (prayer beads) or celebrating National Day) or those who differ with these brothers about an issue are boycotted while these same brothers would have among their ranks those who devour donations and Zakaah, or are engaged in Fawaahish etc. They do this relying on the “SAVED SECT” card. Wallahul Musta’an.
(Copied entirely from the Facebook account of the noble brother Abu Dalia Fahad Barmem, may Allah preserve him.)
Saheehus-Seerah 