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Bid’ah of doing takbir in one voice

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

No doubt the Takbirat of ‘Eid are proven from the Qur’an, sunnah, Ijma’ and salaf. But the issue arises when the people start doing it in a manner not proven from the aforementioned evidences and one of the principles is that Dhikr is not to be done in unision (starting and beginning together with one voice). As for mixing of voices and unintentionally coinciding with someone then there’s no issue, the problem is when it is done under one voice intentionally.

قال ابن الحاج:ـ
‌‌ثم ‌إنهم ‌يمشون ‌على ‌صوت ‌واحد ‌وذلك ‌بدعة ‌لأن ‌المشروع ‌إنما ‌هو ‌أن ‌يكبر ‌كل ‌إنسان ‌لنفسه ‌ولا ‌يمشي ‌على ‌صوت ‌غيره [المدخل ٢/ ٢٨٥]

Ibn al-Ḥājj (D. 737) said:
Then they proceed (in saying the Takbīr) according to one voice and that is a Bidʿah because what is legislated is only that every person should say Takbīr for himself and not proceed according to the voice of another. [Al-Madkhal 2/285]

قال الشاطبي: ‌فَإِذَا ‌نَدَبَ ‌الشَّرْعُ ‌مَثَلًا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ، فَالْتَزَمَ قَوْمٌ الِاجْتِمَاعَ عَلَيْهِ عَلَى لسان واحد، أو صوت واحد، أَو فِي وَقْتٍ مَعْلُومٍ مَخْصُوصٍ عَنْ سَائِرِ الأَوقات، لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي نَدْبِ الشَّرْعِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى هَذَا التَّخْصِيصِ المُلْتَزَم، بَلْ فِيهِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى خِلَافِهِ؛ لأَن الْتِزَامَ الأُمور غَيْرِ اللَّازِمَةِ شَرْعًا شأْنها أَن تُفْهِم التَّشْرِيعَ، وخصوصاً مع من يُقْتَدَى به، وفي مجامع الناس؛ كالمساجد، فإِنها إِذا أُظْهِرَتْ هَذَا الإِظهار، وَوُضِعَتْ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ كَسَائِرِ الشَّعَائِرِ الَّتِي وَضَعَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَا أَشبهها؛ كَالْأَذَانِ، وَصَلَاةِ الْعِيدَيْنِ، وَالِاسْتِسْقَاءِ، وَالْكُسُوفِ؛ فُهِم مِنْهَا بِلَا شَكٍّ أَنها سنن، إن لم يفهم منها الفريضة، فأَحرى أَن لَا يَتَنَاوَلَهَا الدَّلِيلُ الْمُسْتَدَلُّ بِهِ، فصارت من هذه الجهة بدعاً محدثة، يَدُلُّك على ذلك: ترك التزام السلف الصالح لِتِلْكَ الأَشياء، أَوْ عَدَمِ الْعَمَلِ بِهَا، وَهُمْ كَانُوا أَحق بِهَا وأَهلها [الإعتصام ٢/ ٧٠]

Al-Shāṭibī (D. 790) said:

“So if the legislation, for example, recommends the Dhikr of Allāh, then a group of people commit themselves to gathering for it under one tongue (in unison) or one voice, or at a known, specified time in exclusion of other times which has nothing in the recommendation of the legislation that indicates this committed specification. Rather, there is in it (the legislation) which indicates its opposition; because committing to matters not binded by the legislation has the status of being understood as (part of ) legislation, especially when done by those who are taken as examples, and in public gatherings, such as in masjids. For indeed, if it is manifested in this manner and established in the masjids like the other religious activities which Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ established in the masjids and what resembles them – such as the Adhān, the two ʿĪd prayers, the Istisqāʾ (prayer for rain), and the Kusūf (eclipse prayer) – it will be understood from it, without a doubt, that it is a Sunnah, if not understood from it to be an obligation. Thus, it is all the more fitting that the deduced evidence does not actually apply to it (the committed specification). So, from this aspect, it becomes an innovated Bid’ah. What indicates this to you is the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ (Pious Predecessors) abandoning commitment to such things, or their not acting upon them, and they were more entitled to it and more worthy of it.” [Al-Iʿtiṣām 2/70]

قال الشيخ الألباني: ‌ومما ‌يحسن ‌التذكير ‌به ‌بهذه ‌المناسبة، ‌أن ‌الجهر ‌بالتكبير ‌هنا ‌لا ‌يشرع ‌فيه الاجتماع عليه بصوت واحد كما يفعله البعض وكذلك كل ذكر يشرع فيه رفع الصوت أو لا يشرع، فلا يشرع فيه الاجتماع المذكور [سلسلة الأحاديث الصحيحة ١/ ٣٣١]

Shaykh al-Albani said:
“And from what is good to be reminded of on this occasion is raising the voice with Takbīr over here is not legislated to gather for it with one voice, as some do. Likewise, every Dhikr in which raising the voice is legislated or not legislated, the aforementioned gathering (with one voice) is not legislated for it.” [Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1/331]

‌‌فضيلة الشيخ هل هذا التكبير يكون جماعياً وبصوتٍ واحد وإذا فعلنا ذلك هل يكون من البدع؟
فأجاب رحمه الله تعالى: الصحيح أنه لا يكون بصوتٍ واحد وإنما يكبر كل إنسانٍ لنفسه كما قال أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه (إنهم كانوا مع النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم في حجة الوداع منهم الملبي ومنهم المكبر) فكل إنسانٍ يكبر بنفسه على حسب اللهجة التي يريدها وأما الاجتماع على التكبير بصوتٍ واحد فلا أعلمه في السنة [فتاوى نور على الدرب ٥/ ٦٠٧- ٦٠٨]

(Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn was asked): Esteemed Shaykh, is this Takbīr done collectively and with one voice? And if we do that, is it considered among the innovations (al-Bida’)?
He (may Allāh the Exalted have mercy on him) answered: “What is correct is that it is not done with one voice. Rather, every person says Takbīr for himself, as Anas ibn Mālik (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “Indeed, they were with the Prophet ﷺ during the Farewell Pilgrimage; some of them were saying the Talbiyah and some of them were saying the Takbīr. (at the same time)” So every person says Takbīr by himself, according to the way he wants. As for gathering for the Takbīr with one voice, I do not know of it in the Sunnah.” [Fatāwā Nūr ʿalā al-Darb 5/607-608]

Shaykh Ibn Bāz has an entire article on this topic (see Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 13/20 onwards).

سئل الشيخ مقبل: ما حكم التكبير الجماعي في العيد ؟
فأجاب: ليس وارد هذا عن النبي – صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم – ، فعلى هذا لا ننصح بهذا ، ولو فعله أحد ننصحه على ألا يفعله ولا نستطيع أن نحكم عليه بأنه مبتدع والله المستعان

سوال: عیدین کی نماز سے پہلے جو تکبیریں کہی جاتی ہیں تو یہاں ہوتا یہ ہے کہ ایک شخص پہلے بلند آواز سے مائیک میں تکبیر کہتا ہے، پھر حاضرین جواباً مجموعی طور پر تکبیر کہتے ہیں، کیا ایسا کرنا ٹھیک ہے؟
الجواب: میرے علم میں یہ عمل ثابت نہیں ہے۔ واللہ اعلم [الحديث (۱۲۱) ص ۱۳]

Question (to Shaykh Zubayr ‘Ali Zai): Regarding the Takbīrāt that are said before the ʿĪd prayers, what happens here is that one person first says the Takbīr loudly on the microphone, then those present respond by saying the Takbīr collectively (in one voice). Is doing so correct?
Answer: “To my knowledge, this practice is not established and Allāh knows best.” [Al-Ḥadīth (121), p. 13]

Shaykh Muqbil was asked: What is the ruling of Takbīr in unison at ʿĪd?
He answered: “This is not reported from the Prophet ﷺ. Based on this, we do not advise doing this. And if someone were to do it, we would advise him not to do it, but we cannot rule him to be an innovator (mubtadiʿ). And Allāh is the One whose help is sought.” [from his website]

سئل الشيخ عبد المحسن العباد: هل يكون التكبير قبل صلاة العيد جماعيا أم كل واحد بمفرده؟
فأجاب: لا، كل واحد على حدة. لا يكون التكبير جماعياً وإنما كل يكبر بمفرده

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād was asked: Is the Takbīr before the ʿĪd prayer collectively or (by) each person individually?
He answered: “No, (rather) each one separately. The Takbīr is not collectively (in one voice); rather, each one says Takbīr individually.” [from his voice recording]

Another point which shows that it should not be done under one voice is that the salaf had different wordings for the takbir. Had it been in one voice, they would not have different styles.

قيل لأحمد: ابن المبارك يقول في الفطر يعني مع التكبير: ‌الحمد ‌لله ‌على ‌ما ‌هدانا، ‌قال: ‌هذا ‌واسع [المسائل برواية أبي داود ص ٨٩]

It was said to Aḥmad: “Ibn al-Mubārak says in ʿĪd al-Fiṭr – meaning along with the Takbīr – ‘Al-ḥamdu Lillāhi ʿalā mā hadānā (All gratitude is to Allāh for having guided us).'” He (Aḥmad) said: “This (matter) is vast (in wordings).” [Al-Masāil bi-riwāyat Abī Dāwūd p. 89]

This proves that it’s not mandatory to stick to a particular wording though all goodness is in following the salaf.

س: مازال العلماء عندنا يدعون سنية‌‌ التكبير الجماعي بقولهم: إن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه كان يكبر في خيمته في منى، ويكبر الناس بتكبيره، هل صحيح أو كذب أو سنة أو بدعة؟
ج: التكبير الجماعي بدعة؛ لأنه لا دليل عليه، وقد قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد (1) » ، وما فعله عمر رضي الله عنه ‌ليس ‌فيه ‌دليل ‌على ‌التكبير ‌الجماعي، ‌وإنما ‌فيه أن عمر رضي الله عنه يكبر وحده فإذا سمعه الناس كبروا، كل يكبر وحده، وليس فيه أنهم يكبرون تكبيرا جماعيا.
وبالله التوفيق، وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم.
اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء
عضو … عضو … عضو … نائب الرئيس … الرئيس
بكر أبو زيد … صالح الفوزان … عبد الله بن غديان … عبد العزيز آل الشيخ … عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز [الفتوى رقم (٢٠١٨٩)]

Q: The scholars in our area continue to advocate for the “Sunnah of Takbīr in unision”, saying: “Indeed, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say Takbīr in his tent in Minā, and the people would say Takbīr following his Takbīr.” Is this authentic, a fabrication, a Sunnah, or a Bidʿah?

A: Takbīr in unision is a Bidʿah because there is no evidence for it, and the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our matter (command), it is rejected.” [Muslim 1718] And what ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) did does not contain evidence for Takbīr in unision. Rather, it indicates that ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) would say Takbīr by himself, and when the people heard him, they would say Takbīr – each one saying Takbīr by himself. It does not indicate that they would say Takbīr in unision.

And with Allāh is the Tawfīq (success and guidance). And may Allāh send praise and peace upon our Prophet Muḥammad and his family and his Companions.

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Iftāʾ

Member … Member … Member … Vice President … President
Bakr Abū Zayd … Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān … ʿAbdullāh ibn Ghudayyān … ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl al-Shaykh … ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbdillāh ibn Bāz [Al-Fatwā No. (20189)]