At what point does an act of individual ibadah become Bid'ah?

[Ibn malik]

Say, for example, I recite an ayah after salah every time just because I like it. If I do this on a regular basis, does this now render my action a bid'ah?
Or reciting the ayah of surah tawbah (laqad jaa'akum rasul min anfusikum) after maghrib and fajr without miss. Can this act be considered innovation?

[waziri]

Say, for example, I recite an ayah after salah every time just because I like it. If I do this on a regular basis, does this now render my action a bid'ah?
Or reciting the ayah of surah tawbah (laqad jaa'akum rasul min anfusikum) after maghrib and fajr without miss. Can this act be considered innovation?

Akhi Im not sure about this but I think such things only become a biddah when people consider it to be a sunnah.


Allah knows best


wasalam

[Muntasir]

That's not necessarily true - people don't consider the Mawlid a Sunnah, or the prayer beads, or other innovations that are clear innovations.

[Ibn malik]

That's not necessarily true - people don't consider the Mawlid a Sunnah, or the prayer beads, or other innovations that are clear innovations.
then....?
any takers?

[waziri]

That's not necessarily true - people don't consider the Mawlid a Sunnah, or the prayer beads, or other innovations that are clear innovations.


What I meant was (and its my fault for not making myself clear)is that those acts which have some basis in the sharia.Obviously that which is baseless in the first place does not have to be regarded as being a sunnah before we can say it is biddah.


For example if someone decided to make dhikr and they said I will recite subhanallah so many times and Allah hu akbar so many times etc at a particular time of day or night then this would not be biddah as doing dhikr is something which is praiseworthy even though the person would be doing an amount and at a time which he has no dalil for.

But then if the same person starts saying that the way he is doing the dhikr ie the amount and at the time he has chosen is the way of the prophet(saw)then this would be a bidah if he has no dalil.

Allah knows best

wasalam

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

Good question i wonder this too. I cant see how if i want to train my nafs, so everyday i recite 100 La illaha illallah, and 100 Allah Allah, and 100 salawat, and 100 istighfar(the 100 istighfar is actually within the sunnah so is the numbering of 70). Also what if someone wanted to train himself so before each meal he reads a hadith and reads a masala from a fiqh book?