Consideration of custom (ʿurf)‎ by the izalah organization in Gombe, Nigeria : a critical examinationi

Abstract EN

Urf in the SharFah serves as an essential tool for dealing with mu amalat aspects of Muslim life.

The 'urf rulings stipulated by the scholars determine its acceptability or otherwise.

A certain 'urf serves as a legal principle to conduct a transaction in social interaction.

However.

Jama 'atu lzalatil bid a wa Iqamatis Sunnah (The Society for the Removal of Innovation and Establishment of the Sunnah) uses the term bid'ah indiscriminately to include some customary practices in mu amalat.

This leads to a different perception of how people understand the word and its application, which gives a different dimension of interpretation on the Shari'ah allowance of 'urf usage.

Thus, depicting 'urf as bid'ah complicates the ability> to verify the crux of bid'ah in matters pertaining to 'ibadah and mu 'amalat in their respective domains.

The results of the qualitative research conducted in Combe metropolis show the people's understanding and utilization of the words to be synonymous.

This is a result of the Izalah organization s application of the r*o words (bid ah and 'urf in dealing with mu amalat as well as 'ibadah.

Muslims misunderstood the utilization of these terms and therefore misapply some practical Sunnah in marriage celebrations, for example, as bid'ah.

Therefore, there is need for the organization to educate Muslims on the validity of customary practices that do nor contravene the teachings of Islam.