Reality of discussing and evaluating of the Sunnah and Bid'ah

Sunnah and Bid'ah are two opposite concepts that have not lost their actuality during the history of Islam. The experts of the subject have defined these concepts in different ways throughout the history in order to determine the essence and scope of these concepts. Moreover, there have been discussions among the scholars regarding some subjects within the context of Sunnah-Bid'ah. In this research, an important part of the said discussions are taken into account and evaluated. The research consists of introduction, two sections and conclusion. Following the introduction part where information regarding the subject, essence, purpose, method, sources, scope and limitedness of the research is given, the first section probes the conceptualization process and essence of these words by starting with the concept of Sunnah. Therefore the subject is reviewed under two main titles "Conceptualization Process and Essence of Sunnah" and "Conceptualization Process and Essence of Bid'ah". In this section, an important part of the discussions that have been made in the past in respect of the subject are taken into consideration and evaluated and new definitions are made for Sunnah and Bid'ah. Furthermore, the concepts of Sunnah and Bid'ah are segregated by the tradition that splits into two as "Hasanah" and "Sayyi'ah". In the second section where the Sunnah-Bid'ah discussions that have made in practical subjects, have been evaluated by basing on some practices, under two main titles "Sunnah-Bid'ah Discussions Regarding Religion Practices" and "Sunnah-Bid'ah Discussions Regarding Social Life". Thus, contribution is made to the understanding of the essences of such concepts by showing how the discussions in theory reflect to practice. In the evaluations made regarding the discussions, the new definitions made for Sunnah and Bid'ah in the research are taken as basis. In the conclusion part, the results that are reached as a result of the research are stated. Keywords: Sunnah, Bid'ah, Tradition, Hasanah, Sayyi'ah.