Are Terms 'Tasowwuf' and 'Mureed' Bid'ah?

Q: Are the terms ‘tasowwuf’ and ‘mureed’ etc. not Bid’ah, because they are not mentioned in the hadith of Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam? I have heard some Arabs say this.

A: These are technical terms devised by the masters in this subject. Every science of Islam has its own technical terms, which have absolutely no origin in Quran or Sunnah, but have been used by Ulema throughout the centuries without any objection whatsoever. In hadith we have terms such as Saheeh, Hasan, Dha’eef, Mu’dhal, Mursal, Musnad, Muttasil, Munqati’ etc. These terms are not found even in the times of the Sahaaba, but were instead created by the masters in the Science of Hadith. No one terms these words as a ‘bid’ah’. There are numerous similar examples in the other branches of Islamic learning, like Fiqah, Tafseer, Nahu, Sarf, Balaaghah, etc. These technical phrases have become accepted as part of Islam.