Sheikh Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti, Director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas , states: “There are two schools of thought regarding the definition of Bid`ah. One of them is very strict, and the followers of this school regard any act of worship that was not practiced by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or his Companions as Bid`ah. The other school of thought which I tend to subscribe to, is more flexible. In this school of thought Muslims may innovate new forms of worship as long as these forms of worship can be included within the general framework set by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him or his Companions.
For example, we know from the books of Hadith that some of the Companions improvised new forms of supplications and when the Prophet, peace be upon him, knew about these supplications he liked them. By analogy, based on the second school of thought, any new form of darood and supplications should be Ok as long as they do not exaggerate in praising the Prophet, peace be upon him, or violate any of His traditions.
Having said that, I have to affirm that the best form of sending peace upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, is the one reported from him, which is the darood ibrahim that we say in the prayer.”