✍ Excerpted from the book “Ghayr Masnūn Naflī Namāzayn” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
The purpose of human creation is worship. Worship is a means of attaining nearness to Allah. A believer is always in pursuit of goodness and strives to excel in it. In acts of worship, no one parallels the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, who is the best example for the Ummah. Every believer must follow his footsteps to seek the pleasure of Allah, for a true believer is not free in his choices — he is bound by the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
Among acts of worship, prayer (ṣalāh) holds the foremost status, and following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in offering it is essential. Unfortunately, many innovated voluntary prayers have been fabricated in our times. These are not only promoted but also presented as a means of nearness to Allah. It is shocking that those who neglect obligatory duties are seen offering hundreds of units in these innovated prayers, which is nothing but ritualistic worship.
True worship brings a servant closer to the Lord of the Worlds, instills piety, softens the heart, motivates righteous deeds, and protects from sins. But when one observes these ritualistic worshippers, they are often devoid of the fear of Allah and flee from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ. It must be remembered that fabricated prayers can never be a source of divine pleasure. The core objective of the Sharīʿah in worship is quality, not quantity. A small deed, if in line with the Sunnah, can carry the reward of a mountain; whereas extensive worship, done contrary to the Sunnah, can become a burden.
﴿ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا ﴾
[Surah al-Mā’idah: 3]
Translation: “Today, I have completed for you your religion, and perfected My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as your religion.”
This verse was revealed during the Farewell Pilgrimage. It declared that the religion of Islam is complete and perfect. Any addition to the religion is not acceptable to Allah — rather, it is a reprehensible act. Although some verbally admit to the completion of religion, their actions suggest otherwise. They:
By doing so, they fill their spiritual practices with innovations and detestable acts.
Rule: Only a clear textual evidence (naṣṣ) can determine whether an act of worship is prohibited or permissible.
❀ ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها reported that the Messenger ﷺ said:
(( مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ ))
“Whoever performs an act not in accordance with our matter (religion), it is rejected.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1718]
✔ Imām Ibn Rajab رحمه الله (d. 795 AH):
This ḥadīth is one of the foundations of religion. Just as intentions (niyyah) are the criteria for internal deeds, this ḥadīth is the criterion for outward actions. Any act lacking Allah’s pleasure is void, and if not sanctioned by Allah and His Messenger, it will be rejected.
(Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, p. 8)
✔ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728 AH):
“Human actions — whether statements or deeds — are of two types:
(1) Acts of worship, which refine their religious life, and
(2) Habits, which relate to worldly needs.
The Sharīʿah teaches us that only those acts of worship are valid which are proven from it.”
(al-Qawāʿid al-Nūrāniyyah, p. 78–79)
He also said:
“Declaring any act as recommended, prohibited, or permissible must be based on Sharʿī evidence.
Obligations, recommendations, and prohibitions cannot be determined without textual proof.”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 27/396)
And further:
“Only those actions can be deemed religious or recommended that are established from the Qur’ān, Sunnah, or the practice of the Salaf. Fabricated acts, even with perceived temporary benefits, cannot be part of religion, as their harms outweigh their benefits.”
(Iqtiḍāʾ aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm, p. 462)
He also stated:
“Anyone who claims to follow the Qur’ān and Sunnah without emulating the Companions, and without following their path, is from the people of innovation and misguidance.”
(Mukhtaṣar al-Fatāwā al-Miṣriyyah, p. 556)
The common notion that weak ḥadīths can be used in fadā’il al-aʿmāl (virtues of deeds) does not apply to fabricated acts, especially such non-Sunnah prayers. Only those deeds which are already established in the Sharīʿah may be supported by weak narrations for added encouragement — but not created acts.
✔ Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“None of the Imāms permitted an act to be made obligatory or recommended based on a weak ḥadīth. Whoever does so, goes against the consensus (ijmāʿ).”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 1/251)
“One who performs a non-obligatory act assuming it to be obligatory or recommended is misguided and an innovator. The entire Ummah agrees: such an act is a bad innovation, not a good one.”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 1608)
✔ Imām al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله (d. 790 AH):
“Many people consider acts to be praiseworthy for which no evidence exists in the Qur’ān, Sunnah, or from the Salaf. They perform them regularly, even making them binding upon themselves.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 1/212)
✔ Imām Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī رحمه الله:
“Innovators fabricate proofs and rulings not rooted in Sharīʿah, while turning away from what is established.”
(Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, p. 593)
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:
“There is no religion except what Allah has legislated.
In acts of worship, the default is invalidity, unless Sharʿī evidence supports it.”
(Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn: 3448)
✔ Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله:
“Acts of devotion must rely solely on authentic scriptural texts; there is no place for reasoning or opinion in such matters.”
(Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: 4/401)
✔ al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله also said:
“Every innovator refers to a Sharʿī evidence and then twists it to match his intellect and desires.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 1348)
Only the Sharīʿah has the authority to assign specific times or places for acts of worship. This is not within the jurisdiction of individuals. The Salaf strictly opposed any such innovations.
✔ al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله stated:
“To designate special days or nights for prayers, recitation, or charity without Sharʿī evidence is baseless.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 2/12)
✔ Imām Abū Shāmah رحمه الله (d. 665 AH):
“Acts of worship should not be tied to specific times unless the Sharīʿah has specified them. All good deeds can be performed at all times, and no particular time holds superiority unless the Sharīʿah gives it that rank.”
(al-Bāʿith ʿalā Inkār al-Bidaʿ wa al-Ḥawādith, p. 165)
This book presents a scholarly critique of about two dozen fabricated non-Sunnah prayers. Besides these, misguided Sufis have concocted numerous others such as:
May Allah accept this humble effort in His court. Āmīn, Yā Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn.
❖ The Purpose of Human Creation
The purpose of human creation is worship. Worship is a means of attaining nearness to Allah. A believer is always in pursuit of goodness and strives to excel in it. In acts of worship, no one parallels the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, who is the best example for the Ummah. Every believer must follow his footsteps to seek the pleasure of Allah, for a true believer is not free in his choices — he is bound by the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
Among acts of worship, prayer (ṣalāh) holds the foremost status, and following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in offering it is essential. Unfortunately, many innovated voluntary prayers have been fabricated in our times. These are not only promoted but also presented as a means of nearness to Allah. It is shocking that those who neglect obligatory duties are seen offering hundreds of units in these innovated prayers, which is nothing but ritualistic worship.
True worship brings a servant closer to the Lord of the Worlds, instills piety, softens the heart, motivates righteous deeds, and protects from sins. But when one observes these ritualistic worshippers, they are often devoid of the fear of Allah and flee from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ. It must be remembered that fabricated prayers can never be a source of divine pleasure. The core objective of the Sharīʿah in worship is quality, not quantity. A small deed, if in line with the Sunnah, can carry the reward of a mountain; whereas extensive worship, done contrary to the Sunnah, can become a burden.
❖ Completion of Religion and the Evil of Innovation (Bidʿah)
﴿ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًۭا ﴾
[Surah al-Mā’idah: 3]
Translation: “Today, I have completed for you your religion, and perfected My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as your religion.”
This verse was revealed during the Farewell Pilgrimage. It declared that the religion of Islam is complete and perfect. Any addition to the religion is not acceptable to Allah — rather, it is a reprehensible act. Although some verbally admit to the completion of religion, their actions suggest otherwise. They:
- Assign self-serving interpretations to Qur’ān and Ḥadīth;
- Present innovations as virtuous;
- Claim their innovations do not contradict the Qur’ān and Sunnah;
- Or assert that "if our innovation is not proven from Sharīʿah, it is not against it either.”
By doing so, they fill their spiritual practices with innovations and detestable acts.
Rule: Only a clear textual evidence (naṣṣ) can determine whether an act of worship is prohibited or permissible.❖ Key Evidences Against Innovations in Worship
❀ ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها reported that the Messenger ﷺ said:
(( مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ ))
“Whoever performs an act not in accordance with our matter (religion), it is rejected.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1718]
❖ Statements of the Scholars on Innovation in Worship
✔ Imām Ibn Rajab رحمه الله (d. 795 AH):
This ḥadīth is one of the foundations of religion. Just as intentions (niyyah) are the criteria for internal deeds, this ḥadīth is the criterion for outward actions. Any act lacking Allah’s pleasure is void, and if not sanctioned by Allah and His Messenger, it will be rejected.
(Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, p. 8)
✔ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728 AH):
“Human actions — whether statements or deeds — are of two types:
(1) Acts of worship, which refine their religious life, and
(2) Habits, which relate to worldly needs.
The Sharīʿah teaches us that only those acts of worship are valid which are proven from it.”
(al-Qawāʿid al-Nūrāniyyah, p. 78–79)
He also said:
“Declaring any act as recommended, prohibited, or permissible must be based on Sharʿī evidence.
Obligations, recommendations, and prohibitions cannot be determined without textual proof.”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 27/396)
And further:
“Only those actions can be deemed religious or recommended that are established from the Qur’ān, Sunnah, or the practice of the Salaf. Fabricated acts, even with perceived temporary benefits, cannot be part of religion, as their harms outweigh their benefits.”
(Iqtiḍāʾ aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm, p. 462)
He also stated:
“Anyone who claims to follow the Qur’ān and Sunnah without emulating the Companions, and without following their path, is from the people of innovation and misguidance.”
(Mukhtaṣar al-Fatāwā al-Miṣriyyah, p. 556)
❖ Weak (Ḍaʿīf) Ḥadīths in Virtues of Actions
The common notion that weak ḥadīths can be used in fadā’il al-aʿmāl (virtues of deeds) does not apply to fabricated acts, especially such non-Sunnah prayers. Only those deeds which are already established in the Sharīʿah may be supported by weak narrations for added encouragement — but not created acts.
✔ Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“None of the Imāms permitted an act to be made obligatory or recommended based on a weak ḥadīth. Whoever does so, goes against the consensus (ijmāʿ).”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 1/251)
“One who performs a non-obligatory act assuming it to be obligatory or recommended is misguided and an innovator. The entire Ummah agrees: such an act is a bad innovation, not a good one.”
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 1608)
✔ Imām al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله (d. 790 AH):
“Many people consider acts to be praiseworthy for which no evidence exists in the Qur’ān, Sunnah, or from the Salaf. They perform them regularly, even making them binding upon themselves.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 1/212)
✔ Imām Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz al-Ḥanafī رحمه الله:
“Innovators fabricate proofs and rulings not rooted in Sharīʿah, while turning away from what is established.”
(Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, p. 593)
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:
“There is no religion except what Allah has legislated.
In acts of worship, the default is invalidity, unless Sharʿī evidence supports it.”
(Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn: 3448)
✔ Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله:
“Acts of devotion must rely solely on authentic scriptural texts; there is no place for reasoning or opinion in such matters.”
(Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: 4/401)
✔ al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله also said:
“Every innovator refers to a Sharʿī evidence and then twists it to match his intellect and desires.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 1348)
❖ Appointing Specific Times or Places for Worship is the Right of Sharīʿah
Only the Sharīʿah has the authority to assign specific times or places for acts of worship. This is not within the jurisdiction of individuals. The Salaf strictly opposed any such innovations.
✔ al-Shāṭibī رحمه الله stated:
“To designate special days or nights for prayers, recitation, or charity without Sharʿī evidence is baseless.”
(al-Iʿtiṣām: 2/12)
✔ Imām Abū Shāmah رحمه الله (d. 665 AH):
“Acts of worship should not be tied to specific times unless the Sharīʿah has specified them. All good deeds can be performed at all times, and no particular time holds superiority unless the Sharīʿah gives it that rank.”
(al-Bāʿith ʿalā Inkār al-Bidaʿ wa al-Ḥawādith, p. 165)
❖ Examples of Fabricated Non-Sunnah Prayers
This book presents a scholarly critique of about two dozen fabricated non-Sunnah prayers. Besides these, misguided Sufis have concocted numerous others such as:
- Prayers linked to specific days, months, and places
- Ṣalāt Ḥifẓ al-Īmān (Preservation of Faith)
- Ṣalāt Dafʿ al-Nifāq (Removal of Hypocrisy)
- Ṣalāt Liqā’ Allāh (Meeting with Allah)
- Ṣalāt Liqā’ al-Nabī ﷺ
- Ṣalāt al-Nūr, Ṣalāt al-Qahru al-Nafs, Ṣalāt al-ʿiṣmah
- Ṣalāt Laylat al-Dafn (Prayer of the Burial Night)
- Ṣalāt al-Kawthar
- Ṣalāt for protection of wealth, children, health, etc.
May Allah accept this humble effort in His court. Āmīn, Yā Rabb al-ʿĀlamīn.
