Omar has prescribed six Rakaat (acts of standing...

Omar has prescribed six Rakaat (acts of standing, genuflection and prostration) of optional prayer exactly at the time of mid-morning ( chasht ). This is an innovation and Haram. Our Imams (as) have forbidden this practice. Similarly if some one offers three rakat of optional prayer, it would be an innovation. Similarly doing two genuflections ( Ruku) in one rakat is an innovation because the Prophet has never adopted this practice.

Another example: Repeating the words La ilaha ila Allah continuously is the practice ( Sunna) of the Prophet (S) and is extremely beneficial to the supplicant. But prescribing it as compulsory act to be repeated twelve thousand times after the morning- prayer is an innovation. The Prophet (S) never prescribed this practice. Bidaa or innovation in the religious practices is a big sin.

There has always been a dispute between the Shi’a and Sunni Muslims that Shi’as have been emulating their Imams (that are exactly in accordance to the practice of the Holy Prophet!) and the Sunnis have been abstaining from following the Ahl-ul-Bayt. They have been using their own poor intellects and have given rise to several innovations. Our Imams (as) have therefore rejected them.

Kulaini quotes from a reliable source that the Prophet (S) has said, “Every hypocrisy is heresy, and the way a heretic takes leads him to the Hell.” It is narrated that a person asked Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) and Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as), “How should I offer prayers to Allah?” They said, “Don’t do innovations in the Religion. Whoever interferes with the tenets of the Faith, he gets punished. One who veers away from the pronouncements of the Prophet (S) and the Imams (as) has gone astray.

One who disobeys Allah is an infidel!” Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) said, “One who uses his own mind in religious matters and gives fatwa is interfering in the affairs of Allah.

He commits the blunder of determining Halal and Haram wrongly through his own intuition.” Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) said, “The innovator is the person who shuns the Sunna (the practices) of the Holy Prophet!” The Prophet of Islam (S) has said, When innovation raises its head amongst my people, the Ulema should propagate their knowledge to stop the spread of the innovations. If the Ulema don’t do this, they are the accursed (the malaoon).