On the authority of Sa’eed b. Musayyib (d. 94H) rahimahullaah that he saw a man praying more than Rak’atain (two units of prayer) after the emergence of al-Fajr (i.e. time for Fajr prayer). He was making a lot of Rukoos (bowings) and prostrations in his prayer so he (Sa’eed b. Musayyib) forbade him from that. So he (the man) said: ‘O Aboo Muhammad, will Allaah punish me for praying? He said: ‘No, but He will punish you for opposing the Sunnah.’”
Al-Albaanee (d. 1419H) rahimahullaah said:
“This is from the wonderful replies of Sa’eed b. Musayyib (rahimahullaah ta’ala) and it is a strong weapon against the Mubtadi’ah (innovators) who regard many of the innovations as good and commendable in the name that they are Dhikr (remembrance of Allaah) and Salaah (prayer). Then they rebuke the Ahlus-Sunnah for forbidding that upon them and accuse them of forbidding the Dhikr and Salaah! Whilst in reality, they are only forbidding them from their opposition to the Sunnah in the Dhikr, the prayer and the likes of that.”
Translated by: Aboo ‘Abdillaah Bilal Hussain al-Kashmiree
Reference: Musannaf Abdur-Razzaaq (no.4755), al-Bayhaqee (2/466), al-Bayhaqee’s at-Tamheed (20/105), al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqeh (1/147), refer to al-Irwaa al-Ghaleel (2/236).
