Some people say: The Salafis strongly disapprove of those who pray more than eleven rak'ahs, and they say that whoever adds to that is committing a religious innovation.

The questioner : I would like to give an example, my teacher, if you permit me; regarding the tarawih prayer. It is said that the Salafis strongly disapprove of these people who pray more than eleven rak'ahs, and they say that anything more than this number or these rak'ahs is a religious innovation, even though it is authentically reported from the imams of the Salaf that they said otherwise regarding this number; so is it said that whoever innovates in the way of Malik, Ahmad, or al-Shafi'i is an innovator? If so, al-Shafi'i would have been an innovator at that time?

The Shaykh : It is not said.

The questioner : It is not said.

The Shaykh : It is not said, and we do not say it.

The questioner : For example, the one who prays...

The Shaykh : And this... this is due to his lack of intellect and knowledge. It implies that if I say a certain thing is a religious innovation, then whoever commits it is an innovator. You and all those present know that if I say a certain thing is shirk (associating partners with Allah), it does not mean that whoever falls into it is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). These are facts he knows, so why did he ignore them?!