Ibn 'Umar in "Sahih al-Bukhari" denied the Prophetic status of the Dhuha prayer and said of it: It is an innovation.

The questioner : In "Sahih al-Bukhari," it is established from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that he denied the Prophetic status of the Dhuha prayer and said of it that it is an innovation and one of the best of what they have innovated. We know that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab spoke of an innovation that had a basis: gathering the people for the Tarawih prayer. So how did he say here, "one of the best of what they have innovated," when it has no basis in the Shari'ah according to him?

The Shaykh : The truth is that I do not have an answer that satisfies me, let alone one that would satisfy others. However, I recall that some scholars interpreted it to mean that it does not refer to the origin of the Dhuha prayer, but rather to performing it in the mosque. That is what they said, but this answer is not convincing to me, because the difficulty remains. With this interpretation, the focus shifts from the origin of the Dhuha prayer to performing the Dhuha prayer in the mosque. And performing the Dhuha prayer in the mosque cannot be called an innovation either, because it also has a basis. For this reason, I say: Allah knows best what Ibn 'Umar intended by this statement. However, we say that on its surface, it contradicts the established report from him: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if people see it as good." His statement is a general rule indicating that he condemns every innovation, even if people consider it good. But here, whether the intention is the origin of the Dhuha prayer or its performance in the mosque, as some scholars interpreted, the statement remains problematic and I have no answer to it. However, we say: we refer this specific report regarding the Dhuha prayer to that report we mentioned, which is a general rule, where he says: "Every innovation is misguidance, even if people see it as good." And I admit—or at least I admit—that I have no answer to reconciling his rule, which is one hundred percent sound, with his specific statement regarding the Dhuha prayer. Knowing that if he meant by that statement the Dhuha prayer itself, it means that the majority of the hadiths regarding the legitimacy of the Dhuha prayer, whether from his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) or his doing, were missed by him. The difficulty remains only regarding the praise... and in that case, there is no great severity in the matter; because... and Allah knows best what he intended by it. That is what I have.