Dua After Salah: The Sunnah Adhkar After Every Prayer, in Order

Why the dua after salah matters

Salah is the pillar; the adhkar after it are the seal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not stand up and walk away after the taslim. He sat, sought forgiveness, glorified Allah, and taught his Companions the same, promising specific rewards: forgiveness of sins even if they are as much as the foam of the sea, and, for the one who recites Ayatul Kursi after each prayer, that nothing stands between him and Paradise except death.

Two clarifications first, because they cause confusion.

These are all Sunnah, not fard. The prayer is valid without them. But leaving them means leaving one of the most consistent practices of the Prophet, and a stack of rewards that take under five minutes to collect.

Each person says them individually. The Sunnah is that the imam turns to face the congregation and everyone makes their own dhikr and dua. Collective dua led aloud by the imam after every prayer was not the practice of the Prophet or the Companions, although a quiet individual dua is exactly what they did.

The dua after salah in order

Here is the sequence the Sunnah establishes. The exact order between some items is flexible, since the narrations describe different occasions, but this is the arrangement most scholars recommend.

1. Astaghfirullah, three times

Thawban reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished his prayer, he would seek forgiveness three times and then say the next dua (Muslim).

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ

Astaghfirullah (three times): "I seek forgiveness from Allah."

Why open with istighfar right after worship? Because no prayer is prayed perfectly. The heart wandered, the recitation was rushed, the ruku was short. Istighfar covers the gap between the prayer you owed and the prayer you gave.

2. Allahumma antas salam

Immediately after the three istighfar (Muslim):

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

Allahumma antas salam wa minkas salam, tabarakta ya dhal jalali wal ikram

"O Allah, You are Peace and from You is peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour."

Aisha said the Prophet would sit only long enough to say this after the salam before turning (Muslim). So it is said right where you are, before shifting position.

3. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said after every obligatory prayer (Bukhari and Muslim):

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ

La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir. Allahumma la mani'a lima a'tayt, wa la mu'tiya lima mana't, wa la yanfa'u dhal jaddi minkal jadd

"There is no god but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You give, none can give what You withhold, and the wealth of the wealthy cannot benefit him against You."

Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr reported an extended version that the Prophet also said after the salam (Muslim):

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَا نَعْبُدُ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ، لَهُ النِّعْمَةُ وَلَهُ الْفَضْلُ وَلَهُ الثَّنَاءُ الْحَسَنُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. La ilaha illallahu wa la na'budu illa iyyah, lahun ni'matu wa lahul fadlu wa lahuth thana'ul hasan. La ilaha illallahu mukhlisina lahud dina wa law karihal kafirun

"...There is no power and no strength except with Allah. There is no god but Allah and we worship none but Him. His is the favour, His is the grace and His is the excellent praise. There is no god but Allah; we are sincere to Him in religion, even if the disbelievers hate it."

4. The tasbih: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever glorifies Allah thirty-three times after every prayer, praises Him thirty-three times, and magnifies Him thirty-three times, making ninety-nine, and then completes the hundred with 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir', his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea." (Muslim)

• سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah), 33 times
• الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ Alhamdulillah (All praise is for Allah), 33 times
• اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), 33 times
• Then once: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir

There is also a version with Allahu Akbar said 34 times to make the hundred (Muslim), and a shorter version of 10, 10 and 10 (Bukhari) for when time is short. Both are Sunnah. The Prophet counted on his fingers, and counting on the fingers of the right hand is the practice most closely following him, though a tasbih is permitted.

The poor Companions once complained to the Prophet that the wealthy had overtaken them in reward, since they prayed and fasted as the poor did but also gave charity. He taught them this tasbih and said, "You will catch up with those who overtook you and none will overtake you." (Bukhari and Muslim). This is the dhikr that levels the field.

5. Ayatul Kursi

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death." (an-Nasa'i in al-Kubra, at-Tabarani; graded sahih by al-Albani)

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Allahu la ilaha illa huwal Hayyul Qayyum, la ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm, lahu ma fis samawati wa ma fil ard, man dhal ladhi yashfa'u indahu illa bi idhnih, ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bi shay'in min ilmihi illa bima sha', wasi'a kursiyyuhus samawati wal ard, wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma, wa huwal Aliyyul Azim (Quran 2:255)

"Allah, there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."

6. The three Quls

Uqbah ibn Amir said the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded him to recite the mu'awwidhat, the surahs of seeking refuge, after every prayer (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i; graded sahih). These are Surah al-Ikhlas (112), Surah al-Falaq (113) and Surah an-Nas (114), once each. After Fajr and Maghrib, many scholars recommend three times each, following the practice of the morning and evening adhkar.

Extra duas after Fajr and Maghrib

The Sunnah adds a few remembrances specifically after these two prayers, which frame the day.

La ilaha illallah, ten times, before moving

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever says, after Maghrib and after Fajr, before speaking and while still sitting with his legs folded, 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, yuhyi wa yumit, wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' ten times, ten good deeds are written for him for each, ten sins erased, he is raised ten degrees, and it is a protection for him from everything disliked and from the accursed Shaytan." (Tirmidhi, Ahmad; graded hasan)

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Note the added phrase yuhyi wa yumit, "He gives life and causes death".

The dua for beneficial knowledge, after Fajr

Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say after the salam of Fajr (Ibn Majah, Ahmad; graded sahih):

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا، وَعَمَلًا مُتَقَبَّلًا

Allahumma inni as'aluka ilman nafi'an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa amalan mutaqabbala

"O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision and accepted deeds."

Allahumma ajirni minan nar, seven times

"O Allah, protect me from the Fire," seven times after Fajr and Maghrib, is reported in Abu Dawud and Ahmad. Scholars differ on its chain, with some grading it weak and others acceptable for practice, so many people include it while knowing that the strongest adhkar are the ones above.

اللَّهُمَّ أَجِرْنِي مِنَ النَّارِ

The morning and evening adhkar

After Fajr and after Asr (or Maghrib) are also the times for the fuller morning and evening adhkar: Sayyidul Istighfar, "Asbahna wa asbahal mulku lillah", "Allahumma bika asbahna", and the rest. Those are covered in our separate guide, and they sit naturally right after the post-prayer dhikr.

Duas said before the salam, which people often say after

Some of the best-known "duas after salah" were actually taught for the end of the prayer, after the tashahhud and salawat and before the salam. Saying them there is the Sunnah, and saying them after is also fine.

The dua Mu'adh was told never to leave

The Prophet (peace be upon him) took Mu'adh by the hand and said, "O Mu'adh, by Allah I love you. Do not leave saying, at the end of every prayer..." (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i; graded sahih):

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ

Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibadatik

"O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well."

Seeking refuge from four things

The Prophet said: "When one of you finishes the last tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allah from four things" (Muslim):

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ

Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min adhabi jahannam, wa min adhabil qabr, wa min fitnatil mahya wal mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil masihid dajjal

"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the False Messiah."

The dua Abu Bakr asked for

Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman kathira, wa la yaghfiru adh-dhunuba illa ant, faghfir li maghfiratan min indik, warhamni, innaka antal Ghafurur Rahim (Bukhari and Muslim): "O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly and none forgives sins but You, so grant me forgiveness from Yourself and have mercy on me. You are the Forgiving, the Merciful."

The dua of the Prophet for a good end

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

Allahumma inni as'alukal jannata wa a'udhu bika minan nar: "O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and seek refuge in You from the Fire." (Abu Dawud; graded sahih). The Prophet said that Paradise and the Fire themselves ask Allah on behalf of the one who says this.

Making your own dua after salah

Once the Sunnah adhkar are done, this is the time to ask for what you actually need. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked which dua is most likely to be heard, and he said, "The last part of the night, and at the end of the obligatory prayers." (Tirmidhi; graded hasan)

There is no set form. Some etiquette that makes it better:

• Start with praise and salawat. Praise Allah, send blessings on the Prophet, then ask. The Prophet corrected a man who rushed to his request without this (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
• Ask in your own language. Allah understands it, and you will mean it more.
• Be specific and be persistent. Name the exam, the illness, the person, the debt. Ask for it every prayer until it comes or something better does.
• Do not hurry. The Prophet said dua is answered so long as the person does not say, "I prayed and prayed and was not answered" and give up (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Raising the hands. Raising hands in dua is an established Sunnah in general, and there are reports of the Prophet doing so in various situations. Whether he did so routinely after every fard prayer is a matter of scholarly difference. Raise them or not; do not argue about it with the person next to you.

The two-minute version for when you are pressed

Some days there is a meeting, a flight, a baby. Here is the minimum that still collects the largest rewards, in the order given, and it takes about two minutes:

1. Astaghfirullah, three times.
2. Allahumma antas salam wa minkas salam, tabarakta ya dhal jalali wal ikram.
3. SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, ten times each (the Bukhari version).
4. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir, once.
5. Ayatul Kursi, once.
6. One personal request.

Then go. Allah knows why you are going.

Common mistakes with dua after salah

• Standing up immediately after the salam. Aisha said the Prophet stayed long enough at least for "Allahumma antas salam". Sit for the adhkar; the sunnah prayer that follows can wait a few minutes.
• Raising the voice in a way that disturbs others. The dhikr is said audibly enough to hear yourself, not to lead the masjid. Ibn Abbas said raising the voice in dhikr after prayer was practised in the Prophet's time (Bukhari), which is why a moderate audible level is fine, but shouting over people who are still praying is not.
• Skipping the adhkar to pray the sunnah first. The order is fard, adhkar, then sunnah. If you are in a hurry, do the two-minute version and then pray the sunnah.
• Counting on a phone screen full of notifications. Count on your fingers, as the Prophet did, or use a plain tasbih. The point is presence.
• Treating the collective dua as the Sunnah. The individual adhkar are the Sunnah. Collective dua led by the imam is a later custom; if it is done where you pray, there is no need to make a scene, but make sure you have said your own adhkar.
• Rushing the tasbih into a blur. "Subhanallah" said thirty-three times clearly takes about forty seconds. Give it that.