What du'aa should I say after salah?

Question

Is there a specific du'a that I should say after salah, or can I say any du'a? If possible, please give a transliteration of this du'a.

Note: I did some research and found multiple answers. I would like one, reliable answer.

Answer 1

Dua is not a magic spell that you have to cast to get things done. The very purpose of dua is to 'ask' from Allah.

• You can ask for forgiveness
• You can ask for guidance
• You can ask for heaven
• You can ask for help in times of difficulty
• You can ask for help for people in trouble

Basically in dua (that you do after your prayers) you can ask for whatever you want to ask from Allah.

Answer 2

Yes, there are things that you are mustahab (recommended) to recite after Fardh prayers (the five prayers), as they're Sunnah.

According to Shafei mathhab, these recitations are said directly after the Fardh prayer is finished and before praying sunnah if it exists.

But according to Hanafi mathhab, if the Fardh prayer has no sunnah prayer after it, then you recite them directly. But if there is sunnah after it and you want to do it, then you should only say the first item, then do the sunnah, then after it continue the rest of the recitations.

So you have the choice, don't be confused, this is a minor detail, just to what you find it fits for you!

The mustahab recitations are (to be said in this order):

• Ask for forgiveness three times:

أستغفر الله (العظيم)
Astaghfirullah (Al-'athim)
I ask Allah (The Almighty) for forgiveness

And then Say

اللهم أنت السلام، ومنك السلام، تباركت ياذا الجلال والإكرام
Allaumma Antas-salam, wa minkas-salam, tabarakta wa ta'alaita ya thaj-jalali wal-ikram
O Allah, you are Assalam^[1] and peace and perfection comes from You. Blessed You are, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor

Referencing this Hadith:

Thauban reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) finished his prayer. he begged forgiveness three times and said: O Allah! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honour. Walid reported: I said to Auza'i: How Is the seeking of forgiveness? He replied: You should say:, I beg forgiveness from Allah, 1 beg forgiveness from Allah."

حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ رُشَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، - اسْمُهُ شَدَّادُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ - عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا انْصَرَفَ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ اسْتَغْفَرَ ثَلاَثًا وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ الْوَلِيدُ فَقُلْتُ لِلأَوْزَاعِيِّ كَيْفَ الاِسْتِغْفَارُ قَالَ تَقُولُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ ‏.‏

Sahih Muslim, also there are many other Riwayat (versions).

• Reading aya of the Thrown (Al-Kursi), which is the 255^th Aya of Surah Al-Baqarah. Referencing this Hadith:

  عن الحسن بن علي رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من قرأ آية الكرسي في دبر الصلاة المكتوبة كان في ذمة الله إلى الصلاة الأخرى
  Narrated Al-Hasan Bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with both of them), the Prophet (pbuh) said: whoever reads aya of the Thrown (Al-Kursi) after the Fardh Salat, he will be in the protection and guarantee of Allah until the next Fardh Salat.

  Al-Tabarani

• Reading Surat Al-Ikhlas (Surat #112).

• Reading the Mu'awwithat (the two last Suras of Quran): Al-Falaq (Surat #113) and An-nas (Surat #114 - the last Surat).

• Tasbeeh 33 times:

  سبحان الله
  Subhanallah (Subhan Allah)
  Glorified be Allah (Hallowed be Allah)

  And Tahmeed 33 times:

  الحمد لله
  Alhadulillah
  Praise be to Allah (All Thanks to Allah)

  And Takbeer 33 times:

  الله أكبر
  AllahuAkbar
  Allah is the Greatest

  And then completing the 100 times (33 + 33 + 33 + this one = 100) with by saing:

  لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد، وهو على كل شيء قدير‏.‏ اللهم لا مانع لما أعطيت، ولا معطي لما منعت، ولا ينفع ذا الجد منك الجد‏"‏
  La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shai'in Qadir. Allahumma la mani'a lima a'tayta, wa la mu'tiya lima mana'ta, wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi, minkal-jaddu
  There is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him, His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent. O Allah! None can deny that which You bestow and none can bestow that which You hold back; and the greatness of the great will be of no avail to them against You

  Referencing this Hadith:

  Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah () used to say at the conclusion of prayer: "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shai'in Qadir. Allahumma la mani'a lima a'tayta, wa la mu'tiya lima mana'ta, wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi, minkal-jaddu (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him, His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent. O Allah! None can deny that which You bestow and none can bestow that which You hold back; and the greatness of the great will be of no avail to them against You)."

  [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

  وعن المغيرة بن شعبة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، كان إذا فرغ من الصلاة وسلم قال ‏:‏ ‏ "‏لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد، وهو على كل شيء قدير‏.‏ اللهم لا مانع لما أعطيت، ولا معطي لما منعت، ولا ينفع ذا الجد منك الجد

  متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

  Riyad as-Salihin, through Bikhari and Muslim

• Finally, saying Du'aa (asking Allah whatever you want) for yourself and for all Muslims, and finishing the Du'aa with these Ayat:

  سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴿١٨٠﴾ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿١٨١﴾ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٨٢

  Muhsin Khan Translation:

  Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! (180) And peace be on the Messengers! (181) And all the praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). (182) > [Surat Aş-Şāffāt:180-182]

  Referencing that Ali bin Abu Talib (may Allah honor his face and be pleased with him) said:

  مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَكْتَالَ بِالْمِكْيَالِ الأَوْفَى مِنَ الأَجْرِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، فَلْيَكُنْ آخِرُ كَلامِهِ مِنْ مَجَلسِهِ : سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ، وَسَلامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

  Cited in this book, this book, and others.

Source: Islamic Fiqh (Book), part 1: Prayer rules, version 8, Pages 264-266. By Dr.Ibraheem Muhammad Salqini, professor in Damascus University - College of (Islamic) Shariaa.

Answer 3

1. Imam Mohammed Baqir (a.s.) has said that after every mandatory prayer, there is no better invocation than the Tasbeeh e Fatima (a.s.). If there was any other, more effective, way of Praising Allah, the Prophet (a.s.) would most certainly have instructed his daughter about that. Imam Jafar e Sadiq has said that reciting the Tasbeeh e Fatima (a.s.) after every compulsory prayer is better than performing a thousand genuflections :- Allaho Akbar (34 times) Alhamdu lillah (33 times )Subhan Allah (33 times

2. One should say once after reciting the Tasbeeh ,the following words La ilaha ilAllah لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ ٱللَّهُ

3. Imam Baqir (a.s.) says One who sits quietly after each mandatory prayer and recites 3 times the following , Allah will pardon all his sins:

   I seek forgiveness from the Lord (testifying) There is no God other than Him The Living and the Everlasting Of Majesty and Splendour And I turn to Him In Repentence! ”Astaghfarallah allazi la ilaha illa huwal hayyal qayyumo zuljalal e wal ikraame wa aatube ilaihi

   Imam Sadiq (as)has said that if a person recites 30 times Subhan Allah: after each compulsory prayer, all his sins will be pardoned.

Reference and more:

Common Taqibaat of Daily Prayers from Mafatih & Baqiyatus salehat