Question: Please inform about the Shariah status of the customary collective supplication after Salah?
Answer: In the present era, the collective supplication arranged by the Imam and followers together after the obligatory prayers has no authentic evidence from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with a sound chain of narration, nor is there any such mention from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. The Prophet ﷺ used to lead five daily prayers day and night, and the Companions prayed behind him. If such a supplication existed, the Companions would certainly have mentioned it. Just as the Companions narrated other matters related to Salah, they would have surely mentioned this collective supplication as well. Some people have gone so far as to consider those who do not practice this issue as neglectful and committing a major sin. In any case, there is no authentic or even weak hadith proving that the Imam and followers supplicate together in an arranged manner after Salah. However, some adhkar (remembrances) after obligatory prayers have been transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ which we thankfully recite, some of which are as follows:
➊ Saying Takbeer after every prayer and reciting Istighfar three times.
➋ اللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
➌ Reciting the Mu’awwidhatayn (Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas).
➍ رَبِّ اَعِنِّيْ عَلٰي ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
➎ Reciting Ayat al-Kursi.
➏ Saying SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times.
Several hadith indicate that the Prophet ﷺ sometimes would quickly stand up after concluding the prayer with Salam. As narrated from Hazrat Uqbah, may Allah be pleased with him:
قَالَ : صَلَّيْتُ وَرَاءَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ الْعَصْرَ، فَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَامَ مُسْرِعًا فَتَخَطَّى رِقَابَ النَّاسِ إِلَى بَعْضِ حُجَرِ نِسَائِهِ
“He said that I prayed Asr behind the Prophet ﷺ in Medina, he concluded the prayer with Salam, then quickly stood up and passed through the necks of the people towards one of the chambers of the purified wives.”
Similarly, from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him:
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِحْدَى صَلَاتَيِ الْعَشِيِّ، قَالَ ابْنُ سِيرِينَ : سَمَّاهَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، وَلَكِنْ نَسِيتُ أَنَا، قَالَ : فَصَلَّى بِنَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ، فَقَامَ إِلَى خَشَبَةٍ مَعْرُوضَةٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَاتَّكَأَ عَلَيْهَا كَأَنَّه غَضْبَانُ
“The Prophet ﷺ led us in either Dhuhr or Asr prayer, he led us in two rak’ahs then concluded with Salam. Then he stood leaning against a thick piece of wood in the mosque as if he was angry.”
In both these hadith, فَسَلَّمَ فَقَامَ is present, and scholars know that “ف” in Arabic indicates continuation, showing that he stood up immediately after Salam. Therefore, the prescribed adhkar after prayers are established, and sometimes standing up immediately after Salam due to some reason is also correct, but there is no authentic hadith where the Imam and followers supplicate together in an arranged manner.
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, mentions that the delay between Adhan and Iqamah is an innovation and states:
وكذٰلك الجهر بالدعاء عقيب الصلاة مثل دعاء الامام والمأمومين جميعا عقيب الصلوة لم يكن و لكنه ثبت انهم كانوا يجهرون بالذكر فالذكر ثابت و من اعتقد ما لم يدل عليه دليل شرعي قربة فهو محطي ظالم
“Similarly, loudly supplicating after prayers, such as the Imam and followers supplicating together after Salah, is an innovation; it was not practiced in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. However, it is established that they used to make loud dhikr. So, dhikr is established (not collective supplication). Whoever believes in the goodness of something for which there is no Shariah evidence is a wrongdoer and oppressor.”
Similarly, at another place, he writes:
و اما دعاء الامام والمأمومين جميعا عقيب الصلاة فلم ينقل احد عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فهٰهناشيئان : احدهما : دعاء المصلي المنفرد كدعاء المصلي لصلاة الاستخارة وحده اماما كان او ماموما . والثاني : دعاء الامام و المامومين جميعا فهذا الثاني لا ريب ان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يفعله فى اعقاب المكتوبات كما كان يفعل الاذكار الماثورة عنه اذ لو فعل ذلك لنقل عنه اصحابه ثم التابعون ثم العلماء كما نقلو اما هو دون ذلك
“Anyway, no one has narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that the Imam and followers supplicated together after obligatory prayers. Actually, there are two things here:
➊ One is a worshipper supplicating, such as making Istikhara prayer, whether the worshipper is Imam or follower.
➋ The other is the Imam and followers supplicating together, which the Prophet ﷺ certainly did not do after obligatory prayers. As for the adhkar he used to recite, they are transmitted in hadith books. If he had supplicated collectively at that time, the Companions would have certainly narrated it, then the Tabi’in, then other scholars, as they narrated even lesser matters from him.”
Likewise, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah explicitly declared it an innovation at another place.
Imam Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
وَاَمَّا الدُّعَاءُ بَعْدَ السَّلَامِ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ اَوِ الْمَأْمُوْمِيْنَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ هَدْيِهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اَصْلًا وَلَا رُوِيَ عَنْهُ بِاِسْنَادٍ صَحِيْحٍ وَلَاحَسَنٍ
“As for sitting facing the Qiblah or turning towards the followers and supplicating collectively after concluding the prayer with Salam, this was absolutely not the practice of the Prophet ﷺ, nor has it been narrated from him with an authentic or good chain.”
From the explicit statements of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Imam Ibn Qayyim, it is clear that the collective supplication prevalent in our time is an innovation and has no Shariah evidence.
Among Deobandi scholars, Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
نَعَمْ اَلْاَدْعِيَةُ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيْضَةِ ثَابِتَةٌ كَثِيْرًا بِلَا رَفْعِ الْيَدَيْنِ وَبِدُوْنِ الْاِجْتِمَاعِ
“Yes, many supplications after obligatory prayers are established without raising hands and without collective form.”
At another place, he writes:
وَلَمْ تَثْبُتْ شَاكِلَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ فِيْهَا كَمَا هُوَ مَعْرُوْفٌ الْآنَ
“And the collective form of supplication which is common nowadays is not established.”
Maulvi Faizullah Bangladeshi writes:
“There is absolutely no evidence in Shariah for such supplication, neither from the practice of the Salaf nor from hadith, whether authentic, weak, or fabricated, nor from any jurisprudential text. This supplication is certainly an innovation.”
For further details, see: Du’a Ba’d Al-Fara’id Ka Masnoon Tareeqa (p. 22) by Mufti Muhammad Ibrahim Sadiq Abadi.
Maulvi Rafiq Dalwari, a student of Maulvi Mahmood Al-Hasan Deobandi, writes:
“In short, supplicating collectively by the Imam and followers after the Salam of obligatory prayers is a reprehensible innovation.”
Moreover, on this issue, now Deobandi scholars are adopting the stance of Ahl al-Hadith scholars. Rashid Ahmad Ludhianvi has declared it a heinous innovation in his Ahsan al-Fatawa. Similarly, his student Mufti Muhammad Ibrahim wrote “Du’a Ba’d Al-Fara’id Ka Masnoon Tareeqa” refuting this prevalent practice especially among Hanafis. As for the analysis of narrations presented on this topic in Fatawa Nuzariyyah, see Salat al-Rasool Makhraj for detailed discussion, where the weakness of these narrations is elaborated, and the narration of Ibn Abi Shaybah mentioned in Fatawa Nuzariyyah does not contain the words رفع يديه و دعا in the printed edition of Ibn Abi Shaybah. The complete narration is found in Jami’ Tirmidhi and others, but those words are not present.
In any case, arranging collective supplication and considering it Sunnah is incorrect. Recite and memorize the prescribed adhkar after obligatory prayers. Many people say without research that Ahl al-Hadith do not supplicate after prayers, which is completely wrong. We sit for some time after Salah and recite those established adhkar and supplications.
Actually, those who see that the Imam did not raise his hands after Salah immediately issue a fatwa that he did not supplicate. Raising hands is not necessary for supplication; supplicating without raising hands is also correct. For example, the supplications when entering and leaving the mosque, entering and leaving the restroom, etc., are present in hadith. But no one argues that a person did not supplicate there, nor are hands raised there. In reality, when a wrong practice becomes common, people immediately reject those who do not follow it. This behavior is not good. If one lacks knowledge of the issue, one should investigate it. Ahl al-Hadith invite to avoid blind following and to adopt the path of research. Everyone should investigate the issue according to their ability and consult scholars. May Allah grant success in action. (Ameen)
