This article is derived from the book "Salah Mustafa ﷺ" authored by the esteemed Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi.
➔ All goodness and blessings lie in adhering to the Sunnah.
➔ According to definitive proofs, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor his Rightly-Guided Caliphs — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali رضي الله عنهم — nor the companions or their followers practiced collective supplication after Salah.
Whoever acts contrary to the Sunnah, their deed is rejected, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
✔ من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Aqdiyah, Hadith no. 4493)
➔ "Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our matter (religion), it will be rejected."
Hence, those who perform collective du'a after Salam must present a valid evidence for this practice, otherwise, this act will be considered rejected.
It is advisable that after Salah, Muslims should engage in the numerous authentic supplications prescribed, and after completing the Sunnah adhkar, individual supplication may be made.
And Allah knows best!
➔ "We do not know of any evidence that establishes the legality of collective du'a after the Imam concludes the prayer."
وبالله التوفيق، وصلى الله على نبينا محمد و آله وصحبه وسلم
(Fatawa Islamiyyah, vol. 1, p. 416)
➔ "It is a Bid'ah (innovation) for the Imam and the congregation to make collective du'a after the prayer, as it was not the practice during the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
(Majmu' al-Fatawa, vol. 22, p. 519)
✔ Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:
➔ "Supplicating after Salah, whether facing the Qiblah or the congregation, is not reported from the Prophet ﷺ with any authentic or good chain of narration."
(Zad al-Ma'ad, vol. 1, p. 257)
✔ Mawlana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi Scholar):
➔ "The collective supplication conducted in our time, where the Imam and congregation raise hands and say Ameen collectively, was not practiced during the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
(Al-Tahqiq al-Hasan, p. 17)
✔ Mawlana Abdul Hayy Lucknowi (Hanafi Scholar):
➔ "The method prevalent in our time where the Imam raises hands after prayer and the congregation says Ameen was not present during the Prophet's time, as clarified by Ibn Qayyim in Zad al-Ma'ad."
(Majmu' al-Fatawa, referenced in Al-Tahqiq al-Hasan, p. 20)
✔ Rashid Ahmad Ludhyanwi (Former Mufti of Darul Uloom Karachi):
➔ "Collective du'a with the Imam after prayers was not practiced by the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, or the Successors. To make it obligatory today contradicts the Divine completion of the religion."
He referenced the Quranic verse:
✔ ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴾
(Surah Al-Ma'idah: 3)
➔ "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion."
Thus, adding innovations implies — May Allah protect us — that the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions did not fully understand or convey the religion, which contradicts this verse.
(Ahsan al-Fatawa, vol. 1, p. 122)
﴿أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾
(Surah Al-Ra'd: 28)
➔ "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
✔ The Prophet ﷺ said:
➔ "The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the example of the living and the dead."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Da'awat, Hadith no. 6407; Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith no. 779)
✔ Allah Almighty also says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 41)
➔ "O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance."
And further states:
﴿وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا﴾
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 35)
➔ "And the men and women who remember Allah much — Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward."
✿ Ruling on Collective Du'a Immediately After Obligatory Prayer
Acts of worship are Tawfiqi (divinely legislated), thus their specific number, manner, and place must be established based on clear Shar‘i evidence. On examining the practice of collective supplication immediately after Salah, it becomes evident that this act is not established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ — not from his sayings, actions, nor tacit approvals.➔ All goodness and blessings lie in adhering to the Sunnah.
➔ According to definitive proofs, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor his Rightly-Guided Caliphs — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali رضي الله عنهم — nor the companions or their followers practiced collective supplication after Salah.
Whoever acts contrary to the Sunnah, their deed is rejected, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
✔ من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Aqdiyah, Hadith no. 4493)
➔ "Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our matter (religion), it will be rejected."
Hence, those who perform collective du'a after Salam must present a valid evidence for this practice, otherwise, this act will be considered rejected.
It is advisable that after Salah, Muslims should engage in the numerous authentic supplications prescribed, and after completing the Sunnah adhkar, individual supplication may be made.
And Allah knows best!
✿ Fatwa from the Permanent Committee (Saudi Arabia)
When the scholars were asked about collective supplication aloud after obligatory prayers, they responded:➔ "We do not know of any evidence that establishes the legality of collective du'a after the Imam concludes the prayer."
وبالله التوفيق، وصلى الله على نبينا محمد و آله وصحبه وسلم
(Fatawa Islamiyyah, vol. 1, p. 416)
✿ Statements of Renowned Scholars
✔ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله:➔ "It is a Bid'ah (innovation) for the Imam and the congregation to make collective du'a after the prayer, as it was not the practice during the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
(Majmu' al-Fatawa, vol. 22, p. 519)
✔ Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:
➔ "Supplicating after Salah, whether facing the Qiblah or the congregation, is not reported from the Prophet ﷺ with any authentic or good chain of narration."
(Zad al-Ma'ad, vol. 1, p. 257)
✔ Mawlana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi Scholar):
➔ "The collective supplication conducted in our time, where the Imam and congregation raise hands and say Ameen collectively, was not practiced during the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
(Al-Tahqiq al-Hasan, p. 17)
✔ Mawlana Abdul Hayy Lucknowi (Hanafi Scholar):
➔ "The method prevalent in our time where the Imam raises hands after prayer and the congregation says Ameen was not present during the Prophet's time, as clarified by Ibn Qayyim in Zad al-Ma'ad."
(Majmu' al-Fatawa, referenced in Al-Tahqiq al-Hasan, p. 20)
✔ Rashid Ahmad Ludhyanwi (Former Mufti of Darul Uloom Karachi):
➔ "Collective du'a with the Imam after prayers was not practiced by the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, or the Successors. To make it obligatory today contradicts the Divine completion of the religion."
He referenced the Quranic verse:
✔ ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴾
(Surah Al-Ma'idah: 3)
➔ "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion."
Thus, adding innovations implies — May Allah protect us — that the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions did not fully understand or convey the religion, which contradicts this verse.
(Ahsan al-Fatawa, vol. 1, p. 122)
✿ The Virtue of Remembrance (Dhikr)
✔ Allah Almighty says:﴿أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾
(Surah Al-Ra'd: 28)
➔ "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
✔ The Prophet ﷺ said:
➔ "The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the example of the living and the dead."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Da'awat, Hadith no. 6407; Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith no. 779)
✔ Allah Almighty also says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 41)
➔ "O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance."
And further states:
﴿وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا﴾
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 35)
➔ "And the men and women who remember Allah much — Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward."
