Masnoon Azkar After Salah in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith

Juristic Rulings & Issues in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith​

Rulings and Issues of Salah – Volume 01, Page 134

Question​

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Remembrances (Adhkār) and Supplications After Prayer

Answer (With the Help of al-Wahhāb, Subject to the Validity of the Question)​

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته!
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد!

The Importance of the Remembrance of Allah​

Allah Almighty says:

﴿يـٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنُوا اذكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكرًا كَثيرًا ﴿٤١﴾ وَسَبِّحوهُ بُكرَةً وَأَصيلًا ﴿٤٢﴾﴾

Reference: Al-Aḥzāb 33:41–42

Translation:
O you who believe! Remember Allah abundantly, and glorify Him morning and evening.

Allah Almighty has commanded remembrance after the performance of acts of worship. He says:

﴿فَإِذا قَضَيتُمُ الصَّلو‌ٰةَ فَاذكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيـٰمًا وَقُعودًا وَعَلىٰ جُنوبِكُم ﴿١٠٣﴾﴾

Reference: An-Nisā’ 4:103

Translation:
Then when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on your sides.

And He says:

﴿فَإِذا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلو‌ٰةُ فَانتَشِروا فِى الأَرضِ وَابتَغوا مِن فَضلِ اللَّهِ وَاذكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثيرًا لَعَلَّكُم تُفلِحونَ ﴿١٠﴾﴾

Reference: Al-Jumuʿah 62:10

Translation:
Then when the prayer is finished, disperse through the land, seek the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much so that you may succeed.

Likewise, after completing the fasts of Ramadan, Allah commanded remembrance:

﴿وَلِتُكمِلُوا العِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلىٰ ما هَدىٰكُم وَلَعَلَّكُم تَشكُرونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾﴾

Reference: Al-Baqarah 2:185

Translation:
So that you may complete the prescribed period, glorify Allah for having guided you, and that you may be grateful.

Similarly, after completing the rites of Hajj, Allah says:

﴿فَإِذا قَضَيتُم مَنـٰسِكَكُم فَاذكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَذِكرِكُم ءاباءَكُم أَو أَشَدَّ ذِكرًا ﴿٢٠٠﴾﴾

Reference: Al-Baqarah 2:200

Translation:
When you have completed your rites, then remember Allah as you remember your forefathers, or with even greater remembrance.

Wisdom Behind Remembrance After Acts of Worship​

◈ If any deficiency occurred in the act of worship, remembrance becomes a means of compensation.
◈ It removes satanic whisperings.
◈ The servant remains constantly connected with Allah Almighty.
◈ The servant realizes that even after worship, the right of Allah remains due.

Prescribed Adhkār After the Obligatory Prayer​

The remembrances after the obligatory prayer are only those that are authentically established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It is necessary to avoid innovations introduced by some people.

① Seeking Forgiveness and Supplication​

It is narrated from Thawbān رضي الله عنه that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished the prayer, he would seek forgiveness three times and then say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلامُ، وَمِنْكَ السَّلامُ، تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَالإِكْرَامِ

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 591–592

Reference: An-Nasā’ī: 1338

Reference: Al-Bukhārī: 842

Translation:
O Allah! You are Peace, and from You is peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.

② The Declaration of Tawḥīd and Supplication​

It is narrated from Al-Mughīrah bin Shuʿbah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say:

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

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 844

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 593

Translation:
There is no deity except Allah alone, He has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is over all things capable. O Allah! None can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or status can benefit its possessor against You.

③ Comprehensive Remembrance​

It is narrated from ʿAbdullāh bin az-Zubayr رضي الله عنه that after pronouncing salām, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ 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

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 594

Translation:
There is no deity except Allah alone; He has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. There is no might nor power except with Allah. There is no deity except Allah, and we worship none but Him. His is the favor, His is the grace, and His is the good praise. We devote religion sincerely to Him, even if the disbelievers dislike it.

④ Tasbīḥāt (Glorifications)​

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ قَالَ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَخَتَمَهَا بِلاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، غُفِرَتْ خَطَايَاهُ وَلَوْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 595–597

Translation:
Whoever says after every obligatory prayer: thirty-three times Subḥānallāh, thirty-three times Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and thirty-three times Allāhu Akbar, and completes it with Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah…, his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.

⑤ Āyat al-Kursī and the Muʿawwidhāt​

After every prayer, reciting Āyat al-Kursī, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrah al-Falaq, and Sūrah an-Nās is Sunnah.

Reference: Abū Dāwūd: 1523

Reference: Mawārid al-Ẓam’ān: 2347

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا الْمَوْتُ

Reference: As-Sunan al-Kubrā li’n-Nasā’ī: 9928

Reference: Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr li’ṭ-Ṭabarānī: 7532

Translation:
Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after every prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.