Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 534❖ Question:
Can the supplications and remembrances (adhkār and wadhāʾif) that are prescribed after the obligatory (farḍ) prayers be recited after the Sunnah or nafl prayers instead?
For example, if a person’s state of ablution (wuḍūʾ) does not last long, or he is in haste, or he simply has the habit of reciting these adhkār — such as Alḥamdulillāh, Subḥānallāh, Allāhu Akbar, etc. — after completing the Sunnah or nafl prayers, would this be permissible?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
❖ Ḥadīth Evidence:
عَنْ أَبِی هُرَیْرَةَ قَالَ: تُسَبِّحُونَ وَتُكَبِّرُونَ وَتَحْمَدُونَ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ مَرَّةً۔
(Ṣaḥīḥ Isnāds — Bāb Istiḥbāb adh-Dhikr baʿda aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Bayān Ṣifatih, vol. 1, pp. 218–219; al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb, vol. 2, p. 450)
Translation:
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the poor among the Muhājirīn:
“Recite after every obligatory prayer — Subḥānallāh 33 times, Alḥamdulillāh 33 times, and Allāhu Akbar 33 times.”
❖ Explanation:
✿ The phrase “فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ” means after every prayer, and linguistically, dubr refers to “the end” or “after”.
✿ This indicates that these adhkār should be recited immediately after the farḍ prayer, i.e., after completing the salām, when one usually says Allāhu Akbar, Astaghfirullāh, etc.
✿ Hence, it is best and most virtuous to perform these supplications right after the farḍ prayer, before beginning any Sunnah or nafl prayers.
❖ Ruling:
✿ The preferable and most virtuous practice is to recite these adhkār immediately after the obligatory prayer and before the Sunnah prayers.
✿ However, if there is a valid reason, such as a person’s wuḍūʾ not lasting long, being in a hurry, or any other reasonable excuse — then there is no harm in reciting them after completing the Sunnah or nafl prayers.
ھٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best what is right.
