Dua After Salah: The Adhkar of the Prayer from the Sunnah
Many people give the salam, stand up, and leave. But the Prophet ﷺ did not leave his spot right away: after every obligatory prayer he stayed a moment in dhikr, and he taught it to his companions as part of the prayer itself. Those few minutes after salah are a treasure most people let slip. Here, in order, is what he ﷺ used to say.
Begin with forgiveness
The moment the salam is done, he ﷺ would seek forgiveness three times, then acknowledge that Allah is the source of all peace:
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ (ثلاثًا) اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
Astaghfirullāh (×3). Allāhumma anta-s-salāmu wa minka-s-salām, tabārakta yā dha-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām
I seek Allah's forgiveness (3 times). O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of majesty and honour.
The declaration of oneness
Then this statement, proclaiming the dominion and power of Allah alone:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ
Lā ilāha illa-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay'in qadīr. Allāhumma lā māniʿa limā aʿṭayta wa lā muʿṭiya limā manaʿt
There is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold.
Ayat al-Kursi: the door to Paradise
Then recite the Verse of the Throne (Qur'an 2:255). The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing keeps him from entering Paradise except death." (an-Nasa'i, authenticated)
Add the last three surahs, al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas (Abu Dawud 1523). These are the same protections as in the morning and evening adhkar and before sleeping: your day becomes one continuous chain of remembrance.
The tasbih: 33, 33, 33... and one hundred
This is the heart of the invocations after prayer, and the perfect use of prayer beads. After each salah:
- SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) — 33 times
- Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) — 33 times
- Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) — 33 times
That makes 99. To complete the hundred, you seal it with the declaration of oneness:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illa-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay'in qadīr
There is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things.
The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says this after every prayer has his sins forgiven, even if they were like the foam of the sea (Muslim 597). A variant reports 34 "Allahu Akbar" instead of 33. Both are practised.
Finally, an invocation he ﷺ specifically urged after every prayer, never to be dropped:
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allāhumma aʿinnī ʿalā dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ʿibādatik
O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best way.
The table of adhkar after prayer
| Dhikr | How many | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Astaghfirullah + Allahumma anta-s-salam | 3 + 1 | Muslim 591 |
| La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu… | 1 | Bukhari 844 |
| Ayat al-Kursi | 1 | an-Nasa'i |
| Ikhlas, Falaq, Nas | 1 (×3 after Fajr and Maghrib) | Abu Dawud 1523 |
| SubhanAllah / Alhamdulillah / Allahu Akbar | 33 / 33 / 33 | Muslim 597 |
| La ilaha illa Allah… (to complete 100) | 1 | Muslim 597 |
In practice, without losing count
The real obstacle is not knowing these invocations, it is keeping count without slipping, five times a day, while life is already calling you elsewhere. The Prophet ﷺ counted on his fingers, and prayer beads exist for this. Today, many keep these adhkar in an app with a built-in counter.
That is exactly what Nida does: you gather your after-prayer invocations in one folder, recite them on the built-in tasbih, bead by bead, and the counter holds the 33/33/33 for you, so your mind stays on the meaning, not the numbers. You stop leaving your prayer too quickly: you seal it.
In short
Tomorrow, after Fajr, do not stand up right away. Stay seated thirty seconds longer: three istighfar, the declaration of oneness, Ayat al-Kursi, then the tasbih. Those few minutes after each prayer are among the most rewarding of your day, and they are already in your schedule. All that is left is not to stand up too soon.