The dua for after the final tashahhud and before salam is an invocation upon Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for His forgiveness and refuge. Every act of the ritual prayer (salah) is a prayer, and the supplications after or even during prayer are another way to beseech Allah for the fulfillment of our wishes and desires. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) never rejects the sincere supplication of His servants. The timeframe between tashahhud and salam is a golden gateway for a Muslim to ask anything of his Lord, especially for His forgiveness.
In the ritual Salah, Muslims must recite the Attahiyyaat and Durood-e-Ibrahimi after the sujood in the last rakah. These two are mandatory, and the prayer becomes invalid if a Muslim forgets to recite them. Anything after the Attahiyyaat and Durood-e-Ibrahimi is not fard or wajib but sunnah. The duas to be said after the final tashahhud and before salam are sunnah. Rasool Allah (ﷺ) recited each of these dua on different occasions, and you may choose to recite any one of them to gain more favor from your Lord.
All duas focus on the theme of refuge and forgiveness (Sahih al-Bukhari 7387, 7388; Sahih al-Bukhari 1377). One seeks refuge in Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) from the punishments of Hell and the torments of the grave (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3494). Another dua allows believers to concede that they have wronged themselves and sinned and asks for a portion of Allah’s limitless mercy (Sunan Ibn Majah 3835).
Prayer Duas
Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika min 'athaabil-qabri, wa min 'athaabi jahannama, wa min fitnatil-mahyaa walmamaati, wa min sharri fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and from the punishment of Hell-fire, and from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the False Messiah.
Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika min 'athaabil-qabri, wa 'a'oothu bika min fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaali, wa 'a'oothu bika min fitnatil-mahyaa walmamaati. Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika minal-ma'thami walmaghrami.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trial of the False Messiah, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and from debt.
Allaahumma 'innee dhalamtu nafsee dhulman katheeran, wa laa yaghfiruth-thunooba 'illaa 'Anta, faghfir lee maghfiratan min 'indika warhamnee 'innaka 'Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem.
O Allah, I have greatly wronged myself and no one forgives sins but You. So, grant me forgiveness and have mercy on me. Surely, you are Forgiving, Merciful.
Allaahum-maghfir lee maa qaddamtu, wa maa 'akhkhartu, wa maa 'asrartu, wa maa 'a'lantu, wa maa 'asraftu, wa maa 'Anta 'a'lamu bihi minnee. 'Antal-Muqaddimu, wa 'Antal-Mu'akhkhiru laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta.
O Allah, forgive me what I have sent before me and what I have left behind me, what I have concealed and what I have done openly, what I have done in excess, and what You are better aware of than I. You are the One Who sends forth and You are the One Who delays. There is none worthy of worship but You.
Allaahumma 'a'innee 'alaa thikrika, wa shukrika, wahusni 'ibaadatika.
O Allah, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner.
Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika minal-bukhli, wa 'a'oothu bika minal-jubni, wa 'a'oothu bika min 'an 'uradda 'ilaa 'arthalil-'umuri, wa 'a'oothu bika min fitnatid-dunyaa wa 'athaabil-qabri.
O Allah, I seek Your protection from miserliness, I seek Your protection from cowardice, and I seek Your protection from being returned to feeble old age. I seek Your protection from the trials of this world and from the torment of the grave.
Allaahumma 'innee 'as'alukal-jannata wa 'a'oothu bika minan-naar.
O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and seek Your protection from the Fire.
Allaahumma bi'ilmikal-ghayba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi 'ahyinee maa 'alimtal-hayaata khayran lee wa tawaffanee 'ithaa 'alimtal-wafaata khayran lee, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka khashyataka fil-ghaybi wash-shahaadati, wa 'as'aluka kalimatal-haqqi fir-ridhaa walghadhabi, wa 'as'alukal-qasda fil-ghinaa walfaqri, wa 'as'aluka na'eeman laa yanfadu, wa 'as'aluka qurrata 'aynin laa tanqati'u, wa 'as'alukar-ridhaa ba'dal-qadhaa'i, wa 'as'aluka bardal-'ayshi ba'dal-mawti, wa 'as'aluka laththatan-nadhari 'ilaa wajhika wash-shawqa 'ilaa liqaa'ikafee ghayri dharraa'a mudhirratin wa laa fitnatin mudhillatin, Allaahumma zayyinnaa bizeenatil-'eemaani waj'alnaa hudaatan muhtadeen.
O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public. I ask you for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger. I ask You for moderation in wealth and in poverty. I ask you for blessings never ceasing and the coolness of my eye that never ends. I ask You for pleasure after Your Judgment and I ask You for a life of coolness after death. I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Face and the joy of meeting You without any harm and misleading trials befalling me. O Allah, dress us with the beauty of Faith, and make us guides who are upon (correct) guidance.
Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka yaaAllaahu bi'annakal-Waahidul-'Ahadus-Samadul-lathee, lam yalid wa lam yoolad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan 'Ahad, 'an taghfira lee thunoobee 'innaka 'Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem.
O Allah, I ask You. O Allah, You are the One, the Only, Self-Sufficient Master, Who was not begotten and begets not and none is equal to Him. Forgive me my sins, surely you are Forgiving, Merciful.
Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka bi'anna lakal-hamda laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta wahdaka laa shareeka laka, Al-Mannaanu, yaa Badee'as-samaawaati wal'ardhi yaa Thal-Jalaali wal-'Ikraam, yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoomu 'innee 'as'alukal-jannata wa 'a'oothu bika minan-naar.
O Allah, I ask You, as You are the Owner of praise, there is none worthy of worship but You alone, You have no partner. You are the Giver of all good. O Creator of the heavens and the earth, Owner of majesty and honor. O Living and Everlasting One, I ask you for Paradise and I seek refuge in You from the fire.
Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka bi'annee 'ash-hadu 'annaka 'Antallaahu laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Antal-'Ahadus-Samadul-lathee lam yalid wa lam yoolad wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan 'Ahad.
O Allah, I ask You, by the fact that I bear witness that You are Allah. There is none worthy of worship but You, the Only God, Independent of creation, Who was not begotten and begets not, and none is equal to Him.
In Islam, one thing has been reiterated time and again, and that is the “intention of the heart.” The same applies here. Such dua should be made knowing that “To err is human” and that he has sinned and wronged himself and thus should present himself to the Lord of the Worlds and ask for his forgiveness. Whenever a believer makes any one of the duas listed above after tashahhud and before salam, they should repent for the misdeeds and sins with the utmost sincerity and the firm belief that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) will accept their touba.
The biggest benefit of the dua lies within its wording. For a believer to ask his Lord for forgiveness, to ask for refuge in The All-Merciful and The All-Forgiving, it is almost impossible for his Lord to deny him his supplication and return him empty-handed. The mercy of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) transcends all known limits, and thus, the believer is forgiven for his sins.
The dua also provides the recited with protection from hellfire and the torments and punishments of the grave. It enables prosperity and sustenance from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and keeps a believer away from poverty. The dua is also recited for protection from trials within this life and the next.