Dua After the Final Tashahhud and Before Salam

Prayer (Salah) comprises different postures and transitions between different positions. Specific recitations, including the Quranic verses and Duas, are prescribed for each posture. Whether it is a 2, 3, or 4 Raka’ah prayer, the last Raka’ah holds a unique status, marking the completion of prayer. Within the last Raka’ah, the concluding step is sitting in the position of tashahhud, which is more commonly known as sitting in the position of at-Tahiyyaat. 

While sitting in the posture of final tashahhud, Muslims are required to complete the following four recitations:

• Recite tashahhud (at-Tahiyyaat)

• Recite Durood Ibrahimi

• Make a personal supplication, which is a Sunnah practice

• Tasleem or Salam, i.e., say Assalam o Alaikum Wa Rehmatullah 

Reciting dua after final tashahhud before salam is a highly virtuous and emphasized Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, as mentioned in Hadith 835 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, as follows:

Translation of relevant part - …. say, at-tahiyatu li l-lahi wa s-salawatu wa t-taiyibat. As-salamu `alaika aiyuha n-Nabiyu wa rahmatu l-lahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu `alaina wa `ala `ibadi l-lahi s-salihin. (If you say this, then it will reach all the slaves in heaven or between heaven and earth). Ash-hadu al la-ilaha illa l-lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `Abduhu wa Rasuluh.' Then select the invocation you like best and recite it.

This Sunnah practice is further emphasized in many other Hadiths, in which the Prophet taught his companions specific du'a before tasleem, such as Hadiths 7387 and 7388 of Sahih Al-Bukhari. The importance of making personal supplications is also mentioned in the 60th verse of Surah Ghafir, which states that Allah listens to and accepts supplications.

Translation - Pray to Me, and I will accept your prayers. Surely those who wax too proud to worship Me shall enter Hell, utterly abased.

It implies that Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ not only listens to and accepts dua but also likes His servants to reach out to Him to seek the resolution of their personal issues. Although this verse does not specifically point to the dua before ending salah, when read alongside the above-quoted Hadith 835 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, it strongly supports the Prophet’s Sunnah of making dua before turning the head in Salah. 

Dua before finishing prayer, as mentioned in different Hadiths, can be classified into three different categories. These are also the three most popularly recited duas before salam in every prayer, whether Fard, Sunnah, or Nafl prayer.

1. Dua Seeking Protection from Four Major Trials

As reported in Hadith 588a of Sahih Muslim, the Prophet taught his companion to recite a specific dua before finishing prayer, to seek Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ protection from four major trials, in the following words:

Translation - When any one of you utters tashahhud (in prayer), he must seek refuge with Allah from four (trials) and should thus say:" O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of Masih al-Dajjal."

This is the most commonly recited dua before concluding Salah.

2. Dua Seeking Forgiveness – Another supplication before salam in prayer, commonly referred to as supplication of Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, was taught by the Prophet to his companion Hazrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. This supplication is about seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ and is reported in Hadith 834 of Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Translation - Narrated Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allah with it in my prayer. He told me to say, "Allahumma inni zalumtu nafsi zulman kathiran, Wala yaghfiru dh-dhunuba illa anta, fa ghfir li maghfiratan min `indika, wa r-hamni, innaka anta l-ghafuru r-rahim (O Allah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful).

This supplication is also very common among Muslims, recited before tasleem and in prayers, and is known as Dua seeking forgiveness. 

3. Dua Seeking Assistance In Worship – What to recite before Salam in Salah, was taught by the Prophet to one of his companions, namely Mu‘adh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه. It is reported in Hadith 1303 of Sunan An-Nasai.

Translation - It was narrated that Mu'adh bin Jabal said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took my hand and said: 'I love you, O Mu'adh!' I said: 'And I love you, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Never forget to say in every prayer: Rabbi a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatik (My Lord, help me to remember You, give thanks to You and worship You well.)."

This dua is often called the dua seeking guidance and assistance in worship.

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).

Dua Before Salam in Arabic

Although there are multiple Duas recommended by scholars to be recited before Salam in prayer, the following three Duas are the most authentic and were directly taught by the Prophet to his companions.

• Arabic Text of Dua Seeking Protection from Four Major Trials - اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ

• Arabic Text of Dua Seeking Forgiveness - اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْماً كَثِيراً وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَاَّ أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

• Dua Seeking Assistance in Worship - اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ

Dua Before Salam Transliteration

Transliteration of the above Duas is as follows:

• Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika min 'athaabil-qabri, wa min 'athaabi jahannama, wa min fitnatil-mahyaa walmamaati, wa min sharri fitnatil-maseehid-dajjaal

• Allaahumma 'innee dhalamtu nafsee dhulman katheeran, wa laa yaghfiruth-thunooba 'illaa 'Anta, faghfir lee maghfiratan min 'indika warhamnee 'innaka 'Antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem

• Allaahumma 'a'innee 'alaa thikrika, wa shukrika, wahusni 'ibaadatika

Dua Before Salam in English

The English version of the above Duas is as follows:

• 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.

• 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.

• O Allah, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner.

Dua Before Salam with Meaning

The meanings of the above-mentioned three duas are as follows:

• There are four major trials a believer has to face in their life in this world and the Hereafter, which include the trial in the grave, the trial of hellfire, the trials of life and death, and the trial in the shape of evil of Dajjal. The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ specifically taught this Dua to his Companions so they can be protected from all these four major trials. 

• The Dua seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ is also directly taught by the Prophet to his most beloved companion, Hazrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, to seek general forgiveness, especially forgiveness of sins, and mercy, while admitting that Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ is most forgiving and merciful. 

• Another companion of the Prophet was specifically taught this Dua, which aims at seeking Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ guidance and assistance, enabling us to perform worship in the best manner. It implies that merely worshiping is not sufficient; performing it with the best manners is also important.

The Etiquettes of Reciting the Dua After the Final Tashahhud And Before Salam

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 etiquette of making Dua after Tashahhud and before Salam can be summarized as follows:

• Ensure that you have recited tashahhud and sent Durood on the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, before making personal supplication, as part of the essentials of sitting in the posture of tashahhud.

• Ensure to recite Dua before Tasleem.

• Ensure to make dua with full concentration and presence of heart and mind. 

• Ensure to memorize your preferred dua, so that you can recite it smoothly, without difficulty.

• Try to understand the meanings of your preferred dua, and reflect on it while reciting.

• Try to memorize more than one Duas, as recommended above, and recite different Duas in different prayers. If that is not possible, reciting the same Dua in each prayer is also allowed. 

• Keep in mind that you are following a Sunnah practice. So, recite it silently and slowly, with correct pronunciation. 

• Make sure to recite only the authentic Sunnah Duas, as reported in authentic Hadiths, because you are following the Sunnah of the Prophet. Reciting any other personal supplication, out of the authentic Hadiths, should be avoided. 

• Although some scholars are of the view that making dua at this stage is only a Sunnah practice, the majority of scholars treat it as an essential part of the prayer. So, don’t forget to supplicate before Salam.

Benefits of Dua After the Final Tashahhud and Before Salam

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.

FAQs: