Question:
Assalamualaikum. What is the recitation or supplication after the recitation of the final tahiyyat before the slam?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt, wbt.,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Prayer is among the most honoured worships and it is the first deed which will be asked by Allah SWT to His slaves in the hereafter as stated in a hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا يُحَاسَبُ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ بِصَلَاتِهِ، فَإِنْ صَلَحَتْ فَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ وَأَنْجَحَ، وَإِنْ فَسَدَتْ فَقَدْ خَابَ وَخَسِرَ
"The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is sound then he will have succeeded, be salvaged, but if it is not then he will have lost and be doomed."
Sunan al-Nasa’ie (465)
Furthermore, prayer lexically means supplication. The reason is in prayer there are places where we are commanded to increase our supplication in it. According to the above question, here we include several supplications from two of the most sahih books after the Quran which are Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that a person can recite before giving the salam:
- From Abu Hurairah RA, he heard the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا فَرَغَ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنَ التَّشَهُّدِ الْآخِرِ، فَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ: مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
“When any one of you completes the last tashahhud. he should seek refuge with Allah from four (trials). I.e. from the torment of Hell, from the torment of grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the mischief of Masih at-Dajjal (Antichrist).”
Sahih Muslim (588)
- From Aisyah R.Anha, she said:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَدْعُو فِي الصَّلاَةِ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ القَبْرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ المَحْيَا، وَفِتْنَةِ المَمَاتِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ المَأْثَمِ وَالمَغْرَمِ
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying "Allahumma inni a`udhu bika min `adhabi l-qabr, wa a`udhu bika min fitnati l-masihi d-dajjal, wa a`udhu bika min fitnati l-mahya wa fitnati l-mamat. Allahumma inni a`udhu bika mina l-ma'thami wa l-maghram. (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, from the afflictions of the imposter- Messiah, and from the afflictions of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sins and from debt)."
Sahih al-Bukhari (832)
- From Ali bin Abi Thalib RA, he said:
ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مِنْ آخِرِ مَا يَقُولُ بَيْنَ التَّشَهُّدِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ: اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ، وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
“…and he (the Prophet PBUH) would then say between Tashahhud and the pronouncing of salutation: Forgive me of the earlier and later open and secret (sins) and that where I made transgression and that Thou knowest better than I. Thou art the First and the Last. There is no god, but Thee.”
Sahih Muslim (771)
- From Abu Bakar RA, he said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Teach me a supplication that I may recite in my prayer." The Prophet PBUH said:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“O Allah, verily I have wronged myself much and there is None who forgives sins except You. Grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (834)
The first and second narration clearly shows us that it is sunnah for every person who is praying to recite this supplication after completing the recitation of the final tahiyyat before the salam. Furthermore, the narration of Ali bin Abi Thalib RA explains the recitations of the Prophet PBUH in prayer and it clearly shows that the Prophet PBUH recited this supplication between the tasyahhud and salam. However, if we look in Sunan Abi Daud, the Prophet PBUH recited this supplication after giving the salam. As for the fourth narration, Imam al-Bukhari placed this du’a before the salam.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are numerous supplications that can be recited in prayer. Thus, we encourage readers to refer to the collection of du’a in books such as Hisnul Muslim or the Shield of Muslim which has been translated. The reason is there are numerous other supplications stated by the author that can be recited before the salam. May Allah SWT grant us the strength to practise the supplications taught by the Prophet PBUH. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.