SUPPLICATIONS AFTER PRAYER
Sound hadith reports preserve several forms of remembrance after obligatory prayer, including tasbih, praise, and takbir. The legal details and forms of post-prayer supplication and remembrance can differ among schools of law. This guide therefore summarizes sourced remembrances and Quranic supplications without presenting one sequence as universally binding.
Duas and Verses
The Tasbih: 33 Subhanallah, 33 Alhamdulillah, 33 Allahu Akbar
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Glory be to God (33 times) — Praise be to God (33 times) — God is greatest (33 times). Sahih Muslim 597a reports saying each remembrance 33 times and completing one hundred with the statement of God's oneness. Muslim 596a preserves a separate sound 33+33+34 variant.
Can be done right after prayer, counted on prayer beads or fingers — track it with the Digital Tasbih tool on our site.
Reciting Ayat al-Kursi After Prayer
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ
God — there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence... Some reports describe reciting it after every obligatory prayer as virtuous.
Can be recited after the tasbih, as part of the remembrance following prayer.
Closing Supplication
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Can be read after the tasbih and remembrance, to close out one's personal supplication.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times should the tasbih be recited?
The most commonly reported count is 33 each of Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar, followed by a completing statement of God's greatness or oneness. This count is a common practice, not a binding requirement.
Should Ayat al-Kursi be recited after every prayer?
Some reports describe this as virtuous, but it is not obligatory. A person may add or skip this reading according to their own pace.
What is said immediately after the closing salam?
According to the report of Thawban, when the Prophet finished a prayer he said "Astaghfirullah" three times and then "Allahumma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram" (O God, You are Peace and from You comes peace; blessed are You, Owner of majesty and honour) (Muslim, Mosques, no. 591). The opening of the common post-prayer routine rests on this report.
Which hadith describes the virtue of the post-prayer tasbih?
According to the report of Abu Hurayra, whoever says Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 33 times after every prayer, and completes a hundred with "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir", has their faults forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea (Muslim, Mosques, no. 597). In the report of Ka'b ibn Ujrah the takbir is said 34 times (Muslim, no. 596); both forms appear in sound sources.
Is the same tasbih also said at other times?
Yes. According to the report of Ali, when Fatimah described the burden of household work and asked for a servant, the Prophet taught her and Ali to say Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 34 times when they went to bed, saying this was better for them than a servant (Bukhari, Supplications, no. 6318; Muslim, Remembrance, no. 2727). This is why the same remembrance is also said before sleep.
Which surahs are recited after prayer?
According to the report of Uqbah ibn Amir, the Prophet told him to recite the mu'awwidhat after every prayer (Abu Dawud, Witr, no. 1523; Tirmidhi, Virtues of the Quran, no. 2903). The mu'awwidhat are Surahs Al-Falaq and An-Nas; some scholars include Al-Ikhlas as well. The report about reciting Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer appears in an-Nasa'i's as-Sunan al-Kubra, and scholars have disputed its authenticity.
Sources
- Sahih Muslim 597a — post-prayer 33+33+33 dhikr, completed to one hundred
- Sahih Muslim 596a — the 33+33+34 variant
- Sahih Muslim
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sunan Abi Dawud, Sünen
- Tanzil Project — Uthmani Mushaf
- QuranEnc — English Translation