Dhikr After Salah: 6 Authentic Adhkar and What They Mean
Dhikr after salah in order: 6 authentic adhkar with their hadith, each phrase in Arabic with its meaning word by word, for adults who want to understand.
Dhikr after salah is the set of words you say after the prayer, as the Prophet ﷺ said and taught them: astaghfirullah three times, then Allahumma anta as-salam, then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu. After that come SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar 33 times each, then Ayat al-Kursi and the last three surahs. Each one is in an authentic hadith.
If you've said these words after every prayer for years without knowing what they mean, this page is for you. You'll get each phrase you say in Arabic, its meaning word by word, and its hadith. Many of the words are also in the Qur'an, so each one you learn comes back to you in recitation.
What to say after salah, in order
After salah you say six things: astaghfirullah, Allahumma anta as-salam, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu, the tasbih, Ayat al-Kursi and the last three surahs. That's the order Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) gave from the hadith, for the imam, the one behind him and the one praying alone, after each of the five daily prayers (IslamQA 104163). This page reports what scholars wrote and gives no rulings.
| # | What you say | What it means | How many times | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astaghfirullah | I ask Allah for forgiveness | 3 | Sahih Muslim 591 |
| 2 | Allahumma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram | O Allah, You are as-Salam and from You comes peace; blessed are You, Owner of majesty and honour | 1 | Sahih Muslim 591, 592a |
| 3 | La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah ... qadir. Allahumma la mani'a lima a'tayta ... minkal-jadd | There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner ... O Allah, none can hold back what You give | 1 | Sahih Muslim 593a, Sahih al-Bukhari 844 (Ibn Baz adds Muslim 594a) |
| 4 | SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar, then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu ... qadir | Glory be to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. Allah is the Greatest | 33 each, then the last line once to make 100 | Sahih Muslim 597a |
| 5 | Ayat al-Kursi (al-Baqarah 2:255) | Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living | 1, quietly | an-Nasa'i, 'Amal al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah 100 (Ibn Hibban: sahih) |
| 6 | Al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas (112 to 114) | Say, He is Allah, One; and the two surahs of refuge | 1 each, quietly; 3 each after Fajr and Maghrib | Sunan Abi Dawud 1523 |
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin said Allah made the time after the prayer a time for dhikr, and he quoted the opening of this ayah (IslamQA 104163). Its word fadhkuru, "then remember", comes from ذ ك ر, the same root as dhikr (corpus.quran.com):
فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمࣰا وَقُعُودࣰا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمۡ
“And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides.”
What does astaghfirullah mean after salah?
Astaghfirullah means "I ask Allah for forgiveness", and it was the first thing the Prophet ﷺ said when his prayer ended. Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he asked forgiveness three times. When a later narrator asked how, the answer was the words themselves:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا انْصَرَفَ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ اسْتَغْفَرَ ثَلاَثًا وَقَالَ "اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ". قَالَ الْوَلِيدُ فَقُلْتُ لِلأَوْزَاعِيِّ كَيْفَ الاِسْتِغْفَارُ قَالَ تَقُولُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
“Thauban reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he begged forgiveness three times and said: O Allah! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honour. Walid reported: I said to Auza'i: How is the seeking of forgiveness? He replied: You should say: I beg forgiveness from Allah, I beg forgiveness from Allah.”
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
astaghfirullah
I ask Allah for forgiveness.
astaghfiru: I ask forgiveness, from the root غ ف ر. It's a form X verb, the pattern Arabic often uses for asking for something, like istaghfiru, "Ask forgiveness", in Nuh 71:10 (corpus.quran.com). Allah: the One you ask.
What does Allahumma anta as-salam mean?
Allahumma anta as-salam means "O Allah, You are as-Salam", and as-Salam is one of Allah's names in the Qur'an. It's in Al-Hashr 59:23, where Saheeh International gives it as "the Perfection"; IslamQA renders it "the One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies". Then: and from You comes peace.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ
Allahumma anta as-salam, wa minka as-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram
O Allah, You are as-Salam, and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of majesty and honour.
Allahumma: O Allah. anta: You (are). as-salam: as-Salam, a name of Allah (59:23). wa minka: and from You. as-salam: peace. tabarakta: blessed are You (root ب ر ك, as in tabaraka, 67:1). ya: O. dhal-jalali: Owner of majesty. wal-ikram: and honour.
What does la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah mean?
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah means "There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner". Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote it out for Mu'awiyah. In Sahih al-Bukhari 844 he says the Prophet ﷺ said it after every compulsory prayer.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلاَ مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ
“Mughira b. Shu'ba wrote to Mu'awiya: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished the prayer and pronounced salutation he uttered (this supplication): "There is no god but Allah. He is alone, Who has no partner. To Him belongs the sovereignty and to Him praise is due and He is Potent over everything. O Allah! no one can withhold what Thou givest, or give what Thou withholdest, and the riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee."”
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلاَ مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir. Allahumma la mani'a lima a'tayta, wa la mu'tiya lima mana'ta, wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. O Allah, none can hold back what You give, none can give what You hold back, and no one's wealth helps him against You.
la ilaha illallah: no god except Allah. wahdahu la sharika lah: alone, no partner has He (as in 6:163). lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu: His is the dominion and the praise. wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir: and He has power over all things. la mani'a lima a'tayta: none can hold back what You give. wa la mu'tiya lima mana'ta: none can give what You hold back. wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddi: it won't help the one with wealth (dha again). minkal-jaddu: his wealth, against You (al-jadd is wealth, as al-Hasan explained in al-Bukhari 844).
Shaykh Ibn Baz's list adds Ibn az-Zubayr's words between the two halves, starting la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, "there is no power and no strength except with Allah" (Sahih Muslim 594a). Now listen for the first half when Surah al-Mulk is recited. Its first ayah ends on the same words:
تَبَٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِي بِيَدِهِ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءࣲ قَدِيرٌ
“Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent.”
How many times do you say SubhanAllah after salah?
In the tasbih after salah, you say SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 33 times, then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu once to make 100. Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the count with a promise:
مَنْ سَبَّحَ اللَّهَ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ وَكَبَّرَ اللَّهَ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ وَقَالَ تَمَامَ الْمِائَةِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ غُفِرَتْ خَطَايَاهُ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ
“Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone extols Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times, and declares His Greatness thirty-three times, ninety-nine times in all, and says to complete a hundred: "There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due, and He is Potent over everything," his sins will be forgiven even if these are as abundant as the foam of the sea.”
| SubhanAllah | Alhamdulillah | Allahu akbar | Then | Total | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 33 | 33 | La ilaha illallahu wahdahu ... qadir, once | 100 | Sahih Muslim 597a |
| 33 | 33 | 34 | Nothing added | 100 | Sahih Muslim 596a ("will never be caused disappointment") |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | Nothing added | 30 | Sahih al-Bukhari 6329 |
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar
Glory be to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. Allah is the Greatest.
subhana Allah: glory be to Allah, as in subhanallahi 'amma yushrikun (59:23). al-hamdu lillah: all praise is due to Allah, as in Al-Fatihah 1:2. Allahu akbar: Allah is the Greatest; akbar is the word in wa la-dhikrullahi akbar, "and the remembrance of Allah is greater" (29:45).
Which surahs do you recite after salah?
After the tasbih you recite Ayat al-Kursi once, then al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas, quietly, as Shaykh Ibn Baz listed them. After Fajr and Maghrib he said to recite the three surahs three times each. The narrations are from Abu Umamah and 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir. For the meanings, see the meaning and virtues of Ayat al-Kursi and al-Falaq and an-Nas, the two surahs of refuge.
مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ دُخُولِ اَلْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا اَلْمَوْتُ
“Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi at the end of every obligatory prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering Paradise."”
أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ أَقْرَأَ بِالْمُعَوِّذَاتِ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ
“Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded me to recite Mu'awwidhatan (the last three surahs of the Qur'an) after every prayer.”
Is Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika said before or after the salam?
Shaykh Ibn Baz and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin placed a du'a like Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika in the last part of the prayer, before the salam, though many lists of dua after salah put it after. The Prophet ﷺ taught it to Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him):
يَا مُعَاذُ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُحِبُّكَ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُحِبُّكَ. فَقَالَ: أُوصِيكَ يَا مُعَاذُ لاَ تَدَعَنَّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
“Mu'adh b. Jabal reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) caught his hand and said: By Allah, I love you, Mu'adh. I give some instruction to you. Never leave to recite this supplication after every (prescribed) prayer: "O Allah, help me in remembering You, in giving You thanks, and worshipping You well."”
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatik
O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You and to worship You well.
Allahumma: O Allah. a'inni: help me. 'ala dhikrika: in remembering You (dhikr again, root ذ ك ر). wa shukrika: and in thanking You. wa husni 'ibadatika: and in worshipping You well (literally, the goodness of Your worship).
The Arabic says dubur kulli salah, "the end of every prayer". IslamQA explains that for a du'a this means its last part, citing an-Nasa'i's wording, "in every prayer" (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1303). Ibn al-Qayyim reported that his shaykh, Ibn Taymiyyah, thought this more likely, and Shaykh Ibn Baz gave this very hadith as an example. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin's rule: dhikr after the prayer, du'a in its last part (IslamQA 104163). Astaghfirullah is the exception: a du'a the Sunnah puts after the salam.
Why do the words after salah sound like the Qur'an?
The words after salah sound like the Qur'an because many of them are in it. You weren't careless for saying them without the meaning. You learned them by ear, and nobody paused to explain them. Here are the ones on this page, checked on quran.com:
| In the dhikr | Meaning | In the Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| astaghfir | I ask forgiveness | Nuh 71:10: istaghfiru rabbakum, "Ask forgiveness of your Lord" |
| as-Salam | a name of Allah | Al-Hashr 59:23: "the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection" |
| tabarakta | blessed are You | Al-Mulk 67:1: "Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion" |
| dhal-jalali wal-ikram | Owner of majesty and honour | Ar-Rahman 55:27 and 55:78 |
| la sharika lah | no partner has He | Al-An'am 6:163: "No partner has He" |
| wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir | and He has power over all things | Al-Mulk 67:1 |
| subhana Allah | glory be to Allah | Al-Hashr 59:23: "Exalted is Allah" |
| al-hamdu lillah | all praise is due to Allah | Al-Fatihah 1:2 |
| akbar | greater, greatest | Al-'Ankabut 29:45: "the remembrance of Allah is greater" |
How do you learn the dhikr after salah, one phrase at a time?
You learn the dhikr after salah one phrase a week, in the order you say it, and check yourself straight after a prayer. You say each phrase five times a day anyway, so the practice is already in your day.
Five steps to understand what you say after salah
- 1
Start with the first two
Take astaghfirullah and Allahumma anta as-salam first. Read their word meanings above, then think of them as you speak.
- 2
Add one phrase a week
Then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu with Allahumma la mani'a, then the three tasbih words, in the order you say them.
- 3
Listen for the Qur'an words
When a word from the table above comes up in recitation, notice it. Tabaraka, "Blessed is He", in Al-Mulk 67:1 becomes tabarakta, "blessed are You", when its last -a turns into -ta.
- 4
Take the surahs an ayah at a time
Open Ayat al-Kursi and the three surahs on quran.com in word-by-word view and learn one ayah at a time.
- 5
Say them to someone who can hear you
Sounds such as ح in al-hamdu and ع in 'ala are easy to flatten when you learn by ear. A teacher can hear that and show you the difference.
Try the first step after your next prayer. If you can say what astaghfirullah and Allahumma anta as-salam mean with this page closed, you've started understanding what you say after salah. For the words inside the prayer itself, read what each line of your salah means.
A page can tell you what each phrase means. A teacher can listen to you say them and tell you which word to fix first. If that would help, you can find a teacher of your choice and try up to 3 teachers free.
Key takeaways
- Dhikr after salah, in Shaykh Ibn Baz's order: astaghfirullah three times, Allahumma anta as-salam, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu, the tasbih, Ayat al-Kursi, then the last three surahs.
- Astaghfirullah means "I ask Allah for forgiveness", and the Prophet ﷺ said it three times as his prayer ended (Sahih Muslim 591).
- SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar 33 times each, then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu once, makes 100, with forgiveness promised in Sahih Muslim 597a.
- Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Baz and Ibn 'Uthaymin understood a du'a "at the end of the prayer", such as Allahumma a'inni, as said before the salam (IslamQA 104163).
- Many words of the dhikr after salah are in the Qur'an: as-Salam (59:23), tabaraka (67:1) and dhul-jalali wal-ikram (55:27).
Further reading
- Adhkar after salah, the order (IslamQA 131850)
- Dhikr and du'a at the end of the prayer, Ibn Baz and Ibn 'Uthaymin (IslamQA 104163)
- Astaghfirullah and Allahumma anta as-salam, Sahih Muslim 591 (sunnah.com)
- The tasbih to 100, Sahih Muslim 597a (sunnah.com)
- Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, Bulugh al-Maram (sunnah.com)
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