After the salam, many people get up straight away. Yet a few minutes of dhikr after the obligatory prayer are among the most beautiful habits the Prophet ﷺ taught. They take hardly any time and let the prayer settle.
Why dhikr?
Dhikr means remembrance: mentioning Allah with the tongue and the heart. The Quran says (translation by Sahih International):
O you who have believed, remember Allāh with much remembrance And exalt Him morning and afternoon. (33:41-42)
And elsewhere:
Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allāh. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allāh hearts are assured. (13:28)
More verses are under Quran verses about dhikr.
The adhkar after the obligatory prayer
The following words of remembrance are narrated in the well-known hadith collections. There are several narrated forms in order and numbers; if in doubt, ask the imam at your mosque.
1. Astaghfirullah (3 ×)
“I seek Allah’s forgiveness.” According to Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ asked for forgiveness three times after the prayer. Even after a good deed, a Muslim begins with humility.
2. Allahumma antas-salam
Allahumma antas-salam wa minkas-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram. “O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour.” This is also narrated in Muslim, straight after the istighfar.
3. Tasbih, tahmid and takbir
- Subhanallah (33 ×): “Glory be to Allah.”
- Alhamdulillah (33 ×): “All praise is due to Allah.”
- Allahu akbar (33 ×): “Allah is greater.”
To complete the hundred:
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ’ala kulli shay’in qadir. “There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.”
A narration in Muslim promises forgiveness of sins for this form, even if they are many. Also narrated in Muslim is the form with 34 × Allahu akbar instead of the closing sentence. Both are good.
4. Ayat al-Kursi
According to a narration in an-Nasa’i, graded authentic by al-Albani, Paradise is promised to whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) after every obligatory prayer. What the verse means is explained in the article on Ayatul Kursi.
Counting: on your fingers or with beads
According to narrations in Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, the Prophet ﷺ counted his tasbih on his fingers, in one version on his right hand. At-Tirmidhi also narrates that the fingers will be questioned and made to speak on the Day of Resurrection. That is why many people count on the joints of their fingers. Prayer beads (a tasbih or misbaha) are also very common and permitted in the view of most scholars; some prefer the fingers.
Start small
All the adhkar together take about two to three minutes. If that is still too much, start smaller:
- First week: after every prayer, Astaghfirullah three times and Allahumma antas-salam. That is thirty seconds.
- Then: tasbih 33-33-33 after one prayer, for example Maghrib.
- After that: gradually after all five prayers, adding Ayat al-Kursi.
What you keep up matters more than how much. According to a narration in al-Bukhari and Muslim, the deeds most beloved to Allah are the consistent ones, even if they are small. How to attach habits to the prayers is covered in building habits around salah.
In the Nur app
Nur has a “Tasbih” habit that counts to 33 with you and an “Istighfar” one that counts to 100. Attach them to a prayer, such as after Maghrib or Isha, and a plant grows for each in your courtyard. Prayer times for your city are on the web too, for example for London. Get Nur for free.
