Dhikr After Salah: What to Say After Prayer (Adhkar & Tasbeeh)
Every salah ends with the tasleem — but the moment after salaam is not the end; it is the beginning of the post-prayer adhkar. The Prophet ﷺ had a consistent sequence of remembrances he performed after every obligatory prayer, supported by multiple sahih narrations. This guide presents the complete sequence in Arabic, transliteration, and English — with hadith sources for every dhikr.
Complete Post-Prayer Sequence (Quick Reference)
- Give tasleem (salaam to both sides)
- Istighfar: Astaghfirullah ×3
- Tasbih: SubhanAllah ×33, Alhamdulillah ×33, Allahu Akbar ×33
- Closing: La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah... (×1)
- Ayat al-Kursi (×1) — after every fard
- Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas (×1 each) — Fajr and Maghrib: ×3 each
- Special Fajr/Maghrib dhikr: La ilaha illallah wahdahu... ×10
- Personal du'a in your own words
Total time for the full sequence: ~3–5 minutes
The Core Tasbeeh: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar
This is the most universally narrated post-prayer dhikr — found in multiple sahih collections from multiple companions. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated:
“Whoever glorifies Allah after every prayer 33 times, praises Allah 33 times, and magnifies Allah 33 times — making 99 — and then completes the hundred with ‘La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay’in qadir’ — his sins will be forgiven even if they were like the foam of the sea.”
— Sahih Muslim 597, Abu Hurairah (RA)
SubhanAllah × 33
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
SubhānAllāh
Glory be to Allah
Sahih Muslim 597 — count 33 times on fingers or tasbih
Alhamdulillah × 33
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
Al-ḥamdu lillāh
All praise is due to Allah
Sahih Muslim 597 — count 33 times
Allahu Akbar × 33
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
Allah is the Greatest
Sahih Muslim 597 — count 33 times (total so far: 99)
Closing — completing 100
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul ḥamdu wa huwa 'alā kulli shay'in qadīr.
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is over all things capable.
Sahih Muslim 597 — recite once after the 99 to complete 100
Istighfar — Seeking Forgiveness First
Thawban (RA) narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ finished his prayer and gave the tasleem, he would say “Astaghfirullah” three times before anything else. This comes before the tasbeeh sequence — acknowledging that even the best worship falls short of Allah's right.
Istighfar × 3 (immediately after tasleem)
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
Astaghfirullāh
I seek forgiveness from Allah
Sahih Muslim 591, Thawban (RA) — say 3 times immediately after tasleem, before any other dhikr
After Istighfar, the Prophet ﷺ would say:
After Istighfar — one recitation
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
Allāhumma anta's-salāmu wa minkas-salāmu tabārakta yā dhal-jalāli wal-ikrām.
O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of Glory and Honor.
Sahih Muslim 592 — once, immediately after the three Istighfar
Ayat al-Kursi — The Throne Verse
Ayat al-Kursi (Qur'an 2:255) is one of the most powerful individual acts after prayer. The hadith is decisive:
“Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.”
— Nasa'i, al-Silsilah al-Sahihah 972 (classed Sahih by al-Albani)
Ayat al-Kursi — Qur'an 2:255 (once after every fard)
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
“Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas (The Three Quls)
The Prophet ﷺ commanded'Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (RA):
“Recite the three Quls after every prayer — morning and evening. They suffice you in all things.”
— Abu Dawud 5082; Tirmidhi 3575 — classified Hasan Sahih
| Surah | After Dhuhr, Asr, Isha | After Fajr and Maghrib |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Ikhlas (112) | ×1 | ×3 |
| Al-Falaq (113) | ×1 | ×3 |
| An-Nas (114) | ×1 | ×3 |
Al-Ikhlas encapsulates the oneness of Allah (tawhid). Al-Falaq and An-Nas are protection suras from external and internal evil. Reciting all three after Fajr and Maghrib three times each has been described as a complete protection for the half-day ahead.
Know when each prayer ends
Dhikr is prayed right after salah — find today's prayer times for your location to plan your worship routine.
Special Dhikr After Fajr and Maghrib
Fajr and Maghrib are the two “gateway” prayers of the day — sunrise and sunset. The Prophet ﷺ prescribed additional dhikr specifically after these two prayers.
After Fajr and Maghrib — 10 times each
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul ḥamdu, yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa 'alā kulli shay'in qadīr.
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things capable.
Tirmidhi 3474 — say 10 times after Fajr and 10 times after Maghrib
Sayyid al-Istighfar — Master of Seeking Forgiveness
This du'a is recommended after Fajr and Maghrib. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever says it in the morning with firm belief and dies that day before evening, he is among the people of Paradise.” (Bukhari 6306)
Sayyid al-Istighfar — after Fajr and Maghrib
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allāhumma anta rabbī lā ilāha illā ant, khalaqtanī wa ana 'abduk, wa ana 'alā 'ahdika wa wa'dika mā-staṭa't. A'ūdhu bika min sharri mā ṣana't. Abū'u laka bini'matika 'alayya, wa abū'u bidhambī, faghfir lī fa'innahu lā yaghfiru-dh-dhunūba illā ant.
O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I am upon Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me — for no one forgives sins except You.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6306 — once after Fajr and once after Maghrib
How to Count: Fingers vs Prayer Beads
The Prophet ﷺ counted dhikr on his fingers. He said:
“Count on your fingers — for they will be asked (they will be made to speak on the Day of Judgment).”
— Abu Dawud 1501, Yusayrah (RA) — classed Hasan
Counting on the right hand, using the pads and joints of each finger, allows 33 counts. Many Muslims use the right hand's three segments of each finger (×3 per finger = 15 per hand side), or simply count 33 per phrase.
Prayer beads (misbaha/tasbih) are permitted and widely used by scholars — they are not an innovation so long as the intention is to count accurately and maintain presence. Ibn Hanbal and other classical scholars used them. Choose the method that helps you stay focused and present.
Full Post-Prayer Sequence — All Five Prayers
Here is the complete sequence laid out for easy reference, with time estimates:
Tasleem
Give salaam to both sides — ends the salah
Istighfar × 3
Astaghfirullah (×3), then Allahumma anta's-salam...
Tasbeeh × 99
SubhanAllah ×33, Alhamdulillah ×33, Allahu Akbar ×33
Closing tahleel
La ilaha illallah wahdahu... (×1)
Ayat al-Kursi
Recite once — after every fard prayer
Three Quls
Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas — ×1 (×3 after Fajr/Maghrib)
Special Fajr/Maghrib dhikr
La ilaha illallah... ×10 — only after Fajr and Maghrib
Sayyid al-Istighfar
Allahumma anta rabbi... — once, after Fajr and Maghrib
Personal du'a
Supplicate in your own words, any language
* Steps 7–8 are for Fajr and Maghrib only
Should You Turn Away From the Qibla After Salah?
A common question is whether to turn around before doing dhikr. The hadith on this is clear: after giving tasleem, the Prophet ﷺ would sometimes turn to face the people (his right) and sometimes continue sitting facing the Qibla for dhikr.
Both positions are valid: facing the Qibla during dhikr, or turning to your right, or turning fully to face the congregation. What is not recommended is immediately standing and leaving before the adhkar are complete — the Prophet ﷺ rebuked those who hurried out right after tasleem.
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Start 14-Day Free TrialFrequently Asked Questions
What do you say after prayer in Islam?
After tasleem: Istighfar ×3 → SubhanAllah ×33, Alhamdulillah ×33, Allahu Akbar ×33 → closing tahleel → Ayat al-Kursi → Three Quls. After Fajr and Maghrib, add the 10-times dhikr and Sayyid al-Istighfar.
What is the reward for saying SubhanAllah 33 times after prayer?
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'His sins will be forgiven even if they were like the foam of the sea' when the 99 (SubhanAllah/Alhamdulillah/Allahu Akbar ×33 each) is completed with the La ilaha illallah tahleel. (Muslim 597)
Should I recite Ayat al-Kursi after every prayer?
Yes — after every obligatory prayer. The hadith promises: 'Nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.' (Nasa'i, classed sahih by al-Albani). This is one of the highest-value post-prayer acts.
What do you say after Fajr and Maghrib specifically?
After the standard adhkar, add: La ilaha illallah wahdahu... ×10 (Tirmidhi 3474) and Sayyid al-Istighfar ×1 (Bukhari 6306). The Three Quls should also be recited 3 times each (instead of once) after Fajr and Maghrib.
Should I use prayer beads (misbaha/tasbih) for dhikr?
Both counting on fingers (the Prophet's ﷺ practice) and prayer beads are acceptable. Ibn Hanbal and other major scholars used tasbih beads. Choose what helps you count accurately and maintain presence.
Can I do dhikr after prayer in any language?
The specific textual adhkar (SubhanAllah, Ayat al-Kursi, etc.) should be in Arabic. Personal du'a and supplication after completing the adhkar may be in any language.
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