The short answer
A dua after salah is recorded in Sahih Muslim 591: seeking forgiveness three times after the prayer, then the address beginning Allahumma anta al-salam. Sahih Muslim 597 gives a separate dhikr count: 33 glorifications, 33 praises and 33 declarations of greatness, then one closing declaration. Both reports are graded sahih.
What does Sahih Muslim 591 report after the prayer?
In Sahih Muslim 591, Thawban, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that when the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, finished his prayer, he sought forgiveness three times and then said the words beginning Allahumma anta al-salam. The report is graded sahih.
Seeking forgiveness three times
Sahih Muslim 591 counts three seekings of forgiveness. Its later explanatory exchange gives the words for them: Al-Awza'i, a narrator in the chain of Sahih Muslim 591, answered that one says "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah".
That report does not quote the Prophet saying those words. The count of three is the report's, while the wording is al-Awza'i's answer. Astaghfirullah means "I seek forgiveness from Allah".
The address beginning Allahumma anta al-salam
Sahih Muslim 591
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ
Allāhumma anta al-salāmu wa minka al-salāmu, tabārakta dhā al-jalāli wa al-ikrām.
O Allah, You are Peace, and peace comes from You. Blessed are You, O Possessor of glory and honour.
1AuthenticSahih Muslim 591
The address names Allah as al-Salam, connects peace with Him and addresses Him with majesty and honour. The meaning above is a paraphrase of the wording, so read the Arabic with it.
How many times does Sahih Muslim 597 count glorifying, praising and magnifying Allah?
In Sahih Muslim 597, Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reports the Prophet saying: whoever glorifies Allah after every prayer 33 times, praises Him 33 times and declares His greatness 33 times, ninety-nine in all. The closing declaration then completes the hundred.
The report states that such a person's sins are forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea. This page gives that only as the report states it.
Sahih Muslim 597
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
2AuthenticSahih Muslim 597
The report uses three verbs: glorified, praised and magnified. The phrases Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu akbar are how these are commonly said. That is our learning label, not the report's own wording.
| Part of the report | Count in Sahih Muslim 597 | Common phrase (our learning label) |
|---|---|---|
| Glorifying Allah | 33 | Subhanallah |
| Praising Allah | 33 | Alhamdulillah |
| Declaring Allah's greatness | 33 | Allahu akbar |
| Closing declaration, completing the hundred | Once | La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu, wa huwa ʿala kulli shayʾin qadir |
Together the three groups make 99, and the closing declaration completes 100. Other reports in the same chapter of Sahih Muslim give different counts. The record for this report notes that, and does not use them. This page does not yet set those counts beside this one, so do not read this set as the only one.
How can you learn dhikr after salah without mixing the reports?
Dhikr here means the remembrances in these reports, including praise of Allah. Dua means requests, such as seeking forgiveness. Sahih Muslim 591 places a request for forgiveness beside an address to Allah, so the two are not always separate.
This is our order for learning the two reports. It is not a combined routine that either report gives as a whole.
- Learn the threefold seeking of forgiveness and the address in Sahih Muslim 591.
- Learn the count in Sahih Muslim 597 as one set: 33, 33, 33, then the closing declaration.
Questions about a mosque's led supplication, raised hands, or the details of your school's practice can go to a scholar you trust. These two reports do not settle every communal arrangement.
The words said after salah are a common subject of questions. Reading what the reports say, and where the counts differ, keeps each claim to its source.
Try it: what would you say?
Pick an answer; each one explains itself.
1Which report has the seeking of forgiveness after the prayer, in Thawban's account?
Answer: Sahih Muslim 591. Sahih Muslim 591 has the seeking of forgiveness, then the address beginning Allahumma anta al-salam. Sahih Muslim 597 is the dhikr count set. Source 1
2Does Sahih Muslim 591 quote the Prophet saying the word astaghfirullah?
Answer: No, it is al-Awza'i's answer in the chain. Sahih Muslim 591 says he sought forgiveness three times. The word comes from al-Awza'i, a narrator in the chain, when he was asked how the seeking is done. Source 1
3How many glorifications does Sahih Muslim 597 give after each prayer?
Answer: Thirty-three. The report gives 33 glorifications, 33 praises and 33 declarations of greatness, then one closing declaration. Source 2
4What completes the hundred in Sahih Muslim 597?
Answer: The closing declaration beginning la ilaha illa Allah. The three groups total 99, and the closing declaration, which the report introduces as completing the hundred, makes 100. Source 2
Questions people ask
How do I make dua after namaz?
Sahih Muslim 591 records seeking forgiveness three times after the prayer, followed by the address beginning Allahumma anta al-salam. Learn those words and their meaning from that report. The report does not set a fixed routine, and it does not say what your school or your mosque expects. Ask a scholar you trust about that part.
Is there a count for dhikr after salah?
Yes. Sahih Muslim 597 gives 33 glorifications, 33 praises and 33 declarations of greatness after each prayer, with one closing declaration that completes 100. Other reports in the same chapter of Sahih Muslim give different counts. This page does not yet set those beside this count, so it does not present one set as the only one.
Are dua and dhikr separate lists that cannot overlap?
Not in Sahih Muslim 591 or 597. Sahih Muslim 591 places a request for forgiveness beside an address to Allah in the same passage, so its wording does not divide into two separate lists.
Does this give a special dua after Tahajjud?
The sources on this page give no Tahajjud-specific wording. For the source context of that prayer, see the How to pray Tahajjud lesson on this site. A claim of a special wording for Tahajjud needs its own reference.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
Thawban reported that when the Prophet finished his prayer he sought forgiveness three times and said 'Allahumma anta al-salam wa minka al-salam, tabarakta dha al-jalali wa al-ikram'; asked how the seeking of forgiveness was, al-Awza'i (a narrator in the chain) said: you say 'astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah'.
Sahih Muslim 591 Book 5, Hadith 171
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
- 2
Abu Hurayrah reported the Prophet saying that whoever glorifies Allah (sabbaha) 33 times after every prayer, praises Him 33 times and declares His greatness 33 times, ninety-nine in all, and completes the hundred with 'la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir', has his sins forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.
Sahih Muslim 597 Book 5, Hadith 188
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
Next
- Astaghfirullah: meaning, pronunciation and usePhrase lesson
- Subhanallah: meaning and when to say itPhrase lesson
- Alhamdulillah: meaningPhrase lesson
- How to pray SalahPrayer guide
- How to pray TahajjudPrayer guide
- The tashahhud: words and meaningWords lesson
- Durood Ibrahim: Arabic and meaningWords lesson
- How many rak'ahs in each prayerGuide
For your own situation, ask a scholar you trust.
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