Should I make duaa after every Salaah?

by Asma bint Shameem 🌿 ANSWER 🌿

Yes we can make duaa after we finish our Salaah.

There’s some evidence that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam made duaa after the obligatory Salaah.

But this duaa does not have to be made EVERY SINGLE TIME we finish our obligatory prayers.

Rather we can do so some times.

MOST of the duaas that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam made while praying were DURING the prayer.

And NOT after he was done with his Salaah.

You see, there’s a BETTER place to make duaa, where duaa is even more likely to be accepted.

And that is when we’re sitting in tashahhud WHILE we are praying, after sending peace and blessings on the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam but BEFORE Tasleem.*

🍃 Ibn Mas’ood radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam

taught them the tashahhud then he said at the end:

“Let him ask for whatever good things he wishes.” (al-Bukhaari, 5876; Muslim, 402)

🍃 Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam offered most of the du’aa’s that are connected to the prayer DURING the prayer, and he commanded us to offer them during it.

This befits the state of the one who is praying, for he is facing his Lord and conversing with Him so long as he is praying.

When he says the salaam that conversation comes to a CLOSE and he is no longer standing before Him and close to Him.

So why should he not ask of Him whilst he is conversing with Him and close to Him and turning to Him, and then ask of Him when he has turned away from Him?

Undoubtedly it is better to do the opposite.

There is another subtle point to be made, which is that when the worshipper has finished praying, and he has remembered Allaah and proclaimed His oneness, glorified Him, praised Him and magnified Him by reciting the dhikrs that are prescribed following the prayer, it is mustahabb to send blessings upon the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam after that, and to make du’aa’ as he wishes.

His du’aa’ should come immediately after this second act of worship, not because it is after the prayer but because it is mustahabb for anyone who remembers Allaah and praises Him and sends blessings upon the Messenger of AllaahSal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam to make du’aa’ after that, as it says in the hadeeth of Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd:

“When any one of you prays, let him start by praising Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam then let him say du’aa’ however he wishes.”

(Al-Tirmidhi; saheeh)”

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/257, 258)

🔺 Another point to remember

We can make duaa after our Salaah, but we should keep in mind that this should be done WITHOUT raising our hands.

🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“Making du’aa’ after the obligatory prayers is not Sunnah if it is done by raising the hands, whether that is done by the Imaam alone or a member of the congregation alone, or it is done by them both together.

Rather that is bid’ah, because it was not narrated that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam

or any of his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did that.

With regard to making duaa’ without doing that (raising the hands), there is nothing wrong with it*, because there are some ahaadeeth concerning that.”

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/103)

And Allaah knows best