8 supplications
Duas Recited in the Prayer
These are the core words of the salah, in the order in which they are said: from the opening supplication after the first takbir to the last du‘a before the salam.
The opening supplication
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi-hamdik, wa tabarakasmuk, wa ta‘ala jadduk, wa la ilaha ghayruk.
Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise; blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god besides You. Said after the opening takbir, before al-Fatihah.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
In ruku‘ (bowing)×3
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhana rabbiyal-‘adhim.
Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great. Three times or more.
Source: Sahih Muslim; Sunan Abi Dawud
Rising from ruku‘
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ
Sami‘allahu liman hamidah, rabbana wa lakal-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih.
Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Lord, and to You belongs praise, abundant, good and blessed praise. More than thirty angels hurried to write it down.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
In sujud (prostration)×3
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
Subhana rabbiyal-a‘la.
Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. The servant is closest to his Lord in prostration, so increase your supplications there.
Source: Sahih Muslim; Sunan Abi Dawud
Between the two prostrations
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbighfir li, rabbighfir li.
My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Sunan Ibn Majah
The tashahhud
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, as-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin, ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.
All greetings, prayers and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
The Ibrahimi salawat
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
Before the salam
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam, wa min ‘adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the False Messiah.
Source: Sahih Muslim
Variety in the du‘as of prayer
The Prophet ﷺ used several opening du‘as and several formulas in bowing and prostration, and it is a Sunnah to vary between them, which helps attention. The prostration is the place of greatest closeness: “The servant is nearest to his Lord when he is prostrating, so make much du‘a” (Muslim).
The opening du‘a and the du‘a before the salam
In the opening du‘a “O Allah, put a distance between me and my sins as You have put a distance between the east and the west”, the worshipper asks at the start of prayer to be kept far from sins, cleansed of them as a white garment is cleansed of dirt, and washed of them with water, snow and hail. He enters the prayer pure in heart as he is pure in body.
Between the last tashahhud and the salam, the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from four things: the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evil of the trial of the False Messiah (Muslim). Then the worshipper chooses whatever du‘a he likes for this world and the next.
Duas Recited in the Prayer: questions and answers
Can I make du‘a in my own language in prostration?
In voluntary prayers many scholars allow it; in obligatory prayers the majority prefer the du‘as reported in Arabic, while some allow personal du‘a for one who does not know them.