Duas of the Prayer
أَذْكَارُ الصَّلَاة
These are the core duas and adhkar recited within the daily prayer (salah) — from the opening takbir through to the salam. Learn each one by its sound (transliteration) and its meaning so the words live in the heart, not just on the tongue. Wordings and points of fiqh differ between the schools, so always verify the exact text and practice with a qualified teacher; this page is a draft pending scholarly review.
0/15 duas learned
Opening the prayer
Duʿaʾ al-Istiftah (the Opening Supplication)
Silently after the opening takbir, before al-Fatihah
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ،
Subhanaka-llahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaraka-smuka,
Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise; blessed is Your name,
وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ.
wa taʿala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruk.
exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.
Taʿawwudh & Basmalah
Before reciting al-Fatihah
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ.
Aʿudhu billahi mina-sh-shaytani-r-rajim.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ.
Bismillahi-r-rahmani-r-rahim.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Whether the basmalah is said aloud or silently, and whether it is recited before al-Fatihah in every rakʿah, differs between the schools. Follow your own madhhab or teacher.
In rukuʿ and sujud
Tasbih of Rukuʿ
In the bowing
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ.
Subhana rabbiya-l-ʿazim.
Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great.
Abu Dawud & others
Rising from Rukuʿ
On straightening up
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ.
Samiʿa-llahu liman hamidah.
Allah hears the one who praises Him.
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ.
Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd.
Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.
The first phrase is said as you rise; the second is said once standing upright. The exact wording of the praise (e.g. Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd vs. Rabbana laka-l-hamd) and how much is added vary between the schools; follow your own madhhab or teacher.
Going above and beyond: a companion added extra praise — Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih (“…praise abundant, pure, and blessed in it”). The Prophet ﷺ asked who had said it, then said: “I saw over thirty angels hastening to be the one to record it.” A reminder that a small, sincere extra of good earns a great reward. (Rifaʿah ibn Rafiʿ; Bukhari)
Going above and beyond: a companion added extra praise — Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih (“…praise abundant, pure, and blessed in it”). The Prophet ﷺ asked who had said it, then said: “I saw over thirty angels hastening to be the one to record it.” A reminder that a small, sincere extra of good earns a great reward. (Rifaʿah ibn Rafiʿ; Bukhari)
Tasbih of Sujud
In prostration
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى.
Subhana rabbiya-l-aʿla.
Glory is to my Lord, the Most High.
Abu Dawud & others
Between the two prostrations
Sitting between the two sajdahs
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي.
Rabbi-ghfir li, rabbi-ghfir li.
My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me.
Many add the fuller form Allahumma-ghfir li wa-rhamni wa-jburni wa-hdini wa-rzuqni ("O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, set me aright, guide me, and provide for me"). Both are well attested; follow your own madhhab or teacher.
The sitting (Tashahhud)
At-Tahiyyat (Tashahhud)
In the sitting after every two rakʿahs
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ،
At-tahiyyatu lillahi wa-s-salawatu wa-t-tayyibat,
All greetings, prayers, and good things are for Allah.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ،
as-salamu ʿalayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuh,
Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ،
as-salamu ʿalayna wa ʿala ʿibadi-llahi-s-salihin,
Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.
ashhadu an la ilaha illa-llah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ʿabduhu wa rasuluh.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
This is the wording reported from Ibn Masʿud. Other authentic versions exist (e.g. those of Ibn ʿAbbas and ʿUmar), and the school you follow may prefer one of them; follow your own madhhab or teacher.
As-Salah ʿala an-Nabi (Durood Ibrahim)
In the final sitting, after the Tashahhud
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ،
Allahumma salli ʿala Muhammadin wa ʿala ali Muhammad,
O Allah, send Your grace upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad,
كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ.
kama sallayta ʿala Ibrahima wa ʿala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.
as You sent grace upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ،
Allahumma barik ʿala Muhammadin wa ʿala ali Muhammad,
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad,
كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ.
kama barakta ʿala Ibrahima wa ʿala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.
as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Several authentic wordings of the salah on the Prophet ﷺ are reported; the version above is among the most common. Follow your own madhhab or teacher for the exact form.
Before the salam
Seeking refuge (the four)
After the final Tashahhud, before the salam
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ،
Allahumma inni aʿudhu bika min ʿadhabi jahannam,
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell,
وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ،
wa min ʿadhabi-l-qabr,
and from the punishment of the grave,
وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ،
wa min fitnati-l-mahya wa-l-mamat,
and from the trials of life and death,
وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ.
wa min sharri fitnati-l-masihi-d-dajjal.
and from the evil of the trial of the False Messiah (the Dajjal).
Duʿaʾ of Abu Bakr (forgiveness)
After the final Tashahhud, before the salam
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ،
Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman kathiran, wa la yaghfiru-dh-dhunuba illa anta,
O Allah, I have greatly wronged myself, and none forgives sins except You,
فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.
faghfir li maghfiratan min ʿindika warhamni, innaka anta-l-Ghafuru-r-Rahim.
so forgive me with forgiveness from You and have mercy on me; indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Prophet ﷺ taught this to Abu Bakr (ra) when he asked for a dua to say in his prayer, so it is recited in the final sitting before the salam. Both ẓulman kathiran (much) and ẓulman kabiran (great) are narrated. Being a transmitted (maʾthur) supplication, it is recited across all the madhhabs — and it fits Hanafi practice in particular, which holds that the dua before the salam should keep to such transmitted wordings.
A comprehensive dua
Before the salam
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ.
Allahumma aʿinni ʿala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ʿibadatik.
O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well.
The Prophet ﷺ taught this to Muʿadh ibn Jabal and urged him never to omit it after each prayer.
Abu Dawud (taught to Muʿadh)
Rabbana atina (the well-rounded plea)
Commonly added before the salam
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
Rabbana atina fi-d-dunya hasanatan wa fi-l-akhirati hasanatan wa qina ʿadhaba-n-nar.
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
A Qur'anic supplication many add to their personal duas before the salam; it is not an obligatory part of the prayer.
Duʿaʾ al-Qunut
The Qunut is a supplication recited standing, most often in the Witr prayer; some also recite it in the dawn (Fajr) prayer, and any community may add a Qunut an-Nazilah when struck by calamity. The schools differ over which dua is used, in which prayer, and whether it is said before or after the rukuʿ — see the note on the madhhabs below, and follow your own teacher.
Qunut taught to al-Hasan ibn ʿAli
In Witr (and, for the Shafiʿis, in the dawn prayer) — recited after rukuʿ in the Shafiʿi/Hanbali schools
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ،
Allahumma-hdini fiman hadayt, wa ʿafini fiman ʿafayt,
O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being,
وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ،
wa tawallani fiman tawallayt, wa barik li fima aʿtayt,
take me into Your care among those You have cared for, bless for me what You have given,
وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ،
wa qini sharra ma qadayt, fa-innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ʿalayk,
and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed; for You decree and none decrees over You,
وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ.
wa innahu la yadhillu man walayt, [wa la yaʿizzu man ʿadayt], tabarakta rabbana wa taʿalayt.
Indeed none whom You befriend is disgraced, [and none whom You oppose is honoured]; blessed are You, our Lord, and exalted.
Used in the Shafiʿi, Hanbali and Maliki traditions. The clause wa la yaʿizzu man ʿadayt is an addition some include and others omit, and the Shafiʿis commonly add the salah on the Prophet ﷺ after it. Follow your own madhhab or teacher.
The Hanafi Witr Qunut ("Allahumma inna nastaʿinuka...")
In the third rakʿah of Witr, recited BEFORE rukuʿ, in the Hanafi school
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ،
Allahumma inna nastaʿinuka wa nastaghfiruka wa nuʾminu bika wa natawakkalu ʿalayk,
O Allah, we seek Your help and Your forgiveness, we believe in You and rely upon You,
وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ، وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ، وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ.
wa nuthni ʿalayka-l-khayr, wa nashkuruka wa la nakfuruk, wa nakhlaʿu wa natruku man yafjuruk.
we praise You with all good, we thank You and are not ungrateful to You, and we forsake and abandon whoever disobeys You.
اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ، وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ،
Allahumma iyyaka naʿbudu, wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu, wa ilayka nasʿa wa nahfid,
O Allah, You alone we worship, to You we pray and prostrate, and to You we strive and hasten,
نَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشَى عَذَابَكَ، إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحِقٌ.
narju rahmataka wa nakhsha ʿadhabak, inna ʿadhabaka bi-l-kuffari mulhiq.
we hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment; surely Your punishment will reach the disbelievers.
Reported from ʿUmar and Ibn Masʿud
A note on the madhhabs
Reference — when and how each school recites the Qunut
اللَّهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ.
Allahumma taqabbal minna, innaka anta-s-samiʿu-l-ʿalim.
O Allah, accept from us; indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Presented descriptively, not as a ruling: the Hanafis recite the Witr Qunut year-round, before the rukuʿ; the Shafiʿis recite the Witr Qunut in the latter half of Ramadan and the Qunut daily in Fajr, after the rukuʿ; the Hanbalis recite the Witr Qunut year-round, after the rukuʿ; and the Malikis recite Qunut in Fajr only. Each is valid within its school — follow your own madhhab or teacher.
Madhhab manuals (descriptive)