What to say after allahu akbar in salah?Shaikh Saleh Academy

Prayer (Salah) is the second pillar of Islam, and our upright Islamic religion has commanded us to perform the five daily prayers every day and night. Some people ask: What to say after allahu akbar in salah? According to what was narrated from the Prophet PBUH, there is a supplication called “Du’a al-Istiftah” (the opening supplication) that is said after the Takbir (saying “Allahu Akbar”) in prayer, so we will learn about the correct forms of Du’a al-Istiftah.

What should I say immediately after saying “”Allahu Akbar””?

Many people ask: what to say after allahu akbar in salah? The response is that Du’a al-Istiftah is recited, and it has several forms, which are as follows:

First form

According to the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet PBUH said:

اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وبيْنَ خَطَايَايَ، كما بَاعَدْتَ بيْنَ المَشْرِقِ والمَغْرِبِ، اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنَ الخَطَايَا كما يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَايَ بالمَاءِ والثَّلْجِ والبَرَدِ

’Allahumma baa’id baynee wa bayna khatayaya, kama baa’adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghribi, Allahumma naqqinee min al-khataya kama yunaqqa al-thawbu al-abyadu min al-danasi, Allahumma ighsil khatayaya bil-ma’i wal-thalji wal-baradi.’

“O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash my sins with water, snow, and hail.”

Second form

Based on the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ):

(وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهي لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ حَنِيفًا، وَما أَنَا مِنَ المُشْرِكِينَ، إنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي، وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، لا شَرِيكَ له، وَبِذلكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ المَلِكُ لا إلَهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ، أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ)

’Wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhi fatara al-samawati wal-arda haneefan, wa ma ana min al-mushrikeen, inna salati wa nusuki, wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbi al-‘alameen, la shareeka lahu, wa bidhalika umirtu wa ana min al-muslimeen, Allahumma anta al-maliku la ilaha illa anta, anta rabbi wa ana ‘abduka.’

“I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, being upright, and I am not one of the polytheists. Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. There is no partner for Him, and with that, I have been commanded, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign, there is no god except You, You are my Lord, and I am Your servant.”

Third form

According to what was narrated from ‘Abdah ibn Abi Lubabah, he said that the companion ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say these words:

(سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وبِحَمْدِكَ، تَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، ولَا إلَهَ غَيْرُكَ).

’Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, tabaraka ismuka, wa ta’ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruka.’

“Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You, blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is no god but You.”

Dua that is said at opening of Salat:

If you are asking: what to say after allahu akbar in salah? It is the Du’a al-Istiftah which has several forms that were mentioned in the hadiths of the Prophet PBUH, including:

(سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك، تبارك اسمك، وتعالى جدك، ولا إله غيرك، اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب، اللهم نقني من خطاياي كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس، اللهم اغسلني من خطاياي بالثلج والماء والبرد).

’Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, tabaraka ismuka, wa ta’ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruka, Allahumma baa’id baynee wa bayna khatayaya kama baa’adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghribi, Allahumma naqqinee min khatayaya kama yunaqqa al-thawbu al-abyadu min al-danasi, Allahumma ighsilnee min khatayaya bil-thalji wal-ma’i wal-baradi.’

“Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You, blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is no god but You. O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash my sins with snow, water, and hail.”

Is the opening supplication (Dua) mandatory after “”Allahu Akbar””?

After learning what to say after allahu akbar in salah? You must know that reciting Du’a al-Istiftah is not obligatory, but it is a Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH, and it is recommended to say it after saying “Allahu Akbar”, but the prayer is not invalidated by leaving it out.

Du’a al-Istiftah is the supplication with which we start the prayer, and it is a recommended Sunnah to do it. It is not obligatory and one is not sinful for leaving it out.

There are many Sunnahs of the Prophet (ﷺ) that you should know, as well as 9 Beautiful Quran Quotes About Life To Know through our website.

What If I join Prayer Late, Should I say Opening Dua For Salah?

Reciting Du’a al-Istiftah is not obligatory, but it is a Sunnah, and one is not sinful for leaving it out. Their prayer is still accepted. It has many forms, but if you are late in reciting Du’a al-Istiftah, it does not affect the validity of the prayer.

Which Surah to Recite in Duha Prayer? There are no specific Surahs that are recommended to be recited during the Duha prayer. The correct practice is to recite Al-Fatiha and what is easy from the Quran.

Is there an Essential Dua Before Reading Quran in English? There is nothing in the Quran or Sunnah that specifies a certain supplication to say before reading the Quran, but it is preferred to say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي، اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ أَمْرِي، اللَّهُمَّ وَفِّقْنِي لِحِفْظِ كِتَابِكَ.

“Allahumma a’innee, Allahumma yassir amree, Allahumma waffiqnee li-hifzi kitabik.”

“O Allah, help me. O Allah, make my affairs easy. O Allah, grant me success in memorizing Your Book.

Can I recite the opening supplication in my own language?

Yes, it is permissible to recite Du’a al-Istiftah in any language that one finds easy to speak. It is a supplication with which we start the prayer, whether it is an Fard prayer or a Sunnah prayer. It is said after the Takbir, but it is not obligatory, rather it is a recommended Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH.

Some people want to know if there is a dua before reading the quran? There is no specified supplication, but it is preferred to say:

(Allahumma a’innee, Allahumma yassir amree, Allahumma waffiqnee li-hifzi kitabik).

After that we say:

“A’udhu billahi min al-shaytani al-rajeem, Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem”

(I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil, In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

and then we start reading.

Some people want to know what does allah yerhamo mean? It means supplicating for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness to encompass the person, and it is said to the family of the deceased in order to console them in their grief.

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What to say after allahu akbar in salah?