DhikrThe Dhikr Library · 4 min read
The adhkar after salah
The moments after the obligatory prayer are among the most reliably rewarded in the Sunnah. Two authentic narrations, both from Sahih Muslim, cover what the Prophet ﷺ himself said after the taslim and what he taught his companions to count.
1. Begin with istighfar, three times
Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer, he begged forgiveness three times and said: "Allahumma antas-salam wa minkas-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram" (O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of majesty and honour).
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ
Astaghfirullah (three times)
I seek the forgiveness of Allah.
2. The hundred: 33, 33, 33, and one to complete it
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: whoever glorifies Allah (SubhanAllah) thirty-three times after every prayer, praises Allah (Alhamdulillah) thirty-three times, and declares His greatness (Allahu Akbar) thirty-three times, that is ninety-nine, and completes the hundred with:
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is able to do all things.
The narration ends with the reward: "his sins will be forgiven even if they are as abundant as the foam of the sea."
A common mix-up worth knowing
Many people count 33-33-34 after prayer. The 34th takbir belongs to a different, also authentic practice: the bedtime tasbih the Prophet ﷺ taught his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). After salah, the authentic form in Sahih Muslim 597 is 33-33-33 with the hundredth being the full declaration above. Both are Sunnah, in their own places. Read more in Tasbih Fatimah.
Count it, beautifully
Dhikr's After Salah guided routine counts this exact sequence step by step, so you never lose your place: istighfar, the tasbih, and the hundredth completing statement.
This page is educational. Translations are approximate, and gradings follow the printed editions referenced on sunnah.com. For religious rulings, please consult qualified scholars.