Now that you are in your ṣalāh, you have entered the court of Allah (ʿazza wa jall). On meeting someone you love and revere, you greet them. Likewise, when meeting Allah (ʿazza wa jall), you will greet Him with words of respect and reverence. You may also choose to enter through the door of forgiveness (see duʿā #2), or you may combine both (see duʿā’ #6).
You may read any of the following duʿās:
.سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ ، وَتَعَالَىٰ جَدُّكَ ، وَلَا إِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ
How Perfect are You O Allah, and all praise is Yours. Your Name is most blessed, Your majesty is exalted and there is no god worthy of worship except You (Muslim).
سُبْحَانَ: Negates all negative attributes from Him. Thus, Allah (ʿazza wa jall) is Perfect; free from any weakness, defect and oppression. Allah (ʿazza wa jall) does not bear resemblance to any of His Creation.
حَمْدِ: Affirms all of His positive attributes. Ḥamd is to describe the praised one with perfection, love and utmost respect.
تَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ: Your Name is Perfect, Exalted, Holy and is the source of all good in the heavens and the earth.
The Name of Allah (ʿazza wa jall) is full of blessing and good. Uttering His Name before eating prevents Shayṭān from sharing your meal. Similarly, if you slaughter an animal without uttering the Name of Allah, it remains unlawful for you to eat. Thus, all matters which are not preceded by the Name of Allah (ʿazza wa jall) are deficient and defective.
Reflect
If the name of Allah (ʿazza wa jall) is full of blessing and good, then how blessed must the Named One be?
جَدُّكَ: This refers to Allah’s majesty, greatness and grandeur.
وَلَا إِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ: This is the kalimah (utterance) of tawḥīd (oneness), which all Messengers were sent with. It means there is none worthy of worship except for Allah (ʿazza wa jall).
All of the above naturally guides us to this ultimate word of truth. After affirming and uttering Allah’s absolute unique perfection, it only makes sense that He is the Only One who should be worshipped.
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِـيْ وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ نَقِّنِيْ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَاىَ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ
O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah purify me from sins as a white cloth is purified from dirt. O Allah wash away my sins with water, hail and snow (Bukhārī).
.اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيْرًا طَيِّبًا مُّبَارَكًا فِيْهِ
All praise is for Allah; an abundant, sincere and blessed praise (Muslim).
Anas (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrated that a man came panting and joined the row (of congregants in ṣalāh), and then uttered [the above]. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his ṣalāh, he said, “…I saw twelve angels competing with each other to ascend with it.” (Muslim).
.اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيْرًا ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ كَثِيْرًا ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ بُكْرَةً وَّأَصِيْلًا
Allah is Greater, the Greatest: abundant praise is for Allah, and how Perfect is Allah, in the morning and the evening (Muslim).
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar (radiy Allāhu ʿanhumā) narrated, “Once we were praying with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man said [the above]. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ (after the ṣalāh) asked, “Who uttered those words?” The man replied, “It was me, O Messenger of Allah.” He ﷺ said, “I was amazed by them – the doors of heaven were opened for them.” Ibn ʿUmar (radiy Allāhu ʿanhumā) said, “I have not stopped saying these words since I heard this statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ” (Muslim).
.اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ جَبْرَائِيْلَ وَمِيْكَائِيْلَ وَإِسْرَافِيْلَ ، فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ، عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ، أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيْمَا كَانُوْا فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُوْنَ ، اِهْدِنِيْ لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيْهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ ، إِنَّكَ تَهْدِيْ مَنْ تَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ
O Allah, Lord of Jabrā’īl, Mīkā’īl and Isrāfīl; Creator of the heavens and the earth; Knower of the unseen and seen, You will judge between Your servants in what they used to differ. Guide me in what is contentious to the truth, by Your Will. Certainly, You guide whomsoever You will to the straight path (Muslim).
وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيْفًا وَّمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِيْ وَنُسُكِيْ وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِيْ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ ، لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ ذُنُوْبِيْ جَمِيْعًا ، إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَاهْدِنِيْ لِأَحْسَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِيْ لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ ، وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِيْ يَدَيْكَ ، وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ ، أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ ، تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْكَ
I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, turned away from all that is false having surrendered to Allah, and I am not of the polytheists. My ṣalāh, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has no partners. I have been commanded of this, and I am of those who submit. O Allah, You are the King, there is no god worthy of being worshipped except You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I confess my sins. Forgive all of my sins, for no one forgives except You. Guide me to the best of character, for no one guides to the best of it except You; and turn the evil of it away from me, for no one turns it away except You. Here I am, seeking Your pleasure and at Your service. All good is in Your hands and no evil is attributed to You. My (existence, protection and success) is from You and I am returning to You. You are Most Blessed and You are Most Exalted. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You (Muslim).
By saying this duʿā’, you remind yourself of what Ibrāhīm (ʿalayhis-salām) said (see 6:79). You affirm the Oneness of Allah and disassociate yourself from shirk. The duʿā’ acts as a reminder of your purpose in life and that everything you do is for Him. You seek forgiveness and you ask Allah (ʿazza wa jall) to grant you beautiful character. You praise Him and show your desperate need of Him.
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ ، أَنْتَ نُوْرُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ ، وَوَعْدُكَ حَقٌّ ، وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ ، وَالنَّبِيُّوْنَ حَقٌّ ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ حَقٌّ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ
O Allah, for You Alone is all praise; You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and whatever is therein. For You Alone is all praise; You are the Maintainer of the heavens and the earth and whatever is therein. And for You Alone is all praise; You are the Truth, Your promise is the truth, and Your speech is the truth. The meeting with You is the truth, Paradise is the truth, and Hell-Fire is the truth. The Final Hour is the truth, the Prophets are the truth and Muhammad ﷺ is the truth. O Allah, I surrender myself to You Alone, I put my trust in You Alone, and I believe in You Alone. I turn to You Alone, I complain of my opponents to You Alone and I refer judgement to You Alone (Bukhārī).
The Messenger ﷺ would recite the above duʿā’ in his tahajjud ṣalāh.
.سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ ، سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Allah is free from imperfection, the Lord of all the worlds. Allah is free from imperfection, and all praise is due to Him (Nasā’ī).
Rabīʿah b. al-Kaʿb (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “I used to spend the night by the room of the Prophet ﷺ.
I would hear him stand up at night (for prayer), and he would say سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ for a long time. Then he would say سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ for a long time.”
.اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ x10, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ x10, سُبْحَانَ اللهِ x10, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ x10, أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ x10
.اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَاهْدِنِيْ وَارْزُقْنِيْ وَعَافِنِيْ ، أَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ ضِيْقِ الْمَقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Allah is the Greatest (10x). All praise be to Allah (10x). Allah is free from imperfection (10x). There is no god worthy of worship but Allah (10x). I seek Allah’s forgiveness (10x). O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me sustenance and wellbeing. I seek Your protection from the anguish of standing on the Day of Judgement (Nasā’ī).
ʿĀsim b. Ḥumayd (raḥimahullāh) said, “I asked ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) about what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to start his night prayer with. She said, “You have indeed asked me something which no one before you has asked me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say [the above]” (Nasā’ī).
