Dhikr (Invocation) during Prayer

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to celebrate Allah's oneness after making taslīm at the end of every obligatory prayer with this great dhikr, which means: "There is no god but Allah" means: None is truly worthy of worship except Allah. "Alone, with no partner" means: There is no partner with Him in His divinity, lordship, names, and attributes. "To Him belongs the dominion" means: The absolute, general, inclusive, and all-encompassing dominion, the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them belongs to Him. "And praise is due to Him" means: The absolute perfection belongs to Him, and He is the One praised for His perfection out of love and exaltation in all conditions, good or bad. "And He has power over all things" means His power is complete and absolute in every aspect, and nothing escapes His power or can resist His Will. "There is no power or strength except through Allah" means There cannot be any shift from one condition to another and from disobedience to Allah to obedience to Him, and there is no power except through Allah; He is the One Who gives help and should be relied upon. "There is no god but Allah, and we worship none but Him": It affirms the meaning of divinity and the negation of polytheism and that none but Him deserves to be worshiped. "To Him belongs the favor, to Him belongs the grace": He is the One Who creates the blessings and possesses them and He bestows them, as a favor from Him, upon whomever of His servants He wishes. "And to Him belongs all excellent praise": For His essence, attributes, actions, and blessings, and for every condition. "There is no god but Allah; we are sincerely devoted to Him" means that we are believers in His Oneness, without showing off or pursuing a good reputation among people for our obedience to Allah. "Even if the disbelievers may dislike it" means: We firmly adhere to the belief in Allah's Oneness, even if the disbelievers detest it.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make these five supplications between the two prostrations in his prayer, which the Muslim badly needs. These supplications combine the goodness of this world and the Hereafter: seeking Allah's forgiveness and His concealment and pardon of sins; bestowing His mercy; granting safety from suspicions, vain desires, and illnesses and maladies; asking Allah for guidance to the truth and steadfastness upon it; and asking Him for provision, which includes faith, knowledge, righteous deeds, and good and lawful wealth.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, he would say: I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah. Then, he would glorify his Lord, saying: "O Allah, You are As-Salām (peace, perfection), and as-salām comes from You. Blessed are You, O Possessor of Glory and Honor." Indeed, Allah is complete and perfect in His attributes and far exalted above any imperfection or defect. From Him alone, and not from others, we should ask for safety from the evils of this world and the Hereafter. He, Exalted be He, gives abundant blessings in both abodes, and He is the Possessor of greatness and benevolence.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from four things after reciting the last Tashahhud and before ending the prayer, and he commanded us to do the same. First: from the punishment of the grave. Second: from the punishment of Hellfire on the Day of Judgment. Third: from the trials of life, including its forbidden desires and its misleading doubts, and from the trials of death, i.e., the time of dying, including deviation from Islam or from the Sunnah, or the trial of the grave like the questioning of the two angels. Fourth: from the trial of the Antichrist who will come at the end of time as an affliction from Allah to test His slaves. The Antichrist was mentioned in particular because of the gravity of his trial and misguidance.

On making Takbīr to commence the prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would take a brief pause before reciting Surat al-Fātihah. During this pause, he would start his prayer by reciting some supplications. Among the supplications reported in this regard is his saying: "Allāhumma bā‘id bayni wa bayna khatāyāy kama bā‘dta bayna al-mashriqi wa al-maghrib*. Allāhumma naqqini min khatāyāy kama yunaqqa ath-thawbu al-abyadu min ad-danas. Allāhumma ighsilni min khatāyāy bith-thalji wa al-mā’i wa al-barad (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 out my sins with water, snow, and hail)." He supplicates Allah Almighty to keep him far from sins, by helping him not to commit them, in such a way that makes it impossible for them to meet, just as the East and the West can never meet; and to purify him and remove such sins if he commits them, as filth is removed from the white garment; and to wash him from his sins and cool off its flames and heat with such cold purifiers: water, snow, and hail.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) by the hand and said to him: By Allah, I do love you, and I advise you, O Mu‘ādh, never fail to say after each prayer: (O Allah, help me remember You) in every word and deed that brings me closer to an act of obedience; (thank You) for bestowing favors and warding off misfortunes; (and excellently worship You) by being fully sincere to Allah and following the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I was sleeping beside the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I could not find him at night. I touched the place where he used to pray in the room with my hand and found him prostrating with his feet erect, and he was saying: (I seek refuge with) and appeal to (Your pleasure from Your wrath) over me or over my Ummah, (and) I seek refuge (with Your pardon) and Your abundant forgiveness (from Your punishment), (And I seek refuge with You from You) and with the attributes of Your beauty from the attributes of Your majesty, as none can grant protection from You except You, and there is no shelter and no refuge from Allah except in Allah. (I cannot enumerate praise of You), and I am incapable and cannot list or count it because of my inability to enumerate Your favor and benevolence in a way that befits You no matter how hard I try. (You are as You have praised Yourself) as it is You Who have praised Yourself in a way that befits You, so who could praise You duly?!

The Companions asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) how to invoke Allah's blessings upon him after learning how to greet him in At-Tahiyyāt: "As-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyy wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh (O Prophet, may the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you)..." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed them of the manner of invoking Allah's blessings upon him and its meaning: "O Allah, bestow Your grace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad," i.e., mention him, as well as those who follow his religion and the believers from among his relatives, with good praise among the highest assembly of angels. "Just as You bestowed Your grace upon the family of Abraham." As You bestowed Your favor upon the family of Abraham (peace be upon him), namely Abraham, Ismā‘īl (Ishmael), Is-hāq (Isaac), and their offspring and their followers from the believers, so bestow Your favor upon Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). "Verily, You are Praiseworthy, All-Glorious," i.e., You are the Praiseworthy in Your essence, attributes, and acts; the All-Encompassing in Your greatness, sovereignty, and bounty. "O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You blessed the family of Abraham," i.e., grant him the greatest of goodness and honor and increase it and establish it.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed about certain Adhkār (regular supplications) whose sayer will never lose or regret; rather, he will attain a reward for saying such words that succeed each other and that are to be said after the obligatory prayer. These Adhkār are: "Subhānallāh" (glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, i.e., exalting Allah Almighty above any deficiency. "Al-hamdulillāh" (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times, i.e., describing Allah with complete perfection, along with loving and extolling Him. "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) thirty-three times, as Allah is greater, more magnificent, and mightier than everything.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that whoever says, after completing the obligatory prayer: Thirty-three times: "Subhānallāh", which is exalting Allah far above deficiencies. Thirty-three times: "Al-hamdulillāh", which is praising Allah with the attributes of perfection along with loving and glorifying Him. Thirty-three times: "Allāhu Akbar", which means that Allah is greater and more magnificent than everything. The completion of the number to one hundred by saying: "La ilāha illallāh wahdahu la sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadīr", which means: No deity is truly worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner. He alone possesses full sovereignty. He is the only One worthy of praise and commendation along with love and glorification, and He is Omnipotent, and nothing escapes His power. Whoever says this, his sins will be erased and forgiven, even if they are as abundant as the white foam that appears above the seawater when it is agitated and stormy.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that whoever recites the Verse of the Kursi after completing the obligatory prayer will have nothing preventing him from entering Paradise except death. This verse, which is in Surat al-Baqarah, is the one in which Allah Almighty says: {Allah: None has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursī [i.e., footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]

Two old Jewesses from Madīnah entered the place of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her that the dead are punished in their graves. ‘Ā’ishah denied what they said and refused to believe them, for she did not like to believe the Jews who are known for lying, religious fabrications, and distortion of the Scripture. After these two Jewesses had departed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came and ‘Ā’ishah informed him of what they said. In response, he said: “They spoke the truth", for the dead are subject to torture that all animals can hear. Then, ‘Ā’ishah went on to inform us that she never saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ever since offer a prayer without seeking refuge from the punishment of the grave.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) raised his back from Rukū 'in prayer, he would say: "Allah hears he who praises Him", i.e., Whoever praises Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty responds to him. It was said: He praises and rewards him. Then, he would praise Allah by saying: "O Allah, our Lord, to You is the praise as much as fills the heavens, as much as fills the earth, and as much as fills whatever You will thereafter." Praise that fills the heavens and the earth and what is between them and fills anything Allah wills.

The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say after every obligatory prayer: There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner with Him. To Him belongs the dominion, and praise is due to Him, and He is Able to do all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person against You. It means: I admit and acknowledge the phrase of Tawhīd (monotheism): There is no god but Allah. I affirm true worship for Allah and negate it from all else. No one is truly worthy of worship except Allah. I acknowledge that the true and complete dominion belongs to Allah, and the praise by all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth is due to Allah Almighty, as He is Able to do all things, and what He predestined, of giving or withholding, cannot be prevented by anyone; and riches cannot avail a rich person with Him; rather it is the righteous deeds that avail him.

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in his bowing and prostration: "You are the Most Glorious, the Most Holy, and the lord of the angels and of the Spirit." "You are the Most Glorious, the Most Holy" is a superior form of glorification. "Lord of the angels" refers to the angels who are the soldiers of Allah; a world which we do not see. "the Spirit" is Jibrīl, who is the best of the angels. One should repeat this remembrance during the bowing and prostration. "the Most Holy" is one of Allah noble names. It is to deem Allah far removed from any imperfection along with glorifying and exalting Him. "The Most Glorious" is another of Allah's noble names.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up for prayer, he would say: “I have turned my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth,” meaning that I direct my worship to Allah, I devote my worship to Allah who created the heavens and the earth without precedent, and I turn away from any other than Him. The One who originated all these creatures with such creativity and precision truly deserves that all faces turn to Him, and all hearts rely on Him in all their states; turning not to other than Him, and hoping for nothing but His perpetual contentment and grace. “…in complete devotion and I am not one of the polytheists” meaning that I am leaning away from all false religions and inclining towards the true religion; Islam, and remaining firm upon it. Among the Arabs, Islam prevailed over everyone who was following the religion of Ibrahīm (peace be upon him). Then he said: “Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; there is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the Muslims,” meaning that my prayer, my worship, and my efforts to draw closer are all devoted to Allah. I do not have partners alongside Him. Likewise is my life and my death; Allah is the One who created and decreed them, and no one but Him disposes of them. There is no partner with Him in His essence, His attributes, and His actions. My Lord commanded me to worship Him alone with such devotion, and I am of the believers who yield and submit to Him, Exalted is He. Then he said: “O Allah, You are the Sovereign; there is no god but You. You are my Lord, and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I have admitted my sin, so forgive all my sins, for no one forgives sins but You,” meaning, O Allah, You are the King and there is no king but You; and verily, there is no sovereignty for anyone but You. You alone possess Divinity, and there is no god but but You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave; I have wronged myself by being unmindful of You and by committing sins and acts of disobedience. I have acknowledged my sins, so forgive them for me, because no one forgives sins but You. You are the Oft-Forgiving and the Superb Forgiver. Then he said: “Guide me to the best of morals for none can guide to them but You, and deliver me from the worst of morals for none can deliver me from them but You,” meaning, show me the way, grant me steadfastness, and help me attain the best conduct in your worship and all other good conduct, what is open and what is secret in them, for You are the One who guides to them and there is no other guide than You. Keep me away and protect me from bad conduct, because no one can keep me away and protect me from it but You. Then he said: “Here I am, in answer to Your call, happy to serve You”; meaning that I am ever obedient to You, and I am always glad to hold fast to worshiping You and to answering Your call. Then he said: “All good is within Your hands,” meaning that all good is in Your disposition (of affairs). You are the Possessor of all goodness and You dispose of it the way You will. “…and evil does not stem from You,” meaning that evil does not lie in Your actions; it only lies in what You created but not in Your actions, Exalted are You. Evil is not attributed to Allah in any way, not in His essence, His attributes, His actions or His names. His essence is absolutely perfect in all aspects. His attributes are those of perfection for which He is praised and lauded. His actions are all good, merciful, just, wise, and totally devoid of evil. And His names are all beautiful; so how can evil be attributed to Him? Rather, evil is in what He created, and He is detached from it. There is a distinction between His actions and His creation; His action is all good, but the creation comprises both good and evil. If evil is a separate stand-alone creation, it is not attributed to Him. There is no supportive argument in this for the Mu‘tazilite claim that Allah did not create evil. Allah created good and evil and He created all things, Exalted may He be. “I exist by You and I turn to You,” meaning that I seek refuge in You, I rely on You, I take shelter with You, I undertake everything with Your help, and I turn to You; or, I worship You alone and my affairs lie with You alone. You are the start and You are the destination. It was also said that it means I seek Your help and I turn to You. “Blessed and exalted may You be,” meaning may You be glorified and lauded, may Your graces multiply, and may You be exalted far above what imaginations fancy and what minds conceptualize. Exalted are You above every deficiency and flaw. “I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You,” meaning that I ask forgiveness for my past sins, and I refrain from sinning in what is left of my life, turning to You to grant me success and steadfastness until the day I die. When he bowed, he would say: “O Allah, it is for You that I bowed, it is in You that I believed, and it is to You that I submitted. Humbled to You are my hearing, my eyesight, my mind, my bones, and my tendons,” meaning that my bowing is devoted to You alone. I have believed in You and submitted to You. All my body – my hearing, sight, mind, bones and tendons – humbly follow Your command. When he rose from bowing, he would say: “O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to You, (praise) that fills the heavens and the earth, that fills what exists between them, and that fills anything You desire afterward,” meaning that I praise You with an amount of praise that, if it were tangible, it would fill the heavens and the earth and whatever You wish it to fill of Your creation after filling the heavens and the earth. When he prostrated himself, he would say: “O Allah, it is to You that I prostrated myself, it is in You that I affirmed my faith, and it is to You that I submitted. My face has prostrated to the One who created it, shaped it and split open its faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators,” meaning that my prostration is to You alone, sincerely devoted to You. I have believed in You, yielded to You, and all my senses, which You created and shaped, humbly follow Your command. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators. Then, one of the last things he would say between the Tashahhud and Taslīm is: “O Allah, forgive my past and future sins, my hidden and apparent sins, my transgression, and the sins that You know of more than I do. You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back. There is no deity worthy of worship but You,” meaning forgive my early and my later sins; as if he is saying: forgive the old and the new sins. “…my hidden and apparent sins,” meaning forgive the sins that I kept secret and those that I made public, or the sins I thought about inside my head and those that my tongue spoke of. “…my transgression,” meaning the sins and acts of disobedience that I went too far in. “…and the sins that You know of more than I do,” meaning forgive my sins that I do not know about. “You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back,” meaning that You advance whomever You will in worship and obedience and You hold back whomever You will from that, as Your wisdom dictates. You grant honor to whoever You will and You cause humiliation to whoever You will. “There is no god but You,” meaning that there is no god who truly deserves to be worshiped but You.

‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Ashja‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he joined the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) one night in voluntary night prayer. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and recited Sūrat al-Baqarah. Whenever he passed by a verse that mentions mercy and Paradise, he stopped and asked Allah for His mercy and Paradise, and whenever he passed by a verse that mentions punishment, he stopped and sought refuge with Allah from His punishment. Then he bowed for a long time, as long as the time he stood, and he said while bowing: Glory be to the Possessor of Greatness, Dominion, Grandeur, and Majesty; i.e. I exalt Allah, the Almighty, and All-Powerful, the Possessor of Dominion explicitly and implicitly, the Possessor of Grandeur and Majesty. Then he prostrated himself for a long time, as long as the time he stood, and he said while prostrating the same thing he said while bowing. Then he stood up and recited Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān then other Sūrahs, one after the other.

Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf asked ‘Ā'ishah, the Mother of the Believers, about the supplication that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make when he would commence his night prayer. She said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make the following supplication at the start of his night prayer: "O Allah, Lord of Jibrīl, Mikha'īl, and Israfil"; he ascribed these three angels in particular to Allah, although He is the Lord of everything, as an indication of their superiority over all other angels. He mentioned Jibrīl first because he is trusted with revelation from the heavens, so all religious affairs come down through him. Israfil was mentioned last because he is the one who will blow the horn to signal the coming of the Hour. Mikha'īl was mentioned in the middle because he is the angel in charge of the rain and plants and similar affairs related to people's sustenance in this worldly life. "Originator of the heavens and the earth"; the Creator and Inventor of the heavens and earth. "Knower of the unseen and the seen"; You are all-knowing of what the slaves see and what they do not see. "You judge between Your slaves concerning that in which they used to differ"; You decide between them in the religious affairs about which they used to differ in this worldly life. "Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth about which people differ"; guide me to the truth in the affairs that people differ in, religious affairs as well as worldly affairs, by granting me success and facilitating this for me. "Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path"; You guide whomever You will to the path of truth and righteousness!

"When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up to pray at night, he would make "Takbīr"." In other words, he would begin his prayer with the statement: "Allah is the Greatest." Takbīr is a pillar without which prayer is not valid. "And then say: 'Glory be to You, O Allah.'" Meaning: I declare You above and free from all shortcomings and imperfections and from all that does not befit You and Your majesty, my Lord. "And praise", meaning: praising Allah and thanking him for this help. In other words: If it were not for Your help and guidance, I would not be glorifying You. So this is an acknowledgment from the slave of the favors bestowed by his Lord as well as an acknowledgment of his own helplessness without the help of Allah, the Almighty. "Blessed is Your name." Your name is ever abundant, perfect, and broad, and its blessings are widely spreading in the heavens and the earth. This emphasizes that all good lies in the hand of Allah, the Almighty. "Exalted is Your greatness." Your greatness rises, elevates, and exalts over all greatness; Your sublimity is high above all others; and Your authority subdues all others. The greatness of Allah is far elevated above having a partner in His dominion, His lordship, His divinity, or His names and attributes. That is why he said thereafter: "There is no god but You", meaning: there is no deity truly worthy of being worshiped except You. You are the Only One deserving to be worshiped, alone without any partner; You, the One Who possesses the most praiseworthy attributes and bestows the most immense favors. In this opening invocation, we praise Allah, the Almighty, and declare Him above and free from all shortcomings and imperfections and from all that does not befit Him and His majesty. This is one of the various invocations reported in this respect. It is better to say this and that from time to time, thus observing all authentic aspects of the Sunnah and not disregarding any of them. In one of those various wordings, the Prophet would reportedly say: "There is no god but Allah" three times. This statement means: There is no deity truly worthy of being worshiped except You. In the Qur’an, Allah, the Almighty, says: {That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood.} {Sūrat al-Hajj: 62] "Thereafter, he would say: 'Allah is the absolute Greatest,' three times." He, Glorified and Exalted, is Greater than all things. Then, after opening his prayer, he would seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Devil, saying: "I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing and All-Knowing." In other words, I seek the refuge, support, and protection of the All-Hearing and All-Knowing Lord. "From the accursed", meaning: the outcast, rejected, and expelled from the mercy of Allah. "Devil", meaning: the rebellious and insolent devils from among the Jinn and mankind. O Allah, Do not give him authority whereby he can harm me in my religious and worldly affairs or prevent me from doing such things that will benefit me in my religious and worldly affairs. Whoever seeks refuge in Allah has indeed turned to the might and power of the Creator against their enemies who want to cut them off from their Lord and lead them into the deep pits of evil and destruction. "From his evil suggestions", meaning: madness and epilepsy that afflict mankind. Since Satan may touch a person with madness, it was prescribed by the Shariah to seek refuge against him. "His blowing", meaning: pride. Through insinuations, Satan blows into a man and prompts him to see himself big and others little. Thus, his pride and arrogance grows. "His spitting", meaning: witchcraft. This is the evil of magicians, who tie the strings and then blow on each knot so as to produce the effect intended by magic. "After that, he would recite." He would recite Qur’an, opening with Sūrat al-Fātihah.

This Hadīth explains the rule for anyone who is unable to retain any of the Qur'an and how to pray. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guided the Bedouin, who could not retain any of the Qur'an, to say: "Glory to Allah, praise to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, and there is no power and no strength but from Allah, Glorified and Exalted. When the Bedouin asked for a supplication for him to say in prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught him to say this supplication, which includes the good of the world and the Hereafter: "O Allah, have mercy on me, give me provision, keep me sound, and guide me." Finally, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized the value of these supplications and words of remembrance by saying that the Bedouin had "filled his hand with good," i.e. attained a great deal of good.

“Kufah was conquered by a man called Zamān ibn al-Ash‘ath. He ordered Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn ‘Abdullāh to lead people in prayer.” This man was Matar ibn Nājiyah, as he was called in another narration. Abu ‘Ubaydah was the son of ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him). “When he performed the prayer, he would rise from bowing and stand for as long it took me to say: "O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise…" This amount of time is one of the requirements of prayer. As for the addition: “…that fills the heavens…” this is recommended according to the Prophet’s statement: "When the Imām says, 'Allah hears he who praises him,' say: 'Our Lord, to You is all praise.’” "O Allah, our Lord, to You is all praise" is a supplication and acknowledgement, meaning: Our Lord, answer our invocations, and all praise is due to You for leading us to guidance and success. "…that fills the heavens and the earth" is meant to magnify the amount of praise. In other words: Our Lord, You deserve such praise that, if it were bodies, would fill all that space. “…and whatever You will beyond that”, meaning: what we do not know of Your vast dominion. “All praise and glory belong to You”, meaning: Our Lord, You deserve all praise (commendation) and glory (greatness, power, and supreme honor). The Only One worthy of absolute commendation and exaltation is Allah, the Almighty. “No one can withhold what You have given…”, meaning: no one can prevent what You want to give. “…and no one can give what You have withheld”, meaning: no one can give what You will to withhold, out of Your wisdom and justice. “And the good fortune of a person will not avail him before You”, meaning: The wealth and good fortune of a person does not benefit him in Your sight, earn him any reward, or save him from punishment. Indeed, nothing is beneficial, except if so willed by You. Al-Hakam added: "I mentioned that to ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abu Layla and he said: ‘I heard Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib say: “In the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), the bowing, rising from bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations were all roughly the same (in length).”’” This means that the pillars of the Prophet’s prayer lasted similar lengths of time and there was only a slight difference between them. If he prolonged his standing, he would bow for a length of time close to it, and the same would happen with the other pillars. Conversely, when he shortened his standing, he would also shorten his bowing, making it close in length to the standing. And the same applied to the other pillars. This Hadīth is understood to refer to some instances only, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would occasionally prolong his prayer. In short, the Prophet’s prayers were of a similar length of time. So his bowing, rising from bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations were nearly the same length, but he would sometimes prolong the standing for the Qur’an recitation.

The Hadīth presents the wording of the Tashahhud and informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to teach it to them as he would teach them the verses of the Qur’an. The Tashahhud reads: "All blessed greetings and good prayers are due to Allah; peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger." It is similar to the famous wording reported by Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) except for the addition of the word ‘al-mubārakāt’ (blessed) and the omission of the conjunction ‘and’ from the two subsequent words. It is from the Sunnah to use the various reported wordings of the Tashahhud in separate occasions.

‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), informs that upon the revelation of {When there comes Allah’s help and the conquest} to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he complied with the command in the Qur’an and hastened to obey the command of Allah Almighty in His saying: {Then glorify the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness}. Therefore, he used to frequently say in his Rukū‘ (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration) during the prayer, "Glory be to You," and may You be Exalted above any deficiency that does not befit You. "And praise, O Allah, our Lord," praise that is rightfully due to You for the perfection of Your essence, attributes, and actions. "O Allah, forgive me" and erase and overlook my sin.