Question:
Is invocation (du`a) permitted during the prayers (salat), before or after salat?
Answer:
Many invocations have been attribute to the Prophet (s). Some are made during salat, some after salat and some of them before salat.
The Prophet (s) use to recite an invocation, a prayer, between the takbirat al-ahram (first pronunciation of “Allahu akbar!” to initiate salat) and recitation of al-Fatiha, either:
wajahtu wajheea li-latee fatara as-samawati wal-ardi baneefan musliman wa ma ana min al-mushrikeen,” (“I set my face towards the One who create the heavens and the earth, as an upright person who has surrendered (to Allah), and I am not one of the idolaters,”) or “subhanaka allahuma wa bi-hamdika wa tabaraka ismuka wa ta`ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghayruka,” (“Glory be to ye 0 Allah, and to You is all praise, and blessed is Your Name and exalted is Your Majesty and there is none to worship besides You.”) Between the bowing (ruku`) and standing, after “sam`i allahu liman hamida” he used to say “rabbana laka al-hamd mila as-samawati wa mil al-arda wa mila ma baynahuma wa mila ma shi’ta min shayin baa.” (“Our Lord, to You belongs all Praise, filling the skies, filling the earth and filling whatever is between them, and filling whatever else You willed other than them”).
The Prophet (s) said, “the nearest that a servant is to his Lord is during prostration (sajda), so invoke Allah much in it.” And he used to recite the following du ‘a:
“allahuma laka sajadtu wa bika amantu wa laka aslamtu sajada wajhee lil-ladhee khalaqahu wa sawwarahu wa shaqqa sam`abu wa basarah,” (“0 Allah, to You I prostrated and in You I placed my trust and to You I have submitted. I prostrated my face to the One who created it and fashioned it and gave it its hearing and sight.”) After salat the Prophet (s) used to invoke Allah saying, “Allabum a`inee `ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husna `ibadatik,” (“0 Allah, support me in maintaining Your remembrance, in thanking You and in the best way of worshipping You”). He then made istighifar three times (“istagfirullah” – ” “0 Allah forgive me”) and then said, “allahuma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam tabarakta wa ta`layta ya dhal Jalali wal-ikram,” (” 0 Allah, You are Flawless, and from you comes all peace, blessed and exalted art Thou 0 Lord of Majesty and Generosity.”)
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
