Dua After Tashahhud (Attahiyat): Arabic, Meaning and When to Say It
Contents
You have finished the attahiyat and sent blessings on the Prophet ﷺ. What do you say before the salam? The Prophet ﷺ taught a short dua after tashahhud: four things to seek refuge from. Here it is in Arabic, with its meaning, where it fits in the prayer and one more dua he used to say at that point.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih Muslim 588a; also Sahih Muslim 771a
- Narrated by: Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Sahih (Sahih Muslim)
- Topic: Dua in salah, seeking refuge
- Practise it: After the final tashahhud and salawat, before giving salam
The hadith
إِذَا تَشَهَّدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When any one of you utters tashahhud (in prayer), he must seek refuge with Allah from four (trials) and should thus say: ‘O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trial of life and death and from the evil of the trial of al-Masih ad-Dajjal.’”
Sahih Muslim 588a · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) also reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge in his prayer from the grave, the Dajjal and the trials of life and death, adding sin and debt (Sahih al-Bukhari 832).
The dua after tashahhud in Arabic, with its meaning
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min ʿadhābi jahannam, wa min ʿadhābil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-maḥyā wal-mamāt, wa min sharri fitnatil-masīḥid-dajjāl
“O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trial of life and death and from the evil of the trial of al-Masih ad-Dajjal.”
Sahih Muslim 588a · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
The four things we seek refuge from:
- The torment of Hell (ʿadhābi jahannam).
- The torment of the grave (ʿadhābil-qabr).
- The trials of life and death (fitnatil-maḥyā wal-mamāt): every test we face while living and at the time of death.
- The evil of the trial of the Dajjal (sharri fitnatil-masīḥid-dajjāl).
Where it fits: attahiyat, durood, then this dua
Many people search for “what to read after attahiyat”. In the final sitting, the usual order is the tashahhud (attahiyat), then the salawat (durood) on the Prophet ﷺ, then this dua, then the salam. Here are the first two, as the Prophet ﷺ taught them.
The tashahhud, taught by the Prophet ﷺ to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّلاَمُ، فَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَقُلِ التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ. فَإِنَّكُمْ إِذَا قُلْتُمُوهَا أَصَابَتْ كُلَّ عَبْدٍ لِلَّهِ صَالِحٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
“Allah Himself is as-Salam (Peace), so if anyone of you prays, he should say: All the compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah; peace be on you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Peace be on us and on the pious servants of Allah. (If you say that, it will reach all the servants in the heaven and the earth.) I testify that there is no deity (worthy of worship) but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 831 · Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
The salawat (durood Ibrahim), taught by the Prophet ﷺ when Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah’s companions asked how to send blessings on him:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd
“O Allah! Send Your mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your mercy on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah! Send Your blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3370 · Narrated by Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Scholars differ on details such as which tashahhud wording to use and whether this dua is said in the first tashahhud too, so for those points, ask a qualified local scholar.
Another dua the Prophet ﷺ said before salam
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that among the last things the Prophet ﷺ would say between the tashahhud and the salam was this (Sahih Muslim 771a):
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
Allāhummaghfir lī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhkhartu, wa mā asrartu wa mā aʿlantu, wa mā asraftu, wa mā anta aʿlamu bihi minnī, antal-muqaddimu wa antal-muʾakhkhiru, lā ilāha illā ant
“Forgive me the earlier and later, the secret and open (sins), and that in which I transgressed, and what You know better than I. You are the One who brings forward and the One who puts back. There is no god but You.”
Sahih Muslim 771a · Narrated by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Reflection: just before we leave the prayer, the Sunnah has us ask for protection from the worst things that can happen to a soul. It is a short moment, but it may be the most important dua of the day.
Video: learn the dua after tashahhud
Questions people ask
What dua is recited after tashahhud?
The Prophet ﷺ said: when any one of you utters tashahhud, seek refuge with Allah from four things and say: “Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam, wa min ‘adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal” (Sahih Muslim 588a).
What do I read after attahiyat and durood?
After the tashahhud (attahiyat) and the salawat (durood), say the dua above, and you may add other authentic duas such as the one in Sahih Muslim 771a, then give salam.
Is the dua after tashahhud the same as the dua after attahiyat?
Yes. The tashahhud begins with “at-tahiyyatu lillah”, so many people call it the attahiyat. The dua after tashahhud and the dua after attahiyat are the same thing.
Is it said in the first or the last tashahhud?
The wording in Sahih Muslim 588a is “when any one of you utters tashahhud”. It is commonly said in the final tashahhud, just before the salam. For the details, please ask a qualified local scholar.
Key lessons
- Seek refuge from four things: Hell, the grave, the trials of life and death, and the Dajjal.
- The Prophet ﷺ instructed us to say it when we recite the tashahhud (Sahih Muslim 588a).
- The usual order is attahiyat, durood, this dua, then salam.
- The dua is short and easy to memorize.
Part of our Salah and Dua series: see all our salah articles and dua articles in one place.
Allah is the best of protectors. The dua is quite short and, in shaa Allah, easy to add to every prayer. Try saying it in your next salah, slowly, meaning each of the four.
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