Is There a Supplication While Sitting Between Prostrations?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: In prayer, what is said during the sitting portion between sujoods, and how many times are we supposed to say it?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I hope you are in the best of health and spirits, insha’Allah.

According to the Hanafi school, there is no specific sunna supplication to recite between the prostrations. However, it would be considered good to make a supplication for forgiveness here in order to avoid the difference of opinion. [Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to say the following supplications between prostrations, “O Allah, forgive me, have mercy upon me, grant me well-being, guide me, give me sustenance (Allahumma ighfirli wa irhamni wa `afini wa ihdini wa urzuqni)” [Abu Dawud]

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي

However, the Hanafis understood these and other such narrations to pertain to voluntary (nafl) prayers as the basis for the obligatory prayer is that it is prayed as the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) usually prayed it. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, it would be good to supplicate here even within one’s obligatory prayers. [Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani