Light on the Path-311b
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The questioner : He says in this question: Regarding Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: We ask for an explanation of this hadith and the meaning of “after the prayers”—is it before or after the taslim?
The Shaykh : Which is closer to being answered, because “heard” here means answered, as in the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: [Ibrahim 14:39] And the saying of the one praying: Muwatta Malik 3:17 meaning He answered the one who praised Him. So his saying: means closer to being answered. He said: meaning the middle of the night, and what is meant by it is the time after the first half, because Allah the Exalted descends when the last third of the night remains, every night, to the lowest heaven, and He says: Sahih al-Bukhari 1145 The second: And “adbar” is the plural of “dabr,” which means the end, because the dabr of every thing is its end. It is before the taslim, not after it. The evidence for this is in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). As for the Book of Allah, Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:103] and He did not mention supplication, but rather commanded remembrance. The Sunnah clarified this, for it is prescribed for the one who has finished his prayer to seek forgiveness from Allah three times and say: “O Allah, You are Peace, and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of Majesty and Honor.” Then: “There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things competent,” three times after every prayer, and ten times after the Maghrib and Fajr prayers. He should also recite the other known dhikr. As for the Sunnah, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he taught his companions the tashahhud, he said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:238 So he placed the place of supplication before the taslim. This also aligns with reason, in that it is more appropriate for a person to supplicate to Allah the Exalted before he turns away from his communion with Him via the taslim, than for him to supplicate to Him after he has turned away from his communion with Him via the taslim. In other words, if a person is praying, he is in the presence of Allah, communing with his Lord, so it is more appropriate for him to supplicate to Him before he turns away from his prayer than for him to supplicate to Him after he has turned away from his prayer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
It was asked of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): “Which supplication is most heard?” He said: “The middle of the last third of the night, and after the prescribed prayers.”
قيل لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أي الدعاء أسمع؟ قال: جوف الليل الآخر، ودبر الصلوات المكتوباتThe Shaykh :
Which supplication is most heard
أي الدعاء أسمعIndeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.
إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءAllah hears whoever praises him
سمع الله لمن حمدهMost heard
أسمعThe middle of the night
جوف الليلIs there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?
من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر لهThe ends of the prescribed prayers
أدبار الصلوات المكتوبةAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِكُمْThen let him choose whatever he wishes from supplication.
ثم ليتخير من الدعاء ما شاءThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.