The Ruling on the Supplication for Completing the Qur'an in Prayer

Question:
What is the ruling on the supplication for completing the Qur'an, and is it to be done outside of prayer or inside it?

Answer:
It is preferable for the imam to recite the supplication for completing the Qur'an in the prayer, but he should not prolong it for the people. He should seek out beneficial, comprehensive supplications, such as what Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: . Therefore, the best for the imam when completing the Qur'an and in the qunut is to seek out comprehensive words and not to prolong things for the people. He should recite the supplication which was reported in the hadith of al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) in the qunut, and add whatever good supplications are easy for him, just as 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah have mercy on him) added, without any difficulty or hardship for the people. And so it is with the supplication for completing the Qur'an: he supplicates with whatever comprehensive supplications are easy for him, beginning with praising Allah and sending blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and concluding with whatever is easy from the night prayer or in the witr, without prolonging it in a way that harms the worshippers. This matter is well known from the Salaf, and the later generations received it from the earlier ones.
And Anas (may Allah have mercy on him) , when he completed the Qur'an, would gather his family and supplicate (may Allah have mercy on him) outside of the prayer. As for in the prayer, I do not recall anything from him regarding that, nor from any other of the Companions. But since he did it outside of the prayer, so it is in the prayer; because supplication is prescribed in the prayer, and it is not a reprehensible matter.
I do not know of anyone from the Salaf who rejected the supplication for completing the Qur'an inside the prayer, just as I do not know of anyone who rejected it outside the prayer. And this is what is relied upon: that it is known among the Salaf, and both the first and last of them practiced it. So whoever says that it is reprehensible, let him bring evidence.