What Are the Authentic Dhikr to Say After Every Fard Salah, and Is There a Specific Order?

What Are the Authentic Dhikr to Say After Every Fard Salah, and Is There a Specific Order?

Question
What are all the authentic Dhikr/Supplications to be made after every Fard Salah, and is there a particular order?

Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.

1. The Shar‘i Context

The Prophet taught several forms of dhikr after the obligatory prayers.
These adhkar are authentic, well-established, and practiced by the companions.
There is no single fixed sequence that must be followed every time.
Rather, the Prophet taught multiple authentic variations, and the Muslim may alternate between them.

2. The Dhikr the Prophet Said After the Fard Prayers

Below are the authentic, agreed-upon adhkar that the Prophet recited after finishing the obligatory salah.
All are sahih and may be done in any order.

1. Astaghfirullah (three times)

After completing the salam, the Prophet used to say:
“Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah.”
(Muslim)

2. “Allahumma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam…”

“Allahumma anta as-salam wa minka as-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram.”
(Muslim)

3. Recitation of Ayat al-Kursi (Surat al-Baqarah 2:255)

The Prophet said: whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every fard prayer will not be prevented from entering Paradise except death.
(Nasa’i, Sahih)

4. Tasbih, Tahmid, and Takbir (33–33–34)

The Prophet instructed:

SubhanAllah (33 times)

Alhamdulillah (33 times)

Allahu Akbar (34 times)


This makes a total of 100.
(Muslim)

There is also another authentic variation:

33 SubhanAllah

33 Alhamdulillah

33 Allahu Akbar

Then complete 100 by saying:
“La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wahuwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.”
(Muslim)


Both forms are Sunnah.

5. Comprehensive Dhikr

The Prophet also taught:
“La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, yuhyi wa yumit, wahuwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.”
(Part of the general dhikr after salah, Sahih)

6. Four Phrases the Prophet Loved

It is also authentic to say after salah:
“SubhanAllah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wallahu Akbar.”
(Tirmidhi, Sahih)

3. Is There a Fixed Order?

There is no obligation to follow one strict order.
The Prophet sometimes did dhikr in one order and sometimes in another.
This shows flexibility and avoids turning a Sunnah into a rigid ritual.

The consistent elements that appear after every fard salah are:

Seeking forgiveness (3 times)

“Allahumma anta as-salam…”

Tasbih, tahmid, and takbir

Ayat al-Kursi

A form of “La ilaha illa Allah…”


Any order that keeps these within the post-prayer period is valid.

4. Relevant Usul Principle

العبرة بما ورد لا بكيفية الترتيب
The ruling follows what is authentically narrated, not a single fixed sequence.

This means:
As long as you recite the adhkar that the Prophet taught, you are following the Sunnah even if the order varies.

Final Ruling

All the dhikr listed above are authentic and established from the Prophet.
There is no single required order, and a Muslim may recite them in any sequence.
The consistent Sunnah includes saying “Astaghfirullah” three times, “Allahumma anta as-salam,” reciting Ayat al-Kursi, and completing the tasbih–tahmid–takbir set of 100.
Alternating between the prophetic variations is recommended and closer to the Sunnah.

And Allah knows best.