Most scholars adopt the second opinion, while a group—including Shaykh al-Islām—prefer the first.
As for the textual evidence: one version of the ḥadīth of Muʿādh contains the wording, “Never leave off saying in your prayer…,” which shows that the intended meaning of dubur al-ṣalāh is before the salām.
On the other hand, Abū Hurayrah narrates: “Whoever glorifies Allah after every prayer thirty-three times…,” and al-Nasāʾī records in al-Kubrā ⦗6/30⦘ and others transmit: “Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after every prescribed prayer.” Both of these latter reports refer to the time after the salām.
Thus dubur may denote the final part of the prayer itself, or what follows the salām.
The preferable course is to make supplication before the salām, while the remembrances are said after it; this has already been discussed.
- In al-Sharḥ it is stated that dubur al-ṣalāh covers both what comes after the prayer and what follows the tashahhud; in the present context the former is the more apparent.
Shaykh al-Islām, however, considered it more likely that the supplication be inside the prayer before the salām. He said—may Allah have mercy on him—“Supplication at the end of the prayer, before leaving it, is sanctioned by the well-known Sunnah and by the consensus of the Muslims; most of the prayers-related supplications were offered by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, within the prayer itself, and that best suits the state of a worshipper who is standing before his Lord in intimate discourse.”
- These blessed, felicitous words are supremely meritorious, gathering the good of this world and the Next. In them the servant asks Allah’s help to uphold His remembrance, render Him thanks, and perfect His worship—so that the Muslim worships his Lord as though he were seeing Him.
Whoever fulfills Allah’s remembrance as required, shows gratitude for His favors, and performs his acts of worship with excellence and precision has, to the limit of his ability, discharged his duty of worship; acceptance and reward lie with Allah alone.
- The ḥadīth also confers a special virtue upon Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, for it says: “O…"