, peace and blessings be upon him, for his Companions to recite at the end of their prayer. The Muslim community has unanimously agreed that it is prescribed, loved by Allah and His Messenger, and pleasing to Him. They differed, however, over whether it is obligatory. Tāwūs and a group of scholars considered it obligatory, and this is also one opinion within Ahmad’s school. Most scholars, however, considered it recommended.

The supplications that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to make or teach his Companions to make are either obligatory or recommended. Allah loves and is pleased with both obligatory and recommended acts. Whoever performs them, Allah is pleased with him and makes him content. Can contentment, then, consist in abandoning what He loves and is pleased with?

Another kind of supplication is forbidden, such as overstepping the bounds in supplication. This includes asking for something to which one is not entitled—something exclusive to the prophets when one is not a prophet, or perhaps even something exclusive to the Lord, glorified and exalted is He. An example is asking for oneself the station of al-wasīlah, which is fitting for only one of His servants, or