1417 – ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that when he had finished the prayer and pronounced the salām he would say:
“Lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah (none has the right to be worshiped but Allah alone, without partner); lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-ḥamd wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr (to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is capable of everything). Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-Allāh (there is no might and no power except with Allah). Lā ilāha illā Allāh, wa lā naʿbudu illā iyyāh (there is no god but Allah, and we worship none but Him). Lahu’n-niʿmatu wa lahu’l-faḍlu wa lahu’th-thanāʾu’l-ḥasan (His is the blessing, His is the favor, and to Him belongs the finest praise). Lā ilāha illā Allāh, mukhliṣīna lahu’d-dīn wa law kariha’l-kāfirūn (there is no god but Allah; we devote the religion sincerely to Him, even though the disbelievers detest it).”
Ibn al-Zubayr added, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite these words at the end of every obligatory prayer.” Related by Muslim.
[Commentary]
These two hadiths deal with restricted adhkār, for remembrances are of two kinds: unrestricted and restricted. Some are tied to ablution, others to the prayer. The two reports before us are tied to the prayer: the hadith of al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah and the hadith of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr.
Concerning the report of al-Mughīrah, he informed us that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say, once he had given the salām at the end of his prayer, “Lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-ḥamd, wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.”
The meaning of “lā ilāha illā Allāh” is that no being is truly worthy of worship except Allah. Among all created things nothing deserves to be worshiped besides Him. As for the idols that are worshiped in His stead, they are unworthy of worship—even though their devotees call them gods—for they are not gods at all. Rather, as Allah the Exalted has said, “You worship beside Him nothing but names you yourselves and your fathers have named, for which Allah has sent down no authority.” ⦗Yūsuf 12:40⦘