—and then let him choose whichever supplication he wishes.
What is meant by “at the ends of the prayers” is not the time after the salām (the closing salutation), for the period after the salām is not designated for supplication; it is a time for remembrance, as Allah the Exalted says, “When you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on your sides.” Rather, the phrase “at the ends of the obligatory prayers” refers to their final moments before the salām.
The author next cites the ḥadīth of Abū Umāmah (may Allah be pleased with him): no Muslim petitions Allah for anything without Allah granting him what he asked, or warding off from him an equal measure of harm, or reserving its reward for him on the Day of Resurrection. We have already explained this and clarified that anyone who asks of Allah is never turned away; one of these three outcomes must inevitably occur—unless he supplicates for sin, that is, for something forbidden. In that case, the supplication is not answered, because asking for sin is an act of wrongdoing, and Allah the Exalted says, “Indeed, the wrongdoers will never succeed.”
The final ḥadīth concerns the supplication for distress: the Prophet ﷺ used to say, “There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the mighty Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the noble Throne.” Whoever recites these words when afflicted by anguish will find them a cause for the relief of his distress. And Allah is the One who grants success.