Continuing the remembrance of Allah for a little while when the Salat is over and engaging in Tasbih and Tahmid follows from the explicit injunction of the Holy Quran. Allah says in Chapter 4, verse 104:
Transliteration:
Fa idha qadaitumus-Salata fadhkurullah.
Translation:
And when you have finished the Prayer, remember Allah.
It is also established by the practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) of Islam. Hadrat ‘A’ishah(ra) relates that after finishing his Prayer the Holy Prophet(sa) would continue sitting long enough to recite the following prayer:
Transliteration:
Allahumma antas-salamu wa minkas-salamu, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram.
Translation:
O our Lord! Thou art (the embodiment of) peace. And true peace comes from Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Lord of Majesty and Bounty. (Sahih Muslim, Kitabul-Masajid wa mawadhi‘us-Salata, Bab Istihbabu-dhikri ba‘das-Salat)
It is also related in the Books of Traditions that on some occasions, the Holy Prophet(sa) used to sit among his followers and raise his hands to pray for those who requested him to pray for them. However, as is evident from what Hadrat ‘A’ishah(ra) has related, it was not the normal practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) to raise hands in silent prayer after he had finished his Salat. This occasional gesture of the Holy Prophet(sa) which has been reported in some Traditions has mistakenly been generalised. The result has been that certain sects in Islam regard it as his normal practice (Sunnah) while in fact, according to the Sayings of the Holy Prophet(sa) mentioned above, this was not his common practice. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is of the view that to raise hands to pray after finishing the Salat was not the common practice, Sunnah, of the Holy Prophet(sa). His practice was to sit for a while remembering Allah and reciting prayers without raising his hands.
Apart from the above-mentioned prayer, the following were also recited by the Holy Prophet(sa) after Prayer:
Transliteration:
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. Lahul- mulku wa lahul hamd. Wa huwa ‘ala kulli shai’in qadir.
Translation:
There is no one worthy of worship except Allah. He is alone and has no partner. Sovereignty and praise are only for Him and He has full authority over everything.
Transliteration:
Allahumma la mani‘a lima a‘taita wala mu‘tiya lima mana‘ta wala yanfa‘u dhal jaddi minkal jaddu. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabus-Salat, babu dhikri ba‘das-Salat).
Translation:
O Allah! Nobody can hold back whatever You have granted and none can grant what Thou hold back. And no great person can benefit from his greatness in opposition to Thy Greatness.
Transliteration:
Allahumma a‘inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibadatika.
Translation:
O my Lord, help me so that I can properly perform Thy remembrance and Thy thanksgiving, and that I may worship Thee in the best possible manner.
Transliteration:
Subhana Rabbika Rabbil ‘izzati ‘amma yasifun, Wa salamun ‘alal-Mursalin, Wal hamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘alamin. (Tirmidhi, Kitabus-Salat, Bab ma Yaqulu idha Sallama)
Translation:
Thy Lord is Holy and clear of all that is alleged against Him (by the non-believers); and He is Exalted. May God’s blessing be upon all Messengers. All praise truly belongs to Allah Who is the Sustainer of all the worlds.
At the request of some Companions, the Holy Prophet(sa) also prescribed the prayers below to glorify Allah. In some sections of the Muslim society, this has become a regular practice. It should be remembered that they do not form part of his regular precept. Therefore, it is not essential for a person to recite them after his obligatory Prayers in a mosque.
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Subhanallah, i.e. Holy is Allah, free from all defects — to be recited thirty-three times.
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Alhamdu Lillah, i.e. All praise belongs to Allah — to be recited thirty-three times.
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Allahu Akbar, i.e. Allah is the Greatest — to be recited thirty-four times.