The Practising Muslim · Supplication & Dhikr

Guidance through Dhikr and Du'a Practices

Explore benefits and rulings of specific supplications and remembrances in Islam.

8 questions · Medium · about 4 minutes

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8 questions, about 4 minutes.

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1. Which total is reached in one Sunnah way of reciting tasbih, tahmid, and takbir after an obligatory prayer?

  • One hundred. (correct answer)
  • Seven.
  • Eleven.
  • Forty only.

Why

Several sound ways of post-prayer dhikr are narrated. One way is to say Subhan Allah thirty-three times, Al-hamdu Lillah thirty-three times, Allahu akbar thirty-three times, then complete one hundred with La ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir. Another way is thirty-three, thirty-three, and thirty-four. The best approach is to vary between the narrated forms.

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2. What is mentioned for saying “Bismillah illadhi la yadurru ma‘a ismihi shay’un...” three times in the morning and evening?

  • Protection from harm or sudden affliction until evening or morning. (correct answer)
  • Guaranteed wealth and permanent health.
  • Forgiveness of every sin without repentance.
  • A replacement for seeking medical treatment.

Why

This morning and evening dhikr is among the prescribed adhkar for protection and well-being. A believer should recite such adhkar regularly, with certainty and trust in Allah. They are means of protection, while Allah alone controls benefit and harm.

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3. What is one benefit of reciting Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad and al-Mu‘awwidhatayn three times in the morning and evening?

  • Protection against everything. (correct answer)
  • Guaranteed fulfilment of every worldly desire.
  • Permission to abandon other morning and evening adhkar.
  • Automatic entry into Paradise regardless of deeds.

Why

Among the morning and evening adhkar is reciting Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad and al-Mu‘awwidhatayn three times. This is mentioned as a means of protection. It is one of many prescribed morning and evening adhkar, not a replacement for all other worship or obedience.

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4. What is special about the dhikr “Subhan Allah wa bi hamdihi, ‘adada khalqihi...” and similar wording?

  • It is a multiplied dhikr with great virtue and reward. (correct answer)
  • It is the only dhikr a Muslim should ever say.
  • It is mentioned in the Qur’an as an obligatory daily formula.
  • It guarantees Paradise without faith, prayer, or repentance.

Why

This wording glorifies and praises Allah in connection with vast meanings: the number of His creation, what pleases Him, the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His words. Because of those meanings, it is described as a superior and multiplied dhikr, greater than ordinary tasbih when said with understanding and reflection.

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5. How may a Muslim use the supplication of Dhu’n-Nun?

  • Say it with humility and focus, and they may also mention their need afterward. (correct answer)
  • Use it only for illness and never for other needs.
  • Avoid it because it contains praise rather than a direct request.
  • Treat it as a guaranteed immediate cure for every hardship.

Why

The supplication of Dhu’n-Nun is: La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu min al-zalimin. It contains Tawhid, glorification of Allah, and admission of wrongdoing. A person may say it with the intention of asking Allah to meet their need, and they may also begin with it and then ask for what they need.

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6. How can du’a and istikharah benefit a person when everything is already decreed?

  • Allah has made du’a a means by which decreed outcomes may occur. (correct answer)
  • Du’a has no effect because the decree already exists.
  • Istikharah cancels the need to take practical means.
  • Du’a lets a person escape all difficult decrees.

Why

Allah decrees outcomes together with their causes. Just as worldly outcomes occur through their means, Allah may decree that a person attains good, relief, guidance, or protection through du’a and istikharah. Therefore du’a is not pointless; it is one of the greatest means Allah has prescribed.

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7. What is the ruling on making lengthy communal du’a after Taraweeh as a regular practice?

  • It is an innovation if done after the prayer as a regular communal practice. (correct answer)
  • It is required after every four rak‘ahs.
  • It is Sunnah because every good intention becomes Sunnah.
  • It is obligatory after completing the Qur’an in prayer.

Why

Taraweeh and qiyaam in Ramadan may be prayed in different valid numbers of rak‘ahs, so long as the prayer is offered properly. The issue here is the added communal du’a after prayer or after completing Qur’an in Taraweeh. A person should not join an invented communal du’a practice; they may wait, recite Qur’an, make du’a individually, or pray elsewhere if a Sunnah-following mosque is available.

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8. What is the ruling on a lecturer making du’a after a lesson while the audience says Ameen?

  • It is permissible, and even encouraged, if not done in an innovated form. (correct answer)
  • It is forbidden in every case because all group du’a is bid‘ah.
  • It is allowed only during Jumu‘ah khutbahs.
  • It is obligatory after every lecture.

Why

There is a difference between innovated communal forms of dhikr or du’a and a speaker making du’a for those present while they say Ameen. Gathering solely for a repeated unison du’a or turning it into a fixed ritual has no basis. But a lecturer or teacher making du’a after a lesson, such as asking Allah to guide and benefit the attendees, is permissible. Raising hands in this specific situation is safer to avoid unless there is evidence.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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