Reciting Supplications before Concluding the Prayer with Salām (in the Final Tashahhud):
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنِي شَقِيقٌ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ كُنَّا إِذَا كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قُلْنَا:‏‏‏‏ السَّلَامُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏السَّلَامُ عَلَى فُلَانٍ وَفُلَانٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ لَا تَقُولُوا السَّلَامُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّلَامُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّكُمْ إِذَا قُلْتُمْ أَصَابَ كُلَّ عَبْدٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَوْ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏ثُمَّ يَتَخَيَّرُ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ أَعْجَبَهُ إِلَيْهِ فَيَدْعُو.
Narrated by Musaddad:
He said, Yahya narrated to us, from al-A‘mash, who narrated to me from Shaqiq, from ‘Abdullah (Ibn Mas‘ud), who said:
“When we were praying with the Prophet ﷺ, we used to say:
‘Peace be upon Allah from His servants, peace be upon so-and-so and so-and-so.’
The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Do not say “Peace be upon Allah,” for Allah Himself is As-Salām (The Source of Peace). But rather say:
التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات، السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله وبركاته، السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين.
When you say this, it reaches every righteous servant in the heavens and on earth.
Then say:
أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله.
After that, let him choose whatever supplication he likes best and supplicate.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 835)
Explanation: In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“ثم يتخيّر من الدعاء أعجبه إليه فيدعو” — “
Then he should choose from the supplications whatever he likes best and make that supplication.”
This means that not only the supplications transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ (du‘ā’ mā’thūr) may be recited, but any good and lawful supplication is permissible at this point.
Scholars have said: The best supplications are those authentically transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ, but there is no restriction — a Muslim may ask Allah for both worldly and spiritual needs during this part of the prayer.
Summary:
After completing the tashahhud and sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, it is Sunnah — before the salām — to:
1. First recite the du‘ās transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ (such as seeking refuge from the torment of the grave, Hellfire, trials of life and death, and the Dajjāl).
2. Then recite any other personal supplications one wishes, in Arabic — or even in one’s own language if it is a voluntary (nafl) prayer.