Assalamu aleykum va rahmatullah!My question is regarding raising hands after fard prayers and making dua regularly. As we know this is bidah.1- Is it also bidah if a muslim does zikr after the obligatory prayer and then raises hands and makes dua like that regularly? When this brother was told that it is bidah, he said that bidah is when you raise hands straight after fard, but since he does zikr in between that is not considered bidah. What is your view in this? If that is still bidah, can you please provide evidence and words from scholars so that we could show that as evidence to brothers who do so?2- Is it also bidah to do so after sunnah prayers (naafil or rawatib)?3- In which cases is it NOT a bidah after fard or sunnah prayers?May Allah reward you!

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The supplication after the obligatory prayer is not an innovation; rather, this is desirable and permissible, as this was confirmed from the Prophet in many Ahadeeth.

Therefore, it is permissible for a worshipper after concluding the prayer with Salam to mention the legislated Athkaar, and when he finishes them, he raises his hands and supplicates with whatever he wishes.

Al-Bukhaari wrote a Chapter about this entitled: ‘Chapter: Supplication after the Prayer’.

Ibn Hajar commented on this Chapter saying:

“It refers to the obligatory prayers. This Chapter is a refutation to those who claimed that the supplication after the prayer is not permissible; they adhered to the Hadeeth narrated by Muslim from 'Abdallah ibn al-Haarith from ‘Aa’ishah that when the Prophet concluded the prayer, he does not remain in his position but only as much as he could say: ‘Allaahuma anta as-Salaam wa minka as-Salaam Tabaarakta ya thal-Jalaali wal Ikraam.’ The answer to this is that what is meant by him not remaining in his position is that he did not continue to sit on his position after concluding the prayer with Salaam, except to the extent of saying what is mentioned……….” [End of quote]

Ibn Hajar quoted the statement of Ibn al-Qayyim in his book Zaad al-Mee’aad, which some scholars understood that he absolutely denied the permissibility of the supplication after the prayer. Then Ibn Hajar mentioned some Ahadeeth that indicate that it is desirable [Mustahab] to supplicate after the prayer, such as the Hadeeth of Umaamah that reads: “O Prophet of Allah, what is the supplication that is most likely to be answered? He replied: “At the last part of the night and after the obligatory prayers.” Then he [Ibn Hajar] said:

“Many of the scholars of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence whom we have met understood that what Ibn al-Qayyim meant is that he absolutely denied the supplication after the prayer, but this is not the case. Rather, the conclusion of his statement is that he denied it in case the worshiper continued [to remain in his position] to face the Qiblah and to say the supplication after the Salaam [i.e. immediately after concluding the prayer], but if he changes his position [to the right side or left side], or that he first mentions the legislated Athkaar, then it is not forbidden for him to say the supplication…..” [End of quote]

Hence, the matter is as Ibn Hajr said, that after Ibn al-Qayyim denied the permissibility of supplication after the prayer, he said in Zaad al-Me’aad: "But here is a nice remark, which is that if the worshiper finishes his prayer and remembrance of Allah, having said la illaaha illa Allah, having exalted Him, praised Him, and exalted Him with the legislated Athkaar after the prayer, then it is desirable for him to seek blessings and peace on the Prophet after that, and then to supplicate with whatever he wishes……. etc.” [End of quote]

The verse in which Allah Says (what means): {So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].} [Quran 94:7]; was interpreted to mean by supplication after the obligatory prayer.

Al-Baghawi said in his Tafseer {So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].}; meaning exhaust yourself, and Ibn ‘Abbaas, Qataadah, ath-Thahhaak, Muqaatil and al-Kilbi said: “if you finish the obligatory prayer then devote yourself to Allah with the supplication [exhaust yourself with supplication] and turn to Him by supplicating Him and He will grant you your supplication.” [End of quote]

To sum up, supplication after the prayer is permissible, and it is acceptable to leave it sometimes if it is feared that people would think that it is an obligatory act of worship which the worshiper is obliged to do; and it is permissible to raise the hands when supplicating for the general meaning of the Hadeeth that reads “Your Lord is bashful to turn away His slave empty-handed (i.e. not responded to) when he raises them (his hands) to Him asking Him for any good.” [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]

Besides, al-Mubarakfuri elaborated in his commentary on at-Tirmithi on the issue of raising the hands in supplication after the prayer, and he said after discussing the evidence on the issue: I said: the preponderant opinion in my view is that raising the hands in supplication after the prayer is permissible if anyone does it after the prayer –Allah willing……” [End of quote]

However, some scholars are of the view that it is not permissible to raise the hands after the prayer, but the view that we adopt in Islamweb is that it is permissible.

Allah knows best.