Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- It is not mentioned that the Prophet used to have a collective dhikr or duaa after each prayer. He never asked his Companions to sit with him after the prayer to make duaa with him.
2- However, it is permissible for the Imam to make duaa audibly or quietly after the obligatory prayer and it is up to the people to stay or not to stay.
In his response to the question, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Former President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), states:
There is a great reward in making duaa after the obligatory prayers. It is reported in a Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him), was asked “Which duaa is more heard (by Allah)?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) says, “The duaa during the last part of the night and after the obligatory prayers.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim have mentioned many adhkar and supplications of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he used to make after the obligatory prayers. This means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make these supplications audibly or (jaran in Arabic).
It stands to reason that many of the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) have mentioned such adhkar and supplications that they heard from the Prophet. I am sure the Companions used to sit and listen to those adhkar and supplications from the Prophet. It is a good habit to make dhikr and duaa after the obligatory prayers.
It is, however, not mentioned that the Prophet used to have a collective dhikr or duaa after each prayer. He never asked his Companions to sit with him after the prayer to make duaa with him.
Thus, we can say that it is permissible for the Imam to make duaa audibly or quietly after the obligatory prayer. However, it is up to the people to stay or not to stay. Those who want can stay and make the duaa with the Imam or by themselves and those who want to leave without making duaa or to begin their Sunnah prayers, then can do so. Muslims should not make it an issue of division or dissension among them.
It is not right to insist on all people to stay until the duaa is finished and it is also not right to criticize those who make duaa with their Imam after the Prayer.
For the sake of those who want to perform Sunnah (supererogatory prayers) immediately after the prayer, it is better that the Imam makes a short or quiet duaa after Zhuhr, Maghrib and Isha prayers, but he may make an audible and longer duaa after Fajr and Asr prayers. And if the Imam sometimes leaves without making duaa that is also permissible.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.