Dua after the adhan: Arabic text, translation and meaning

What supplication should be recited after the adhan?

After hearing the adhan, the call to prayer, several words and practices have been reported in the Sunnah. A Muslim is encouraged in particular to respond to the muezzin, send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, and then ask Allah to grant him al-Wasīlah.

The best-known formula referred to as the dua after the adhan begins with Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah. It is narrated from Jābir ibn ‘Abdillah in Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 614.

It is useful to know this supplication in Arabic, but also to understand its meaning. It is not merely a formula to repeat mechanically: its words refer to the call to monotheism, the prayer that is about to be established, and the special rank that is requested from Allah for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The dua after the adhan in Arabic, transliteration and English

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ

Transliteration:
Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah, waṣ-ṣalāti l-qā’imah, āti Muḥammadan al-wasīlata wa-l-faḍīlah, wab‘ath-hu maqāman maḥmūdan alladhī wa‘adtah.

Meaning in English:
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and of the prayer to be established, grant Muhammad the Wasīlah and the eminent virtue, and raise him to the praised station that You have promised him.

This supplication is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 614. The hadith states that whoever says it after hearing the call to prayer will receive the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Resurrection.

What does the dua after the adhan mean?

Several words in this supplication deserve to be understood so that its recitation does not become purely automatic.

“Rabb hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah”

Rabb means “Lord”. The expression ad-da‘wah at-tāmmah may be understood as “this perfect call” or “this complete call”. The adhan proclaims the greatness of Allah, His oneness, and the mission of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ before calling the believers to prayer and success.

“Waṣ-ṣalāti l-qā’imah”

This expression refers to the prayer that is about to be established. The adhan is therefore not an isolated recitation: it announces the entry of the prayer time and calls believers to prepare to perform the salāt.

“Al-Wasīlah”

In a hadith reported by Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ explains that al-Wasīlah is a rank in Paradise reserved for one servant of Allah, and he asks the believers to supplicate Allah that it be granted to him.

Understanding religious terms such as adhan, salāt, du‘ā, or dhikr gradually makes religious texts and acts of worship easier to understand. Our resource on Islamic Arabic vocabulary explains many of these frequently encountered words in greater detail.

What should you say when you hear the adhan?

The Sunnah is not limited to one supplication after the adhan has ended. Several steps are reported when a Muslim hears the muezzin.

1. Respond to the muezzin

The Prophet ﷺ taught believers to repeat the words of the muezzin. This principle is reported, among other sources, in Sahih Muslim.

Thus, when he says:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

one repeats:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

The same applies to the testimonies of faith.

An exception is reported for:

حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ
حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ

“Come to prayer” and “Come to success”.

At these words, it is reported that one should say:

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh, meaning: “There is no might and no power except through Allah.” This response is reported in Sahih Muslim, no. 385.

2. Send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ

Once the adhan has ended, the Prophet ﷺ also recommended sending blessings upon him. According to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās, he taught that whoever sends blessings upon him once receives ten blessings from Allah, then instructed the believers to ask Allah to grant him al-Wasīlah.

This hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim, no. 384.

3. Recite the dua “Allāhumma rabba hādhihi…”

One may then recite the supplication transmitted in the hadith of Jābir:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ

To memorize the whole sequence, it is better to proceed gradually: first learn to respond correctly to the muezzin, then memorize the blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, and finally learn this supplication together with its meaning.

Can you make a personal dua after the adhan?

Yes. It is important to distinguish between the specific dua reported after the adhan and personal supplications made before the iqama.

Anas ibn Mālik reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that supplication between the adhan and the iqama is not rejected. This hadith is reported by At-Tirmidhi, no. 212, and Abu Dawud, no. 521.

This time may therefore be used to ask Allah for forgiveness, guidance, ease, protection, or any other good. There is no need to seek a specific formula for every personal need and treat it as obligatory.

This period is among the best times to make dua, which are discussed more broadly in our dedicated resource.

Dua after the adhan and dua after prayer: what is the difference?

These two searches use similar vocabulary, but they concern two different moments.

The dua after the adhan is connected to the call to prayer and is recited before the prayer itself. The supplication Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah… belongs to this context.

The adhkār recited after the prayer, however, begin once the salāt has ended with the salām. They include requests for forgiveness and various forms of dhikr authentically reported in the Sunnah.

To avoid confusing these two moments, see our guide to dua and adhkār after prayer.

How can you easily memorize the supplication after the adhan?

The difficulty often comes less from the length of the supplication than from trying to memorize sounds whose structure is not yet understood.

A simple method is to divide it into three units:

1. Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah, waṣ-ṣalāti l-qā’imah;
2. āti Muḥammadan al-wasīlata wa-l-faḍīlah;
3. wab‘ath-hu maqāman maḥmūdan alladhī wa‘adtah.

Learn the first unit correctly, then add the next one. Daily recitation after each adhan you hear naturally provides several opportunities for review. It is also better to associate each part with its meaning rather than memorizing only a phonetic transcription.

For anyone who wants to go beyond memorizing a few formulas and gradually understand prayer, religious vocabulary, and the foundations of Islamic practice, our guide on how to learn Islam step by step places this knowledge within a broader learning path.

Understand supplications rather than only memorizing them

Transliteration is useful at the beginning, especially for someone who cannot yet read Arabic. However, it remains an approximation: some Arabic sounds have no exact equivalent in English.

Learning to recognize Arabic words used in prayer and supplications gradually makes recitation more meaningful. In the dua after the adhan, terms such as Rabb, ṣalāt, Wasīlah, and maqām then cease to be merely memorized sounds.

For those who wish to study the rules of prayer and the foundations of worship with a teacher, Al-Dirassa offers individual online Islamic studies courses, with a program adapted to the student’s level and goals.

FAQ about the dua after the adhan

What is the dua to say after the adhan?

The authentically reported supplication begins with: Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah, waṣ-ṣalāti l-qā’imah…. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 614.

When should “Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah” be recited?

This supplication is recited after the adhan. The texts also report the recommendation to respond to the muezzin and then send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ.

What should you reply to “Hayya ‘ala ṣ-ṣalāh” during the adhan?

When hearing Hayya ‘ala ṣ-ṣalāh and Hayya ‘ala l-falāḥ, it is reported to reply: Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh. This wording is reported in Sahih Muslim, no. 385.

Can you make your own supplications between the adhan and iqama?

Yes. A hadith narrated from Anas ibn Mālik states that supplication between the adhan and iqama is not rejected. A believer may therefore use this time to ask Allah for any lawful need.

Is the dua after the adhan the same as the dua after prayer?

No. The first is connected to the call to prayer and precedes the salāt. The adhkār after prayer are recited once the salāt has ended. They are therefore two different moments and correspond to two distinct search intentions.

Hadith references

• Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 614: supplication Allāhumma rabba hādhihi d-da‘wati t-tāmmah….
• Sahih Muslim, no. 383: responding to the call of the muezzin.
• Sahih Muslim, no. 384: sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and asking Allah to grant him al-Wasīlah.
• Sahih Muslim, no. 385: response to Hayya ‘ala ṣ-ṣalāh and Hayya ‘ala l-falāḥ.
• Jāmi‘ at-Tirmidhi, no. 212 and Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 521: supplication between the adhan and iqama.