Dua Between Two Sujood: The Forgotten Moment in Your Prayer

In every rakah of prayer, there is a moment that almost no one pays attention to. You come up from the first sujud, settle into the brief sitting between the two prostrations, and almost immediately go back down.

Most people treat this sitting as a transition. A pause between two "real" positions.

But the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught specific words for this moment — not just the minimum Rabbighfirli, but a five-part supplication that covers the essentials of human need in a single breath. The sitting between the two prostrations is not a pause between acts of worship. It is itself an act of worship.

The Dua Between Two Sujood

The minimum — twice forgiveness

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي

Rabbighfir li, Rabbighfir li

"My Lord, forgive me. My Lord, forgive me."

Said twice — once for each request. Simple, direct, and placed exactly between two moments of complete submission to Allah.

The complete five-part dua

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي

Allahumma ighfirli warhamni wa 'afini wahdini warzuqni

"O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me wellbeing, guide me, and provide for me." — (Abu Dawud 850)

Five requests: forgiveness, mercy, wellbeing, guidance, provision. This dua is arguably one of the most complete condensed supplications in the prophetic tradition. In roughly ten seconds, you have asked for everything that matters.

The Story Behind This Position

The sitting between two prostrations (jalsah) is one of the pillars of prayer that many Muslims rush through. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against this specifically.

He said to the man who prayed quickly, not settling properly in each position: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." (Bukhari 757) When the Companion asked what he was doing wrong, the Prophet walked him through each position — including: "Then sit up until you are at rest sitting." This tuma'ninah (tranquility in each position) is an obligation, not a recommendation.

The dua Allahumma ighfirli warhamni wa 'afini wahdini warzuqni appears in a hadith from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported the Prophet saying it in the jalsah. (Abu Dawud 850) Ibn Abbas himself learned this and taught it.

What is striking about the placement is intentional: you have just had your forehead on the ground in complete submission — the highest closeness to Allah — and now you sit upright to ask. Then you return to the ground again. The dua is sandwiched between two prostrations, as if the two sujuds themselves are amplifying the request made between them.

How to Bring This Dua Into Your Prayer

The jalsah between two sujuds is extremely brief — typically less than five seconds in how most people pray. The practice shift required here is small but significant: add the words and settle into the sitting properly.

Learn the five-part dua first: Allahumma ighfirli warhamni wa 'afini wahdini warzuqni. Break it down: ighfirli (forgive me), warhamni (have mercy on me), wa 'afini (grant me wellbeing), wahdini (guide me), warzuqni (provide for me). Five parts. Once you know them, you can say the whole dua in about eight seconds.

Practice in sunnah prayers: Your nafl prayers are the training ground. In voluntary prayer, take a conscious extra beat in the jalsah. Say the dua fully, feel each request. Then carry that sense of completeness into your fard prayers.

Use the dua's five parts as a daily audit: Forgiveness — what needs to be repented from? Mercy — where do you need Allah's gentleness today? Wellbeing — health of body, heart, and circumstances. Guidance — decisions you face, clarity you lack. Provision — both material and spiritual. The five parts of this dua cover every major domain of human need. Saying it twenty times per day (in twenty jalsahs across five prayers) means you are auditing your needs and presenting them to Allah constantly.

Slow down by settling before the second sujud: Make tuma'ninah a conscious goal. After you come up from the first sujud, fully settle on your heels. Feel the sitting. Then say the dua. Then go down to the second sujud. The settling is what separates the two sujuds — without it, the prayer is technically deficient.

Tracking your prayer consistency helps you notice whether you are actually praying with presence or running through the motions. The quality of your prayer is revealed most clearly in these brief, overlooked moments.

Pray with Presence, Not Just Repetition

DeenBack helps you build a consistent prayer habit with real intention — so the positions you rush through become the moments you actually live.

Free download. Premium features available in-app.

Related Duas

Dua for prostration in prayer: The full sujud — both of them — has its own collection of duas beyond Subhana Rabbiyal A'la. See dua for prostration in prayer for the complete sujud practice.

How to pray salah correctly: For the complete architecture of prayer including all positions, dhikr, and proper sequence, see how to pray salah correctly.

Dua for khushu in prayer: Understanding what it means to be present in prayer helps transform these brief positions from habit into conscious worship. See dua for khushu in prayer.

Dua for forgiveness: The ighfirli component of this dua can be expanded into a comprehensive forgiveness practice. See dua for forgiveness for the full range of istighfar duas.

Common Questions

What is the difference between the jalsah and the tashahhud sitting?

The jalsah is the brief sitting between the two prostrations — said Rabbighfirli or the five-part dua. The tashahhud sitting is a longer sitting at the end of a two-rakah or four-rakah unit, where you recite the At-Tahiyyat and send salawat on the Prophet. Both are important but distinct positions with different supplications.

Should my hands be on my knees during the jalsah?

Yes. Place your hands flat on your thighs, close to your knees, with fingers together. Some scholars say the right hand can be in the position of one finger raised (as in tashahhud), but the more widely practiced position for the jalsah is both hands flat on the thighs with no raised finger.

Can I repeat the five-part dua multiple times in the jalsah?

You can, especially in voluntary prayer. There is no prohibition. In obligatory prayer, most scholars say to maintain proportionality between positions. One full saying of the dua is sufficient for every jalsah.

What about the sitting in the first tashahhud of a four-rakah prayer?

The first tashahhud sitting (after the second rakah) is slightly longer and has its own dhikr (At-Tahiyyat and salawat). This is distinct from the jalsah between two sujuds. Do not confuse the two — the jalsah is brief and between sujuds; the tashahhud sitting is between rakah units.

Closing

Every prayer you pray contains between 16 and 20 sittings between the two prostrations. Each one is an opportunity to ask Allah for forgiveness, mercy, wellbeing, guidance, and provision.

If you have been rushing through this position your whole life, you have not been praying a defective prayer — but you have been leaving one of the most condensed, comprehensive duas in the prophetic tradition unsaid.

Start now. In your next prayer, in the jalsah: settle, say the dua, feel each word. Five requests, eight seconds, every single rakah. That is the practice the Prophet taught.

Build the Prayer That the Prophet Taught

DeenBack helps you track your prayer consistency and build the intentional salah practice that turns every jalsah into a real conversation with Allah.

Free download. Premium features available in-app.