Notice:Editorial team review only - scholar review pending
What is the best single supplication to make after prayer?
Begin with Ayat al-Kursi (Qur'an 2:255), then the three Mu'awwidhat (Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas - Qur'an 112:1-4, 113:1-5, 114:1-6) once each after each fard salah. Add Sayyid al-Istighfar (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306) at least once a day. For supplication asking by Allah's greatest name, the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught the formula in Sunan Abi Dawud 1493 - it contains 'You are Allah, there is no deity but You, the One, the Self-Sufficient, who neither begets nor was begotten, and to whom none is equal.' These four together cover protection, forgiveness, and answered supplication.
Should I recite the declaration of oneness (tahlil) one hundred times every day?
Yes - this is one of the strongest single daily habits in the Sunnah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said whoever says one hundred times in a day: 'La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-l-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir' (There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner; to Him belongs dominion and to Him belongs praise, and He is over all things competent) receives the reward of freeing ten slaves, one hundred good deeds written, one hundred sins erased, and shielding from Shaytan until evening (Sahih Muslim 2691). Spread the hundred across the day - some after each fard salah, the remainder during commute or quiet moments.
Should my supplication be in Arabic, or in the language I think in?
Both. The prophetic formulas - Ayat al-Kursi, the Mu'awwidhat, Sayyid al-Istighfar, the tahlil - should be recited in their original Arabic, since the Qur'anic words themselves carry barakah. But your personal supplication for your own needs may be in whatever language your heart speaks. Allah revealed: 'And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you' (Surah Ghafir 40:60, alluded to) - the call is heard in any tongue. Combine the two: prophetic formulas in Arabic, personal asking in your mother tongue.
?Do I need to face the qiblah to make supplication?
Facing the qiblah is preferred and was the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for sustained du'a, but du'a outside the qiblah-facing posture is also accepted. The believer's du'a is heard wherever the believer is - walking, lying ill in bed, driving home. The qiblah is the etiquette; the response is from Allah, who is not bound by direction.
?Should I raise my hands while making supplication after prayer?
Raising hands is the recommended Sunnah for personal supplication outside the salah itself. The Prophet, peace be upon him, raised his hands in du'a in numerous narrations. After the fard salah, after concluding with salam, the personal portion of your du'a may be made with hands raised; the prophetic adhkar formulas (Ayat al-Kursi, the tahlil) do not require raised hands. Match the posture to the type: formulaic adhkar without hands, personal supplication with hands.