Attahiyat Dua (Tashahhud): Meaning and Full Text

Quick answer: Attahiyat (also called Tashahhud) is the specific recitation said while sitting during prayer, after the second rak’ah and again at the end of the prayer. It includes testimony of faith and precedes the durood and final salam.

What Is Attahiyat?

Attahiyat (التَّحِيَّات), also known as Tashahhud, is a fixed recitation said while sitting (Qa’dah) during prayer. It’s recited after completing two rak’ahs in prayers with more than two units, and again at the very end of every prayer, right before the final salam.

The Full Text of Attahiyat

Word-by-Word Meaning

Transliteration: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, as-salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-saliheen, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.

Meaning: All compliments, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.

Where Attahiyat Fits Within the Prayer

• In a two-rak’ah prayer (like Fajr), Attahiyat is recited once, at the end, followed by durood and salam.
• In a three or four-rak’ah prayer (like Maghrib, Zuhr, Asr, Isha), Attahiyat is recited after the second rak’ah (the first sitting), without the durood, before standing again for the remaining rak’ahs. It’s then recited again at the very end, this time followed by durood and the closing dua.

What Comes After Attahiyat at the Final Sitting

After completing Attahiyat in the final sitting, two more elements typically follow before the prayer closes:

1. Durood Ibrahim, sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and his family, the same core phrase covered in our Dua for Milad article.
2. A closing dua, often a short supplication seeking refuge or forgiveness, before turning the head right and left for the salam.

Why the Wording Matters

Attahiyat isn’t a generic praise formula. Notice the structure: it opens addressing Allah, moves to directly addressing the Prophet ﷺ (“peace be upon you”), then shifts to addressing the wider community of righteous worshippers, and closes with the same testimony of faith covered in our article on the Kalimas. A worshipper says this multiple times daily, making it one of the most frequently repeated texts in a practicing Muslim’s life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Attahiyat the same as Tashahhud?

Yes, the two terms refer to the same recitation, with “Tashahhud” (from shahadah, testimony) and “Attahiyat” (compliments) both used interchangeably depending on region and tradition.

Do I recite the durood at both sittings, or only the final one?

Only at the final sitting. In prayers with a middle sitting after the second rak’ah, that first Attahiyat is recited alone, without durood, before standing again.

What if I forget part of Attahiyat mid-prayer?

Continuing calmly with what’s recalled, and performing Sajdah Sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness) if genuinely needed, is the general guidance, rather than restarting the prayer over a memory lapse.

Conclusion

Attahiyat is recited more times in a single day than almost any other fixed text in Islamic worship, yet it’s easy to say quickly without registering what it actually contains: direct address to the Prophet ﷺ, and the same testimony of faith that opens a person’s entire relationship with Islam.

See our related guides on Namaz and Wudu, and check your local Namaz Times.