Is there any Lawful Supplication after the Iqamah?

Question :

After Friday prayer, the Imam informed us: "Upon completion of the Iqamah, none of you should make any supplication which was not reported from the Prophet and there is nothing in the Book (of Allah) or the Sunnah. When the Mu'aththin mentions Allah in the Iqamah, you should also mention Allah, and be silent until the Imam says: Allahu Akbar (i.e. until he begins the prayer)." And nowadays the people are disregarding the words of the Imam. We request your advice quickly, so that we may be reassured.

Answer:

The Sunnah is that the one who hears the Iqamah should say what the one calling the Iqamah says, because it is (known as) the second Athan, so it should be answered as the (first) Athan is answered.

When the one calling the Iqamah says: "Hayya alas-salah, hayya alal-falah" (Hurry to prayer, hurry to success), the listener should say: "La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah" (There is no power and no strength except in Allah). And when he says: "Qad qamatis-salah, qad qamatis-salah" (The prayer is beginning, the prayer is beginning) the listener should say likewise, and he should not say: "Aqamahallah wa adamaha" (Allah has established it and made it everlasting), as this is (based upon a) weak (Hadith).

And it has been authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah that he said:

"If you hear the Mu'aththin, say as he does.

This is general for the Athan and the Iqamah because both of them are called "Athan." Then one send's prayers on the Prophet after the one calling the Iqamah says:

"La ilaha illallah" (None is worthy of worship except Allah), saying: "Allahumma Rabba hathihid-da'watit-tammah, was-salatil- qa imah..." etc. (O Allah! Lord of this perfect supplication and this prayer which is about to begin..." just as it is said after the Athan.

And we do not know of any authentic evidence to prove that one should say any supplication between the end of the Iqamah and the opening Takbir of the prayer, apart from what we have mentioned.

Through Allah is success attained, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.