Answered by SunniPath Answer Service Team
Can you explain to me what you mean by, ” supplications and invocations” regarding what to recite behind the imam?
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
As previously discussed [see archives at www.sunnipath.com], in the Hanafi school, the follower does not recite any Quran (including the Fatiha) behind the Imam, in any prayer. Doing so is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman).
“Supplications” refers to duas made in prayer. For instance, it is a confirmed sunnah to make a dua (from the Quran or Sunnah) in the final sitting, before the final salams.
See: “Supplicating in Prayer”
By “invocations”, what is meant are the parts of the prayer where one invokes Allah. For example: when one says “Allahu Akbar” (God is the Greatest) many times throughout the prayer, or when one says “Subhana Rabbi al-Adhim” (Glory be to my Lord, the Greatest) in ruku, or “Subhana Rabbi al-Ala” (Glory be to my Lord Most High) in sajda.
As such, when praying behind an Imam, once recites everything one would normally recite, other than the Quran.
One can generally distinguish the two by keeping in mind that a “supplication” is that which makes a request of Allah. An “invocation” however, does not ask for anything, but simply calls on Allah.
Outside of prayer, a supplication is any dua that one makes, be it from the Quran, Sunnah or one’s heart, and an invocation’ is any dhikr one makes, such as “Ya Latif” or “Subhan Allah”, etc.
Wassalam,
Sunni Path QA Team