How to pray, step by step.
Pick a prayer and follow it one step at a time, from the intention to the salam, with what to say in Arabic, how to say it and what it means.
The method shown is the Hanafi one. Where the other madhhabs differ, the guide below explains how. Use the arrow keys to move between steps.
Guide
Salah, everything a beginner needs.
Salah is the second pillar of Islam and the first thing a person will be asked about on the Day of Judgement. Allah says: "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at specified times."1 Five prayers are fard every day: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
Before you pray
- Be in wudu, and in ghusl if it is due. See how to make wudu.
- Clean body, clothes and place.
- Cover the awrah: for men from the navel to below the knees; for women the whole body except the face, hands and feet.
- Face the qibla. Use the qibla finder.
- It must be the prayer's time. See prayer times.
How many rakahs in each prayer
| Prayer | Before | Fard | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 sunnah muakkadah | 2 | – |
| Dhuhr | 4 sunnah muakkadah | 4 | 2 sunnah muakkadah |
| Asr | 4 sunnah (not muakkadah) | 4 | – |
| Maghrib | – | 3 | 2 sunnah muakkadah |
| Isha | 4 sunnah (not muakkadah) | 4 | 2 sunnah muakkadah, then 3 witr (wajib) |
| Jumuah | 4 sunnah muakkadah | 2 | 4 sunnah muakkadah, then 2 sunnah |
These are the Hanafi counts. The fard rakahs are the same in every madhhab. The sunnah prayers around them differ slightly between the schools.
Where the madhhabs differ
Raise the hands only for the opening takbir (and the witr qunut). Men fold the hands below the navel, women on the chest. Say Amin quietly. A follower stays silent behind the imam and does not recite Al-Fatiha. Witr is wajib: three rakahs with one salam, with Dua al-Qunut before ruku in the third.2
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Hands are raised at the opening takbir, before and after ruku, and when standing from the first tashahhud. Hands are folded below the chest, above the navel. Al-Fatiha is recited behind the imam. Amin is said aloud in loud prayers. Witr is a confirmed sunnah, often prayed as two rakahs then one.
- Maliki
- The well-known practice is to let the arms hang at the sides (sadl) in fard prayers. In the loud prayers, the well-known view is that the imam does not say Amin and those behind him say it quietly. Witr is one rakah after an even prayer, and is a confirmed sunnah.
- Hanbali
- Hands are raised before and after ruku as well. Hands are folded below the navel, as in the Hanafi school. Witr is a confirmed sunnah, with qunut after ruku.
What makes a prayer invalid
- Talking, eating or drinking on purpose or by mistake (Hanafi).
- Losing wudu.
- Turning the chest away from the qibla.
- Missing a fard part, such as ruku or a sajdah, and not making it up.
- Laughing aloud.
If you miss a wajib act by mistake, such as the first sitting, make the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw): after the tashahhud of the last sitting, give one salam to the right, make two sajdahs, then repeat the tashahhud, salawat and dua and finish with salam.
Praying while you are still learning
Do not wait until you know everything. Pray from your first day. If you do not yet know Al-Fatiha by heart, say what you can, such as Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu akbar, while you learn, and learn Al-Fatiha first. Our Al-Fatiha trainer teaches it word by word.
Women's prayer
In the Hanafi school, women raise the hands to the shoulders, fold them on the chest, keep the body more compact in ruku and sujud, with the arms close to the sides, and sit with both feet out to the right. Women do not pray during menstruation or postnatal bleeding, and these prayers are not made up.
Praying when travelling
On a journey of about 77 km (48 miles) or more, the Hanafi school requires shortening (qasr) the four-rakah fard prayers to two. This continues at the destination unless you intend to stay 15 days or more. Maghrib, Fajr and witr are not shortened.
- Quran 4:103, translation by Sahih International.
- Al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, Kitab al-Salah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know.
How many rakahs are in each prayer?
Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and Isha 4 fard rakahs. Hanafis also pray 3 rakahs of witr after Isha, which is wajib.
What do you say in each part of the prayer?
Allahu akbar to begin, the opening dua, Al-Fatiha and a surah while standing, Subhana rabbiyal azim in ruku, Subhana rabbiyal ala in sujud, and the tashahhud, salawat and a dua in the final sitting. Step through the trainer above to see each one.
Can I pray in English?
The recitations of the prayer are said in Arabic. While you are learning, say what you can and keep learning. You can make your own dua in any language outside the prayer.
What should I do if I make a mistake in prayer?
If you missed a wajib act by mistake, make the two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw) at the end. If you missed a fard act, such as a sajdah, and did not make it up, repeat the prayer.
What are the forbidden times for prayer?
At sunrise, when the sun is at its highest point, and at sunset. Voluntary prayers are also disliked after the Fajr prayer until sunrise, and after the Asr prayer until sunset.
What do I recite after the prayer?
It is sunnah to say Astaghfirullah three times, then Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 34 times. Use the tasbih counter to keep count.