How to pray salah, step by step
Learn one complete prayer without feeling overwhelmed. Start with wudu, follow every posture in order, and read each spoken line in Arabic, transliteration and plain English.
Four small steps to your first salah
The main salah positions at a glance
A rak'ah moves through standing, bowing, standing again, prostrating and sitting. These illustrated examples show the order before you learn the words below.
1Standing
2Bowing
3Standing
4Prostration
5Sitting
6Taslim
1. Before you pray
Six things have to be in place before the salah counts:
- Wudu: you are in a state of ritual purity
A quick wash of hands, mouth, face, arms, head and feet. Keeps its validity until you break it.
- Clean clothes covering the awrah
The minimum covering for men in prayer is from the navel to the knees. For women the minimum is everything except face and hands. Any clean clothing that meets this is fine.
- Clean prayer space
A bed, a rug, a patch of grass, anywhere free of impurity. A prayer mat is a convenience, not a requirement.
- Facing the qibla (the Ka'bah in Makkah)
Use the Barakah qibla finder, a trusted mosque, or another reliable reference. If you genuinely cannot determine it, make your best reasonable effort.
- The prayer's time has entered
Each of the five prayers has a window. Check live times for your city from the home page.
- Intention (niyyah) in your heart
You don't need to speak it. Simply intending 'I'm praying Dhuhr now' is enough.
2. How to make wudu (ablution)
Wudu is the ritual washing that prepares you for salah. It often takes only a few minutes. Using the bathroom, passing wind and losing consciousness break wudu. Scholars differ on matters such as bleeding, so follow the school or trusted teacher you study with for those details.
Open the full step-by-step wudu guide- 1Wash both hands up to the wrists (3 times)
Start with the right hand, then the left. Work between the fingers.
- 2Rinse the mouth (3 times)
Scoop water with the right hand and rinse thoroughly.
- 3Sniff water into the nose and blow it out (3 times)
A gentle sniff, just enough to reach the inside of the nose.
- 4Wash the face (3 times)
From hairline to jaw, ear to ear. Make sure no patch is dry.
- 5Wash the arms up to and including the elbows (3 times)
Right arm first, then left. Over the elbow is fine.
- 6Wipe the head (once)
Wet your palms and wipe from the front of the head to the back, once. The obligatory (fard) part is a single pass. Returning from back to front is the full Sunnah version.
- 7Wipe the ears (once)
Insert the index fingers into the ear canals and pass the thumbs behind the ears.
- 8Wash the feet up to and including the ankles (3 times)
Right foot first, then left. Work between the toes.
The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says this after wudu, the eight gates of Paradise are opened for them. Sahih Muslim 234.
3. The full two-rak'ah walkthrough
Every salah is built from repeating rak'ahs, one complete cycle of standing, bowing, and two prostrations. Learn two rak'ahs and you know every prayer; the rest is just repeating the pattern.
Stand facing the qibla and make the opening takbir
Raise your hands to your earlobes or shoulders, palms facing forward, and say Allahu Akbar. This is Takbiratul Ihram, the moment the prayer begins and ordinary speech is no longer permitted until you finish. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Pray as you have seen me pray' (Sahih al-Bukhari 631).
Place your hands and say the opening supplication
Place your right hand over your left while standing and look toward the place where you will prostrate. Scholars differ on exactly where the hands rest, so follow the established method taught by your imam or school. Then recite the opening du'a quietly.
Seek refuge, say the Basmalah
Before reciting al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah, seek refuge from Shaytan and say Bismillah quietly.
Recite Surat al-Fatihah
The Opening chapter of the Qur'an is recited in every rak'ah. At the end, say 'Ameen' quietly.
Recite a short surah or verses
In the first two rak'ahs, recite a surah or a portion of one after al-Fatihah. A good starter is al-Ikhlas, which has four short verses.
Say the takbir and go into ruku (bowing)
Say Allahu Akbar as you bend forward. Keep your back flat and parallel to the ground, hands on your knees, fingers spread. Recite the tasbih three times.
Rise from ruku to standing, I'tidal
Straighten up from the bow, hands at your sides. As you rise, say the first line below; once standing, say the second.
Say the takbir and go into sujud (prostration)
Say Allahu Akbar and move down to prostration. Seven parts touch the ground: forehead, nose, both palms, both knees, and the tips of both feet. Recite the tasbih three times.
Sit between the two sujuds (jalsa)
Say Allahu Akbar as you rise. Sit with your left foot folded under and your right foot standing on its toes. Hands rest on your thighs. A short dua is recommended.
Second sujud, then stand for rak'ah 2
Say Allahu Akbar and prostrate again, reciting Subhana Rabbiyal A'la three times. Then rise (Allahu Akbar) to standing for the second rak'ah. Repeat: Fatihah + a short surah + ruku + i'tidal + two sujuds with a jalsa between. Note: the second surah after Fatihah is only in rak'ahs 1 and 2. In rak'ahs 3 and 4 (for Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) you recite al-Fatihah only.
Sit for tashahhud after the second sujud of rak'ah 2
After the second prostration of the second rak'ah, sit in the same jalsa posture. Raise your index finger on your right hand when you say 'illa-llah' as a pointer to tawhid. For a 2-rak'ah prayer (Fajr, Jumu'ah, sunnah, etc.) this is the final sitting. For a 3 or 4-rak'ah prayer (Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha), recite only the tashahhud below, then say Allahu Akbar and stand back up for rak'ah 3. Do not recite the salawat or make salam here.
Send salawat on the Prophet ﷺ
Immediately after tashahhud, send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ. This is the durood recited in every prayer.
Make a final du'a of your own
Before the salam, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to seek protection and make dua. Recite the supplication below, then ask Allah (SWT) for what you need.
Taslim, end the prayer
Turn your head to the right so your right cheek is visible to someone behind you. Then turn to the left the same way. That ends the prayer.
4. Rak'ahs for each of the five prayers
Fardare the obligatory rak'ahs you must pray. Sunnah are the ones the Prophet ﷺ prayed regularly, strongly recommended. Start with the fard and add the sunnah as you grow.
| Prayer | Sunnah before | Fard | Sunnah after | Witr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fajr الفجر | 2 | 2 | - | - |
Dhuhr الظهر | 2+2 | 4 | 2 | - |
Asr العصر | - | 4 | - | - |
Maghrib المغرب | - | 3 | 2 | - |
Isha العشاء | - | 4 | 2 | 3 |
If you only pray the fard rak'ahs, that's the obligation complete. Total fard each day: 17 rak'ahs. The regular sunnah prayers are highly encouraged and can be added as the daily obligation becomes steady.
What to do after salah
When the taslim ends the prayer, remain seated for a moment if you can. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught short remembrances after the obligatory prayers, including seeking forgiveness, praising Allah (SWT), and reciting Ayat al-Kursi.
Read the complete after-salah adhkar5. Common mistakes & tips
- Focus on the Fard first, add Sunnah as you grow
The five fard prayers are the daily obligation. If you are new, make those steady first, then add the regular sunnah prayers taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as you grow.
- Learn the Arabic a little at a time
Start with Allahu Akbar and al-Fatihah, then add the remaining phrases. Transliteration and audio can help you practise outside salah while the English meaning helps you pray with understanding.
- For prayers with 3 or 4 rak'ahs, don't recite a second surah after rak'ah 2
The third and fourth rak'ahs have only al-Fatihah (no second surah). Everything else stays the same.
- For 3 and 4-rak'ah prayers, the middle tashahhud is short
After the second sujud of rak'ah 2 in Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, sit briefly, recite only the tashahhud (the witnessing), then say Allahu Akbar and stand for rak'ah 3. Do not recite the salawat or make salam here, that happens only in the final sitting.
- Men and women share the same essential prayer
The sequence, recitations and required pillars are shared. Recognized schools describe some posture details differently, particularly for women. Follow a trusted teacher without treating another established practice as invalid.
- Missed a fard? Pray it as qada as soon as you remember
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray it as soon as he remembers, there is no expiation for it except that.' Sahih Muslim 684.
- Never rush
Tranquillity (khushu') in every position is a pillar of salah. Stay in each posture long enough to feel it, the Prophet ﷺ once told a man to re-pray because he prayed too quickly.
6. FAQs new Muslims ask
I can't read Arabic yet. Can I pray in English?+
The established recitations of salah are in Arabic, but a new Muslim should not postpone prayer while learning. Begin memorizing the short required phrases, practise from transliteration outside the prayer, and ask a trusted local teacher what to do during the learning period because the detailed rulings differ.
What do I do if I miss part of the prayer behind an imam?+
Join the imam in the position you find them. When the imam finishes with salam, stand and complete what you missed. Details of recitation in those completed rak'ahs differ between schools, so follow your local imam's teaching.
What if I'm not sure which rak'ah I'm in?+
If neither number seems more likely, build on the lower number and complete the prayer, then perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness. Whether they come before or after salam can differ by circumstance and school, so learn the method your imam teaches.
Do women and men pray differently?+
Men and women share the same prayer sequence, recitations and essential pillars. Recognized schools describe some posture details differently. Follow the established method you are learning and respect other authentic juristic positions.
Can I pray sitting if I'm injured or very ill?+
Yes. Pray standing if you can, sitting if you cannot stand, and on your side if you cannot sit. Allah (SWT) does not burden a soul beyond its capacity, as stated in Surah al-Baqarah 2:286.
How many prayers must I make up if I just became Muslim?+
When you said shahadah, everything before it was wiped clean. You start from your first salah forward, no making-up of prayers from before Islam.
Do I need a prayer mat to pray?+
No. You may pray on any clean surface. A prayer mat is useful for comfort and cleanliness, but it is not a condition of salah.
What actions invalidate salah?+
Common invalidators include deliberately speaking, eating or drinking, losing wudu, turning the body away from the qibla without need, exposing the awrah, and adding or removing an essential pillar deliberately. Forgetfulness has separate rules and may be corrected with sujud as-sahw.
Sources and legitimate differences
This guide follows the shared structure of salah established in the Quran and authentic Sunnah. Read about prayer times in Surah an-Nisa 4:103, wudu in Surah al-Ma'idah 5:6 and the qibla in Surah al-Baqarah 2:144. Hand placement, the raised finger, qunut and some details of sujud differ between recognized schools. A different authentic method does not make another Muslim's prayer invalid.
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This guide anchors on the Quran and authenticated Sunnah: what the Prophet ﷺ taught all of us when he said "pray as you have seen me pray" (Bukhari 631). Where madhabs differ on smaller details, we note both positions. If you are studying with a local teacher, follow the wording they teach. The essentials are the same.