How to pray Isha
Isha is the last obligatory prayer of the day. Four rak'ahs of fard, with the first two recited aloud. The two sunnah rak'ahs after are strongly recommended. After those, the witr prayer (the odd-numbered close of the night's prayer) is offered, see the witr guide for details. The Prophet ﷺ said delaying Isha beyond its preferred window is fine but do not let it pass without praying.
From the fading of twilight until true dawn (best before midnight)
Aloud in rak'ahs 1 and 2, silent in rak'ahs 3 and 4.
4 fard, 2 sunnah after, 3 witr
Starts when the red glow on the horizon has disappeared and the sky is fully dark. Technically valid until Fajr but praying before Islamic midnight (halfway between sunset and dawn) is strongly preferred.
What makes Isha distinct
- 1
Four fard rak'ahs, first two aloud, last two silent.
- 2
Brief tashahhud after rak'ah 2.
- 3
Followed immediately by 2 sunnah rak'ahs and then the witr.
- 4
Technically valid until Fajr but preferred before the midpoint of the night.
- 5
Skipping Isha (especially sleeping through) was called out by the Prophet ﷺ as a sign of hypocrisy alongside Fajr.
FAQs about Isha
Can I pray Isha right after Maghrib?+
No, not until the twilight has faded. The window starts when the red (or by Hanafi opinion, white) glow on the horizon has gone. Check your local time.
When should I stop delaying Isha?+
The Prophet ﷺ said the best time for Isha is one-third of the night. Praying before Islamic midnight (halfway between sunset and dawn) is strongly preferred. If you wait past that, still pray, but the reward lessens.
Should I pray witr right after Isha?+
Yes, unless you are confident you will wake up for tahajjud. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever fears he may not wake up in the last part of the night, let him pray witr at the start of the night.' Sahih Muslim 755.
Is the Qunut dua part of Isha?+
Qunut is part of Witr, not Isha (except on special occasions of public calamity, called Qunut an-Nawazil). See the Witr guide for the dua.
Learn the full prayer
Every daily prayer builds on the same 2-rak'ah pattern: wudu, the takbir, al-Fatihah, a surah, ruku, sujud, tashahhud, and salam. Learn the complete walkthrough once and every prayer makes sense.