What does Salah mean?
The five daily prayers, the second pillar of Islam.
Salah explained
Salah is the formal prayer performed five times a day at fixed times: Fajr before sunrise, Dhuhr after midday, Asr in the afternoon, Maghrib after sunset, and Isha at night. It combines standing, bowing, prostration and sitting with recitation of the Quran and words of praise.
It is the first act a Muslim will be asked about on the Day of Judgement, and the one act of worship that was given to the Prophet ﷺ directly in the heavens during the Night Journey. In Persian and Urdu the same prayer is called namaz.
Related terms
- Fajrفَجْر
The dawn prayer, two rak'ah, prayed before sunrise.
- Dhuhrظُهْر
The midday prayer, four rak'ah, after the sun passes its highest point.
- Asrعَصْر
The afternoon prayer, four rak'ah.
- Maghribمَغْرِب
The sunset prayer, three rak'ah, prayed right after the sun sets.
- Ishaعِشَاء
The night prayer, four rak'ah, once the red twilight has gone.
- Wuduوُضُوء
The ritual washing before prayer: face, arms, head and feet.
- Rak'ahرَكْعَة
One unit of prayer: standing, bowing, two prostrations and sitting.
- Adhanأَذَان
The call to prayer, given aloud at the start of each prayer time.
Questions about Salah
What does Salah mean?
Salah (صَلَاة, Salah) means: The five daily prayers, the second pillar of Islam.
How is Salah written and pronounced in Arabic?
It is written صَلَاة and pronounced Salah. It is also spelled Salat, Namaz.
Where does Salah come from in the Quran or hadith?
Salah is the formal prayer performed five times a day at fixed times: Fajr before sunrise, Dhuhr after midday, Asr in the afternoon, Maghrib after sunset, and Isha at night. It combines standing, bowing, prostration and sitting with recitation of the Quran and words of praise. Source: Al-Baqarah 2:43; Sunan an-Nasa'i 465.
Practice with the full Quran, word by word, in the Barakah Life app
Every term here is something Barakah does: prayer times to the minute, a qibla you can trust, du'as with audio, the Quran word by word, tasbih, zakat, and a guide for Jumu'ah itself.
Get the Barakah app