The first takbir and the standing

Every rakah of salah starts with qiyam, standing. You face qibla, feet planted, body still. You make your niyyah in your heart.

Then you say Allahu akbar while raising your hands to roughly ear-level (men to earlobes, women to shoulders in the Hanafi school; both positions are fine). This is called takbiratul ihram, the opening takbir. It is what turns a standing into a prayer. Nothing that happens before it is part of the prayer.

After saying Allahu akbar, you bring your hands down. Men usually place the right hand over the left on or just below the chest. Women usually place them on the chest. Scholars differ on the exact position; any mainstream placement is valid.

The opening supplication (du'a al-istiftah)

Before al-Fatihah, you may say a short opening dua silently. One of the common versions:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَىٰ جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

“Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaraka ismuka, wa ta'ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruka.”

— Sunan an-Nasa'i 900 (graded sahih)

It means: Glory be to You O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.

This opening dua is a sunnah, meaning the Prophet ﷺ did it and it adds reward but skipping it does not invalidate the prayer. If you are just starting, skip it for now and come back to it once al-Fatihah is solid.

The recitation

You then say Aoodhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan), followed by bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem (you can say this out loud or quietly, both positions are in the schools). Then you recite Surah al-Fatihah.

After Fatihah, you recite a second surah or a few verses. In the early rakahs of your learning, one of the short ones from the end of the Quran is fine. Surah al-Ikhlas (the one from day 2) is the most common choice while you are getting started.

You recite out loud in Fajr, the first two rakahs of Maghrib, and the first two rakahs of Isha. Everywhere else you recite quietly (still moving your lips). This distinction is simpler than it sounds and becomes second nature.