Guide
How to Perform Salah (The Daily Prayer), Step by Step
Salah, the ritual prayer performed five times a day, follows a fixed sequence of standing, bowing and prostrating, accompanied by recitation. Once you learn a single unit — a rak'ah — you can pray any of the five prayers, because each is simply a number of these units repeated. This guide walks through one rak'ah and then shows how the prayers are built from them. It assumes you have already performed wudu (ablution) and are facing the Qibla.
Before you begin
Three conditions should be met first: you are in a state of purity (wudu), your body and place of prayer are clean, and you are facing the Qibla. Then form the intention (niyyah) in your heart for the specific prayer you are about to perform — the intention is inward and does not need to be spoken aloud.
1. The opening takbir
Stand upright and raise your hands to your ears (or shoulders), saying Allahu Akbar (“God is the Greatest”). This opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) marks the start of the prayer; from this moment worldly speech and movement stop. Then place your right hand over your left on your chest or midsection.
2. Standing and recitation (Qiyam)
While standing, recite the opening chapter of the Qur'an, Surah Al-Fatihah, which is required in every rak'ah. In the first two units it is followed by another short passage of the Qur'an. This standing portion is the heart of the prayer's recitation.
3. Bowing (Ruku)
Say Allahu Akbar and bow, placing your hands on your knees with your back straight. In this position say Subhana Rabbiyal Azeem (“Glory to my Lord, the Most Great”) three times. Then rise back to standing, saying Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal hamd.
4. Prostration (Sujud)
Say Allahu Akbar and prostrate, placing your forehead, nose, both palms, both knees and the toes of both feet on the ground. Say Subhana Rabbiyal A'la (“Glory to my Lord, the Most High”) three times. Sit up briefly, then prostrate a second time the same way. The two prostrations complete one rak'ah — prostration is considered the position in which a servant is closest to God.
How many rak'ahs each prayer has
Each of the five daily prayers is a set number of these units (the obligatory fard portion):
- Fajr — 2 rak'ahs
- Dhuhr — 4 rak'ahs
- Asr — 4 rak'ahs
- Maghrib — 3 rak'ahs
- Isha — 4 rak'ahs
After the second rak'ah (and at the very end) you sit for the tashahhud, the testimony of faith.
5. Ending with the salam
To finish, from the sitting position turn your face to the right saying As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah (“Peace and mercy of God be upon you”), then to the left saying the same. This closes the prayer. With that, you have prayed — the same pattern, repeated for the required number of units, is all five daily prayers.
A note for learners
Small details of wording and hand position vary slightly between the schools of jurisprudence (madhabs), and all are valid. If you are learning, following how your local mosque or a trusted teacher prays is the best way to get the details right.