How to Pray: A Step-by-Step Guide to the 5 Daily Prayers

Prayer, the Pillar of Islam

Prayer (salah) is one of the five pillars of Islam and, in the Prophet's words, "the pillar of the religion" (Bayhaqi). Performed five times a day, it is both a means of spiritual purification and a direct connection with Allah.

"Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times."

— Surah An-Nisa, verse 103

Conditions Before Prayer

Before praying, the following conditions must be met:

| # | Condition | Explanation | |---|-----------|-------------| | 1 | Ablution (wudu) | Purification from ritual impurity — required for prayer | | 2 | Cleanliness | Body, clothing and the place of prayer free from physical impurity | | 3 | Covering the awrah | (men: navel to knee; women: the whole body except the face, hands and feet) | | 4 | Facing the qibla | Turning towards the Kaaba | | 5 | The prayer time | The time for that prayer must have entered | | 6 | Intention | Forming in the heart the intention for which prayer is being performed |

The Five Daily Prayers and Their Rakahs

| Prayer | Sunnah (before) | Fard | Sunnah (after) | Witr | |--------|------------------|----------|-----------------|------| | Fajr | 2 | 2 | — | — | | Dhuhr | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | | Asr | 4 | 4 | — | — | | Maghrib | — | 3 | 2 | — | | Isha | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |

Total daily obligatory rakahs: 17 Total daily prayer (sunnah + fard + witr): 40 rakahs

How to Pray, Step by Step

The Structure of a Rakah

Each rakah includes the following steps:

1. Standing (qiyam) → Subhanaka + Al-Fatihah + a surah
2. Bowing (ruku) → Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim x3
3. First prostration → Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la x3
4. Sitting briefly between the two prostrations
5. Second prostration → Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la x3

Once the first rakah is complete, you rise to begin the second. Al-Fatihah and an additional surah are recited in the first two rakahs; in later rakahs, only Al-Fatihah is recited.

The Sittings (Tashahhud)

• After the second rakah (a brief sitting)

  • Only At-Tahiyyat is recited
  • Then you rise again

• In the final rakah (the final sitting)

  • At-Tahiyyat
  • Allahumma Salli 'ala Muhammad
  • Allahumma Barik 'ala Muhammad
  • The Rabbana atina fi'd-dunya hasanatan... supplication
  • Salam (right and left)

The Supplications Recited in Prayer

Subhanaka:

Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi-hamdik, wa tabarakasmuk, wa ta'ala jadduk, wa la ilaha ghayruk.

(Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god besides You.)

Ta'awwudh and Basmalah:

A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani'r-rajim. Bismillahi'r-rahmani'r-rahim.

Surah Al-Fatihah: (full text here)

In ruku:

Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim. (x3)

In sujud:

Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la. (x3)

At-Tahiyyat:

At-tahiyyatu lillahi wa's-salawatu wa't-tayyibat. As-salamu 'alayka ayyuha'n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahi's-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa'llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.

Allahumma Salli:

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim. Innaka hamidun majid.

Allahumma Barik:

Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim. Innaka hamidun majid.

The Rabbana Supplication:

Rabbana atina fi'd-dunya hasanatan wa fi'l-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaba'n-nar.

Salam:

As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah. (first to the right, then to the left)

Differences Between Men and Women

The supplications and surahs recited in prayer are the same for men and women. There are, however, some differences in physical posture:

| Movement | Men | Women | |----------|-----|-------| | Raising the hands (takbir) | To the earlobes | To the shoulders | | Folding the hands | Below the navel | Over the chest | | In ruku | Back straight, fingers spread | A lighter bow, knees slightly bent, fingers together | | In sujud | Arms held away from the sides | Arms kept close to the body | | Sitting | Left foot flat, right foot upright | Both feet brought out to the right side |

Practical Tips

• If you're just starting out: Begin by making the Fajr prayer (2 rakahs — the shortest) a steady habit
• Learn the meaning first: Understand what each supplication means before memorising it in Arabic
• Track the times: Find your city's prayer times on our prayer times page
• Finding the qibla: Use a mobile app's qibla compass
• Repetition: In the first two weeks, pray the same way consistently to fix it in memory

Frequently Asked Questions

There are times I miss a prayer — what should I do?

Missed prayers must be made up (qada). Any obligatory prayer not performed once its time has passed remains a duty owed. According to Diyanet, missed prayers may be made up at any time except the specifically prohibited times (at sunrise, at the sun's zenith, and at sunset), when only obligatory make-up prayers — not voluntary ones — may be performed.

How is prayer taught to a child?

The Prophet said: "Teach your children to pray at seven, and instruct them firmly regarding it at ten" (Abu Dawud). A gradual approach:

1. Ages 3-5: Let them see you pray and set the example
2. Ages 5-6: Teach the intention and the takbir
3. Age 7: Teach the complete prayer
4. Age 10: Encourage consistency, firmly but with kindness

What if I make a mistake during prayer?

For significant errors — such as skipping an obligatory element or adding an extra rakah — a prostration of forgiveness (sajdat as-sahw) is performed. After the final sitting, salam is given, then two prostrations are made, followed by sitting again and a final salam. This corrects minor errors in the prayer.

What if I don't have time to pray properly?

• If needed, you may skip the shorter sunnah rakahs
• At minimum, perform the fard (skipping the sunnah loses some reward but is not sinful, since it is not obligatory)
• Opening takbir + Al-Fatihah + a short surah + ruku + sujud + salam can take as little as 2-3 minutes for one rakah
• Not praying at all is what carries the sin

Learn to Pray in the Nurlu App

The Nurlu app offers interactive guidance for learning to pray:

• step-by-step audio guidance for each of the five daily prayers
• pronunciation of the supplications (slow and normal speed)
• visual guidance (separate for men and women)
• daily prayer tracking (prayed / not yet prayed)
• a make-up prayer counter

all free of charge.