How to Pray Step by Step for Beginners

The five daily prayers and their rak'ahs

Allah made five prayers a duty for believers, each at its own time (Quran 4:103). They are Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (after sunset) and Isha (night).

The number of obligatory (fard) rak'ahs in each prayer is:

• Fajr: 2 rak'ahs
• Dhuhr: 4 rak'ahs
• Asr: 4 rak'ahs
• Maghrib: 3 rak'ahs
• Isha: 4 rak'ahs

Before you begin

Prepare yourself first. You need to be in wudu (ablution), to wear clean clothes that cover the body properly, and to stand on a clean place facing the Qibla (the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah).

The Prophet ﷺ taught his followers to pray as they had seen him pray. So it helps to learn the steps slowly and exactly.

The steps of one rak'ah

Follow these steps in order. The first two apply only at the start of the prayer.

• Intention (niyyah): decide in your heart which prayer you are praying. You do not have to say it aloud.
• Takbir: raise your hands and say Allahu akbar (Allah is the Greatest). Then fold your hands in front of you.
• Standing (qiyam): recite Surah al-Fatihah. In the first two rak'ahs, add another short passage from the Quran.
• Ruku (bowing): say Allahu akbar and bow with a straight back. Praise Allah while you bow, then stand up straight.
• Sujud (prostration): say Allahu akbar and go down. Your forehead with nose, both palms, both knees and the toes of both feet should touch the ground. Praise Allah in this position.
• Sit for a short moment, then make a second sujud.

Now you have finished one rak'ah. Stand up for the next one, or move to the ending if this was the last.

How the prayer ends

After the second rak'ah of any prayer you sit and recite the tashahhud. This is the testimony of faith together with greetings to Allah. In a prayer of three or four rak'ahs you then stand and complete the rest. In these later rak'ahs most people recite only al-Fatihah.

In the final sitting you also send blessings on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Then you end the prayer with the taslim. Turn your head to the right and say Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah (peace and mercy of Allah be upon you). Do the same to the left.

Common beginner mistakes

The most important mistake to avoid is rushing. The Prophet ﷺ once told a man who prayed too quickly to pray again, because he had not prayed calmly (reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Be still for a moment in each position.

• Losing count of the rak'ahs. Count quietly with your fingers or by the number of sujud.
• Starting without wudu, or facing the wrong direction.
• Moving a lot, looking around or playing with clothes.
• Waiting to be perfect in Arabic before you start. Begin with what you know and keep learning.

If you are unsure what to do after a mistake in the prayer, ask a qualified local scholar. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear (Quran 2:286).

Sources

• Quran 4:103
• Quran 2:286
• Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Prayer)
• Sahih Muslim (Book of Prayer)