حَٰفِظُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا۟ لِلَّهِ قَٰنِتِينَ ﴿٢٣٨﴾
你们当谨守许多拜功，和最贵的拜功，你们当为真主而顺服地立正。
Prayer (Salah)
How to pray: the pillars and the steps
The ruling in short
The Prophet ﷺ said: pray as you have seen me praying. The prayer begins with the opening takbir and ends with the taslim. Its pillars are standing when able, the takbir, reciting Al-Fatihah, bowing, rising, prostrating, sitting between the prostrations, the last tashahhud and the taslim, each done with calm. The Prophet ﷺ taught a man who prayed hastily to repeat his prayer and stay calm in every posture.
1The steps in order
- Face the Qibla with the intention in the heart and say Allahu Akbar.
- Recite the opening dua (optional), then seek refuge, say Bismillah and recite Al-Fatihah and another surah in the first two rak'ahs.
- Bow (ruku'), saying Subhana Rabbiyal Adhim, and stay calm until at ease.
- Rise saying Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah, and Rabbana wa lakal hamd, and stand straight.
- Prostrate (sujud) on seven parts: forehead with the nose, both palms, both knees and the toes. Say Subhana Rabbiyal A'la, and stay calm.
- Sit between the two prostrations, then prostrate again.
- In the second and the last rak'ah sit for the tashahhud. In the last, add the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then end with the taslim to the right and left.
2The pillars of the prayer (most scholars)
- The intention, the opening takbir and standing when able.
- Reciting Al-Fatihah in every rak'ah (Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali; the Hanafis require reciting any part of the Quran, and Al-Fatihah is wajib).
- Bowing, rising, prostrating twice and sitting between the prostrations, each with calm.
- The last tashahhud, and the taslim.
Where the schools differ
The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.
- Reciting Al-Fatihah behind the imam. the Hanafi school says do not recite; the Maliki and Hanbali schools say recite in the silent prayers only; the Shafi'i school says recite in every prayer.
- Raising the hands. the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools raise them at the takbir, at bowing and when rising from it. The Hanafi school raises them only at the opening takbir, and the Maliki school's well-known view is the same.
- Placing the hands. below the chest and above the navel in the Shafi'i school, below the navel in the Hanafi and Hanbali schools. In the Maliki school the well-known view is to let the arms hang in the obligatory prayer, though folding them is also permitted.
- The qunut in Fajr. the Shafi'i and Maliki schools do it, the Hanafi and Hanbali schools do not.
Note
This is a summary. The best way to learn the prayer is to watch a teacher pray and be corrected by them.
The evidence
From the Quran
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًۭا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًۭا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
你的主的确知道你礼拜的时间，不到全夜的三分之二，或二分之一，或三分之一。你的同道中，有一群人也是那样做的。真主预定黑夜和白昼的长度，他知道你们不能计算它，故赦宥你们。你们应当诵《古兰经》中简易的（文辞）。他知道你们中将有一些病人，和别的许多人，或旅行四方，寻求真主的恩惠；或为真主而作战，故你们应当讽诵其中简易的（文辞）。你们应当谨守拜功，完纳天课，并以善债借给真主。你们为自己做什么善事，都将在真主那里得到更好更大的报酬。你们应当向真主求饶，真主是至赦的，是至慈的。
From the Sunnah
Sahih al-Bukhari 631 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said: pray as you have seen me praying.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، أَتَيْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَحْنُ شَبَبَةٌ مُتَقَارِبُونَ، فَأَقَمْنَا عِنْدَهُ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا وَلَيْلَةً، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَحِيمًا رَفِيقًا، فَلَمَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّا قَدِ اشْتَهَيْنَا أَهْلَنَا أَوْ قَدِ اشْتَقْنَا سَأَلَنَا عَمَّنْ تَرَكْنَا بَعْدَنَا فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ قَالَ " ارْجِعُوا إِلَى أَهْلِيكُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا فِيهِمْ وَعَلِّمُوهُمْ وَمُرُوهُمْ ـ وَذَكَرَ أَشْيَاءَ أَحْفَظُهَا أَوْ لاَ أَحْفَظُهَا ـ وَصَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي، فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَكْبَرُكُمْ ".
Sahih al-Bukhari 757 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: A man prayed hastily. The Prophet ﷺ told him three times to go back and pray, and then taught him: be calm in the bowing, in the rising, in the prostration and in the sitting.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ، فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَصَلَّى فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَدَّ وَقَالَ " ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ، فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ ". فَرَجَعَ يُصَلِّي كَمَا صَلَّى ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " ارْجِعْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَلِّ " ثَلاَثًا. فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أُحْسِنُ غَيْرَهُ فَعَلِّمْنِي. فَقَالَ " إِذَا قُمْتَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَكَبِّرْ، ثُمَّ اقْرَأْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، ثُمَّ ارْكَعْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ رَاكِعًا، ثُمَّ ارْفَعْ حَتَّى تَعْتَدِلَ قَائِمًا، ثُمَّ اسْجُدْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ سَاجِدًا، ثُمَّ ارْفَعْ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ جَالِسًا، وَافْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلاَتِكَ كُلِّهَا ".
This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Fiqh questions
How to pray: the pillars and the steps
The Prophet ﷺ said: pray as you have seen me praying. The prayer begins with the opening takbir and ends with the taslim. Its pillars are standing when able, the takbir, reciting Al-Fatihah, bowing, rising, prostrating, sitting between the prostrations, the last tashahhud and the taslim, each done with calm. The Prophet ﷺ taught a man who prayed hastily to repeat his prayer and stay calm in every posture.
Is this a fatwa?
No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.
What if my school differs from this answer?
Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.