--- title: "How Many Rakats in Each Prayer? Full Guide" description: "How many rakats in Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha? Fard, sunnah and nafl rakats for all five prayers — Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali." url: https://globalprayertimes.org/how-many-rakats/ canonical: https://globalprayertimes.org/how-many-rakats/ updated: 2026-08-13 publisher: Global Prayer Times (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd) licence: Free to quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL --- > Source: https://globalprayertimes.org/how-many-rakats/ — updated 2026-08-13. Generated at build time from the same content the HTML page serves. Prayer start times are calculated; confirm congregation (iqamah) times with the mosque. 🙏 Prayer Guide # How Many Rakats in Each Prayer? Quick Answer Fard rakats: Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3, Isha 4. Witr is prayed after Isha, never after Maghrib. The totals in the table include typical sunnah. Skip this page if you need the motions of Salah — that is the how-to guide — or a mosque’s Jummah clock. Who this is not for Not a fatwa on every sunnah difference. Fard counts are agreed; sunnah before and after, and whether Witr is wajib, vary by school. Follow the mosque you actually pray in for congregational practice. Desk-reviewed 2026-08-13. Times come from your [city page](https://globalprayertimes.org/) , not from this article. ## Should you use this rakat table or the how-to guide? Use this URL to count units: fard, sunnah mu’akkadah, ghayr mu’akkadah, nafl and Witr. It is the wrong tool if you do not yet know how to stand, bow and prostrate — [how to pray Salah](https://globalprayertimes.org/how-to-pray-salah/) is that walkthrough. Witr method and Dua Qunut live on [the Witr page](https://globalprayertimes.org/witr-prayer/) . ## How many rakats is each prayer at a glance? | Prayer | Sunnah Before | Fard | Sunnah After | Witr / Nafl | Total | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 🌅 Fajr | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | | ☀️ Dhuhr | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 Nafl | 12 | | 🌤️ Asr | 4 | 4 | — | — | 8 | | 🌇 Maghrib | — | 3 | 2 | 2 Nafl | 7 | | 🌙 Isha | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 Witr + 2 Nafl | 15 | * Fard rakats are obligatory. Sunnah Mu'akkadah are strongly recommended. Total includes all Sunnah and Witr. ## Detailed Rakat Breakdown for Each Prayer 🌅 ### Fajr Prayer 2 Fard rakats Dawn — before sunrise 2 Sunnah before 2 Fard (obligatory) 4 Total 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah before the 2 Fard. These 2 Sunnah rakats are among the most emphasised of all Sunnah prayers — the Prophet ﷺ never abandoned them even while travelling. ☀️ ### Dhuhr Prayer 4 Fard rakats Midday — after sun passes its zenith 4 Sunnah before 4 Fard (obligatory) 2 Sunnah after 2 Nafl 12 Total 4 Sunnah Mu'akkadah before, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah after, and 2 optional Nafl. Hanafi school adds 2 extra Sunnah before = 14 total. 🌤️ ### Asr Prayer 4 Fard rakats Afternoon — mid-afternoon to sunset 4 Sunnah before 4 Fard (obligatory) 8 Total 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah (non-emphasized) before the 4 Fard. No Sunnah after Asr. The Prophet ﷺ called Asr 'the middle prayer' (Quran 2:238). 🌇 ### Maghrib Prayer 3 Fard rakats Just after sunset 3 Fard (obligatory) 2 Sunnah after 2 Nafl 7 Total 3 Fard, then 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah after, and 2 optional Nafl. Maghrib must be prayed promptly — its window closes when the red twilight disappears. 🌙 ### Isha Prayer 4 Fard rakats Night — after twilight until Fajr 4 Sunnah before 4 Fard (obligatory) 2 Sunnah after 3 Witr 2 Nafl 15 Total 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah before, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah after, then 3 Witr (wajib in Hanafi, Sunnah Mu'akkadah in other schools), and 2 optional Nafl. ## How do the four schools differ on rakat count? The four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence (madhabs) agree on the obligatory (Fard) rakat counts for all five prayers. The main differences concern Witr prayer and certain Sunnah prayers: 🟢 Hanafi School Witr: 3 rakats (Wajib — obligatory). Dhuhr: 6 Sunnah before Fard (4 + 2 in some narrations). Witr has a unique structure with Dua Qunut in the 3rd rakat. 🔵 Shafi'i School Witr: Minimum 1 rakat, maximum 11 — performed as separate single or paired rakats. Qunut recited in the last rakat of Fajr. No obligatory Witr. 🟡 Maliki School Witr: 1 rakat minimum, performed separately after Isha pairs. Qunut in Witr is recommended. Strong emphasis on 11 rakats Tahajjud in addition to Witr. 🟠 Hanbali School Witr: Strongly Sunnah Mu'akkadah. Recommended: 11 rakats (pairs + 1 Witr). Dua Qunut in Witr during the last half of Ramadan only. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How many rakats is Fajr prayer? Fajr prayer has 4 rakats in total: 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah (strongly recommended Sunnah) followed by 2 Fard (obligatory) rakats. The 2 Sunnah before Fajr are among the most emphasised Sunnah prayers. ### How many rakats is Dhuhr prayer? Dhuhr prayer has 12 rakats in total: 4 Sunnah Mu'akkadah before, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah after, and 2 optional Nafl. In the Hanafi school, an additional 2 Sunnah before makes it 14. ### How many rakats is Asr prayer? Asr prayer has 8 rakats in total: 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah (non-emphasized Sunnah) before and 4 Fard (obligatory). There are no Sunnah prayers after Asr. ### How many rakats is Maghrib prayer? Maghrib prayer has 7 rakats in total: 3 Fard (obligatory), followed by 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah and 2 optional Nafl. Maghrib is the only obligatory prayer with 3 Fard rakats. ### How many rakats is Isha prayer? Isha prayer has 15 rakats in total: 4 Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah before, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah after, 3 Witr (wajib in Hanafi school, strongly Sunnah in others), and 2 optional Nafl. ### What is the difference between Sunnah Mu'akkadah and Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah? Sunnah Mu'akkadah are prayers the Prophet ﷺ performed consistently and rarely abandoned — such as the 2 before Fajr and 2 after Maghrib. Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah are prayers he performed sometimes but not always, such as the 4 before Asr. Abandoning Mu'akkadah Sunnah regularly is blameworthy; abandoning Ghayr Mu'akkadah occasionally is not. ### What is Witr prayer and is it compulsory? Witr is an odd-numbered prayer performed after Isha, before Fajr. In the Hanafi school it is Wajib (obligatory and a sin to miss deliberately), consisting of 3 rakats. In the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools it is Sunnah Mu'akkadah, with a minimum of 1 rakat. ### Can you shorten prayers while travelling? Yes — a Muslim traveller (musafir) who is travelling a distance of approximately 88 km or more may shorten 4-rakat prayers to 2 rakats. This applies to Dhuhr, Asr and Isha. Fajr (2 rakats) and Maghrib (3 rakats) are not shortened. The Sunnah prayers may also be omitted during travel according to most scholars. [🙏 How to Pray Salah](https://globalprayertimes.org/how-to-pray-salah/) [💧 Wudu & Ghusl](https://globalprayertimes.org/wudu-and-ghusl/) [🌙 Witr Prayer Guide](https://globalprayertimes.org/witr-prayer/) [⭐ Tahajjud Prayer](https://globalprayertimes.org/tahajjud-prayer/) [🕌 Jummah Prayer Times](https://globalprayertimes.org/jummah/) ## Related Islamic Guides [🤲 How to Pray Salah Step-by-step guide to performing the five daily prayers correctly.](https://globalprayertimes.org/how-to-pray-salah/) [🌙 Witr Prayer How many rakats, when to pray Witr, and the full Dua al-Qunut.](https://globalprayertimes.org/witr-prayer/) [⭐ Tahajjud Prayer The night prayer — rakats, best time, and opening dua.](https://globalprayertimes.org/tahajjud-prayer/) [📿 Dhikr After Prayer What to say after each of the five daily prayers.](https://globalprayertimes.org/dhikr-after-prayer/) This is a free service from [Elite Digital Agency](https://elitedigitalagency.io/) . Voluntary support keeps Global Prayer Times free for everyone. [Support if you can](https://globalprayertimes.org/support/) . ## Sources and further reading - [Quran 2:238](https://quran.com/2/238) Quran translations open on Quran.com and hadith on Sunnah.com. Rulings differ between schools of thought; ask a qualified scholar about your situation. See our [editorial policy](https://globalprayertimes.org/editorial-policy/) and [corrections log](https://globalprayertimes.org/corrections/) . — Global Prayer Times. Cite as: How Many Rakats in Each Prayer? Full Guide, Global Prayer Times, https://globalprayertimes.org/how-many-rakats/