--- title: "How to Pray Salah — Step-by-Step Namaz Guide" description: "Learn Salah (namaz) step by step: Wudu, rakats, recitations, and what to skip if you need a fatwa. Free guide from Global Prayer Times, no ads." url: https://globalprayertimes.org/how-to-pray-salah/ source: Global Prayer Times --- # How to Pray Salah — Step-by-Step Namaz Guide Learn Salah (namaz) step by step: Wudu, rakats, recitations, and what to skip if you need a fatwa. Free guide from Global Prayer Times, no ads. Prayer guide How to pray Salah (namaz), step by step Quick Answer Yes — use this page as a practical walkthrough if you can face Qibla, make Wudu, and are ready to memorise al-Fatihah. Pray the fard rakats first; add sunnah when those are stable. Skip this guide if you need a madhhab-specific fatwa or an iqamah time — ask an imam, and open your city page for today’s clock. Who this is not for Not a substitute for a teacher, and not a ruling on every difference between Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali practice. Positions of the hands, extra takbirs and sunnah counts vary. Follow the mosque you actually pray in when you join a congregation. Desk-reviewed 2026-08-13. We have not filmed this as a class; the steps compile the widely taught sequence of fard Salah. Times come from your city page , not from this article. Should you learn Salah from this page? Use it if you are a new Muslim, returning to prayer, or teaching a child the fard skeleton. The page answers “what do I physically do?” in order. It is the wrong tool if you already pray and only wanted today’s Maghrib — that is a city URL. It is also the wrong tool if two imams in your city disagree on a detail; that is a local fiqh question, not a timetable-site question. What is Salah, and why does it have a fixed shape? Salah (also namaz or salat) is the five obligatory daily prayers: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. The Quran commands the prayer at appointed times (4:103) and to guard the prayers (2:238). The Prophet ﷺ taught the motions and recitations by saying “pray as you have seen me pray” (Bukhari). The shape is not optional choreography — it is how the ummah has transmitted the prayer. This site’s job is the clock; this page’s job is the method of the prayer itself. How many rakats are in each prayer? Count fard first. Fajr is two, Dhuhr four, Asr four, Maghrib three, Isha four. Witr is after Isha, not Maghrib — a common mix-up on short web guides. Sunnah around the fard is recommended and the counts below are the usual Hanafi teaching; other schools differ, especially at Asr. Prayer Window Fard rakats Typical sunnah 🌅 Fajr Dawn — before sunrise 2 2 before (mu’akkadah) ☀️ Dhuhr After the sun passes its zenith 4 4 before + 2 after (typical Hanafi) 🌤️ Asr Afternoon 4 Optional before 🌇 Maghrib Just after sunset 3 2 after 🌙 Isha After twilight disappears 4 2 after, then Witr Full fard, sunnah and nafl breakdown → What do you need before the first Takbir? Four things: a clean body (Wudu or Ghusl if required), clean clothes, a clean place, and the prayer’s time having entered. Covering awrah is required — for men at minimum navel to knee; for women the whole body except face and hands in the common teaching. If the time has not entered, the fard is not valid early. Check your city page for today’s start times rather than guessing from yesterday. How do you pray one Salah, in order? Follow the eleven steps below as one sequence. After two rakats you sit; after the last rakat you sit longer and end with Tasleem. Do not insert conversation, phone use or a large turn away from Qibla in the middle — those break the prayer. 1 Perform Wudu (ablution) You must be in ritual purity before fard Salah. Wash the face, both arms to the elbows, wipe the head, and wash both feet to the ankles, in order, with clean water. If you already have Wudu and nothing has broken it, do not repeat it for its own sake. Full Wudu and Ghusl guide → 2 Face the Qibla Stand facing the Kaaba in Mecca. A small error of a few degrees is overlooked; turning the chest well away from Qibla during the prayer breaks it. Use a compass or our Qibla tool if you are travelling. Open the Qibla compass → 3 Make Niyyah (intention) Intend in the heart the specific prayer you are about to pray — for example four fard rakats of Dhuhr. The intention does not have to be spoken. Saying it aloud is a later custom, not a pillar. 4 Takbir al-Ihram — opening Takbeer Raise both hands to the earlobes (Hanafi) or shoulders (other schools) and say “Allahu Akbar”. This opens the prayer. From this moment ordinary speech, eating and turning away from Qibla are forbidden until Tasleem. 5 Qiyam — standing and recitation Place the right hand over the left. Recite the opening dua if you know it, then Surah al-Fatihah in every rakat — that recitation is a pillar. In the first two fard rakats add a short surah or verses after al-Fatihah. 6 Ruku — bowing Say “Allahu Akbar” and bow with the back level, hands on the knees. Say “Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem” at least three times. Rise saying “Sami Allahu liman hamidah”, then “Rabbana lakal hamd”. 7 First Sujud — prostration Say “Allahu Akbar” and prostrate. Seven parts must touch the ground: forehead with the nose, both palms, both knees, and the toes of both feet. Say “Subhana Rabbiyal A’la” at least three times. 8 Jalsa — sitting between the two prostrations Rise saying “Allahu Akbar” and sit briefly. Say “Rabbighfirli” (O Lord, forgive me). Then prostrate a second time with the same words as the first. Two sujud per rakat are a pillar. 9 Complete the remaining rakats Stand for the next rakat and repeat. After two rakats sit for the first Tashahhud (At-Tahiyyat). In the last rakat sit for the final Tashahhud, then Durood Ibrahim and a short dua before Tasleem. 10 Final Tashahhud Sit with the left foot folded (right foot upright in the common Hanafi sitting). Recite At-Tahiyyat, pointing the right index finger at the shahada. In the last sitting add Durood Ibrahim, then any personal dua. 11 Tasleem — ending the prayer Turn the head to the right and say “Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah”, then to the left and repeat. That closes the prayer. Recommended dhikr after Salah is on a separate page. Dhikr after prayer → What do you recite in each position? Arabic is the language of the recitation. The table is a memory aid, not a transliteration course. Learn al-Fatihah from a reciter; the meaning in English belongs in study, not as a replacement inside the rakat. Thana / Du’a al-Istiftah (recommended) After the opening Takbir Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdika… Qira’ah Standing, every rakat Al-Fatihah; plus a short surah in the first two fard rakats Tasbeeh of ruku Bowing (Ruku) Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem (at least ×3) Tahmeed Rising from ruku Sami Allahu liman hamidah / Rabbana lakal hamd Tasbeeh of sujud Prostration (Sujud) Subhana Rabbiyal A’la (at least ×3) At-Tahiyyat Sitting (Tashahhud) At-Tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu… Durood Ibrahim Final sitting Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad… Tasleem Closing Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah (right, then left) What if you cannot stand, or do not know Arabic yet? Inability is a recognised excuse; ignorance is a reason to learn, not to invent a new prayer. Sit if standing is a genuine hardship (illness, injury, balance). Recite the Arabic you have; make al-Fatihah the first complete memorisation. Do not play an audio inside the prayer as a substitute for your own recitation. A mosque teacher will correct pronunciation faster than a webpage. What breaks Salah — and what does not? The prayer is broken by talking, eating or drinking, laughing aloud, turning the chest well away from Qibla, or losing Wudu. A small movement, an itch, or a brief glance does not. If Wudu breaks, stop, renew Wudu, and start that prayer again. For the list of what breaks Wudu itself, use the dedicated page — the two lists are not the same. Salah vs Jummah vs Eid — which page should you open? This page is the five daily fard prayers. Jummah replaces Dhuhr for men on Friday and has two rakats after the khutbah — use the Jummah guide and your mosque’s announced Jamaat. Eid prayer is a different two-rakat prayer with extra takbirs, held after sunrise on the Eid day — use the Eid pages, which roll forward each year from the same Hijri events table. Do not mix the three sequences. How to pray Jummah · How to pray Eid · Next Eid al-Fitr date Salah FAQ How many rakats is each of the five prayers? Fard rakats: Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3, Isha 4. Witr is prayed after Isha, not after Maghrib. Sunnah rakats around the fard differ by school — see the table on this page and the rakat guide. How do you start Salah if you are new to Islam? Perform Wudu, face Qibla, intend the prayer, say Allahu Akbar, and recite al-Fatihah. While you are still memorising, recite the Arabic you know; learning al-Fatihah is the first recitation to complete. A local mosque class is better than a video alone. What are the pillars of Salah? The pillars (arkan) include standing if able, the opening Takbir, reciting al-Fatihah, ruku, rising from ruku, two sujud, sitting between them, and the final sitting with Tasleem. Details of the list vary slightly by madhhab — this page is a practical overview, not a fatwa. What do you say in Sujud? Say “Subhana Rabbiyal A’la” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) at least three times. Seven body parts must touch the ground. Extra dua in sujud is allowed; it is among the closest positions of the servant to Allah. What if I do not know Arabic yet? Al-Fatihah in Arabic is required in every rakat once you can learn it. Until then, scholars allow a new Muslim to recite what they have memorised and to keep learning. Do not replace the Quran with an English paraphrase inside the prayer. Can I pray sitting down? If you cannot stand, sit. If you cannot sit, lie on your side and gesture. Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (Quran 2:286). Ability is judged honestly — convenience is not an excuse when standing is easy. Related Islamic Guides 🕌 How many rakats? Fard, sunnah and nafl for every prayer — full breakdown. 🚿 What breaks Wudu? Nullifiers across the four schools, without inventing a fifth. 💧 Wudu & Ghusl Step-by-step purification before Salah. 📿 Dhikr after prayer What to say after the five daily prayers. Related times: Jummah times · How we calculate clocks · Editorial policy This is a free service from Elite Digital Agency . Voluntary support keeps Global Prayer Times free for everyone. Support if you can . — Global Prayer Times. Source: https://globalprayertimes.org/how-to-pray-salah/