Salah Guide
How to perform Salah
A clear, illustrated step-by-step guide to the five daily prayers — postures, duas and the rakahs of every prayer.
Conditions of prayer
- Being Muslim and of sound mind, having reached the age of prayer
- The time of the prayer has entered
- Being in a state of wudu (ritual purity)
- The body, clothes and place of prayer are clean (tahara)
- Covering the ʿawrah with modest clothing
- Facing the Qibla (direction of the Kaʿbah in Makkah)
- Making the intention (niyyah) in the heart for the specific prayer
The five daily prayers
Each prayer has a set number of obligatory (fard) rakahs, with additional sunnah rakahs recommended around them.
Dawn — before sunrise
Fajr
2 fard
After midday
Dhuhr
4 fard
Afternoon
Asr
4 fard
Just after sunset
Maghrib
3 fard
Night
Isha
4 fard
One rakah, step by step
Every prayer is built from repeating this pattern. Two rakahs for Fajr, three for Maghrib, four for Dhuhr, Asr and Isha.
Intention (Niyyah) & Face the Qibla
Make the intention in your heart for the specific prayer you are about to perform (e.g. Fajr, 2 rakah fard). Stand facing the Qibla with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Note: The intention is silent — held in the heart, not spoken aloud.
Opening Takbir
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
"Allah is the Greatest."
Raise both hands to the level of your ears (or shoulders) and say the Takbir, then place the right hand over the left on your chest.
Opening supplication & Al-Fatiha
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ…
Subḥānaka-llāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik…
"Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name and exalted is Your majesty. There is no god but You."
Recite the opening dua silently, then say A'udhu billah and Bismillah, and recite Surah Al-Fatiha followed by another short surah or verses of the Qur'an.
Note: Al-Fatiha is a pillar of every rakah — the prayer is invalid without it.
Ruku — bow
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-ʿAẓīm
"Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great."
Say 'Allahu Akbar' and bow so that your back is straight and your hands grip your knees. Say the tasbih three times.
Stand up from ruku (Iʿtidal)
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ · رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Samiʿa-llāhu li-man ḥamidah · Rabbanā wa laka-l-ḥamd
"Allah hears whoever praises Him. Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise."
Rise from ruku while saying the first phrase, then stand upright and complete the second phrase calmly.
First Sujood — prostrate
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā
"Glory is to my Lord, the Most High."
Say 'Allahu Akbar' and go down into prostration with seven parts touching the ground: forehead (with nose), both hands, both knees and both feet. Repeat the tasbih three times.
Sit between the two prostrations
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbi-ghfir lī
"My Lord, forgive me."
Sit up calmly with your left foot folded under you and your right foot upright, hands on your thighs. Say the dua, then prostrate a second time in the same way as the first.
Stand for the next rakah — or sit for Tashahhud
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ…
At-taḥiyyātu lillāh…
"All greetings, prayers and pure words are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings…"
After the second sujood, either stand up saying 'Allahu Akbar' for the next rakah, or — after every two rakahs and at the end — sit and recite the Tashahhud. When you reach the shahada, point your right index finger up.
Note: Raise the right index finger during the shahada in the Tashahhud.
Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ…
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad…
"O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim…"
In the final sitting, follow the Tashahhud with the salawat (Ibrahimiyya) and any short dua of your choice before ending the prayer.
Tasleem — end the prayer
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh
"Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you."
Turn your head to the right and say the greeting, then turn your head to the left and repeat it. Your salah is complete.
What is recited during salah
Learn each recitation with its Arabic, transliteration and meaning — from the opening supplication to the final Tasleem.
Opening supplication (Duʿāʾ al-Istiftāḥ)
Silently, right after the opening Takbirسُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subḥānaka-llāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik, wa tabāraka-smuk, wa taʿālā jadduk, wa lā ilāha ghayruk.
"Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name and exalted is Your majesty. There is no god but You."
Taʿawwudh & Basmalah
Silently, before reciting Al-Fatihaأَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ · بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Aʿūdhu billāhi mina-sh-shayṭāni-r-rajīm · Bismi-llāhi-r-Raḥmāni-r-Raḥīm.
"I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."
Surah Al-Fātiḥa
In every rakah — a pillar of the prayerبِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ · آمِين
Bismi-llāhi-r-Raḥmāni-r-Raḥīm. Al-ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbi-l-ʿālamīn. Ar-Raḥmāni-r-Raḥīm. Māliki yawmi-d-dīn. Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn. Ihdinā-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm. Ṣirāṭa-lladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim, ghayri-l-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa lā-ḍ-ḍāllīn. Āmīn.
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds — the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us on the Straight Path — the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned Your anger or went astray. Amen."
Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ (a common short surah)
After Al-Fatiha in the first two rakahsبِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ · اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ · لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ · وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Qul huwa-llāhu aḥad. Allāhu-ṣ-ṣamad. Lam yalid wa lam yūlad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad.
"Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him."
Tasbīḥ of Rukūʿ
Three times while bowingسُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna Rabbiya-l-ʿAẓīm.
"Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great."
Rising from Rukūʿ (Iʿtidāl)
While standing back upسَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ · رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Samiʿa-llāhu li-man ḥamidah · Rabbanā wa laka-l-ḥamd.
"Allah hears whoever praises Him. Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise."
Tasbīḥ of Sujūd
Three times in each prostrationسُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
Subḥāna Rabbiya-l-Aʿlā.
"Glory is to my Lord, the Most High."
Between the two prostrations
While seated between the sujūdsرَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbi-ghfir lī, Rabbi-ghfir lī.
"My Lord, forgive me. My Lord, forgive me."
At-Taḥiyyāt (Tashahhud)
Sitting after every two rakahs and at the endالتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
At-taḥiyyātu lillāhi wa-ṣ-ṣalawātu wa-ṭ-ṭayyibāt. As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu-llāhi wa barakātuh. As-salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādi-llāhi-ṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa-llāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh.
"All greetings, prayers and pure words are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."
Ṣalāt al-Ibrāhīmiyya (Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ)
In the final sitting, after the Tashahhudاللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ · اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
"O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim — indeed You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send Your favour upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You favoured Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim — indeed You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious."
A short dua before the Tasleem
Recommended before ending the prayerرَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanā ātinā fi-d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fi-l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāba-n-nār.
"Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Tasleem — ending the prayer
Turning the head right, then leftالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh.
"Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you."
What invalidates your prayer
- Speaking intentionally outside the prescribed words of the prayer
- Laughing out loud
- Eating or drinking during the prayer
- Turning the chest away from the Qibla without a valid reason
- Excessive movement unrelated to the prayer
- Losing wudu during the prayer
Guidance is based on mainstream Sunni fiqh. Consult a qualified scholar for madhhab-specific rulings.