How many rak‘ahs does each prayer have?

Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, ‘Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and ‘Isha 4: 17 obligatory rak‘ahs a day. Prayer was first prescribed as two rak‘ahs, then increased for the resident; when travelling, four-rak‘ah prayers are shortened to two (al-Bukhari 350, Muslim 685).

Can I read from my phone while praying?

The schools differ: the Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools allow reading the Qur’an from a copy during prayer, the Maliki school discourages it, and the Hanafi school holds that it invalidates the prayer. The safest way is to practise with this guide outside the prayer (islamweb, fatwa 1781).

Do you recite aloud when praying alone?

Aloud at Fajr and in the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha, silently at Dhuhr and ‘Asr: scholars agree on this for the imam (al-Nawawi, al-Majmu‘). Alone, most recommend doing the same; for Abu Hanifah, aloud or silent are equal.

Is wudu valid if I wash each part only once?

Yes: the Prophet ﷺ performed wudu washing each part once (al-Bukhari 157); three times is the sunnah (al-Bukhari 159, Muslim 226).

How to pray, step by step

Wudu, then each prayer, movement by movement: what you do, what you say (in Arabic, transliterated and translated), and what differs between the schools. Choose where to start.

Where to start?

1. Purify yourself

Wudu11 steps, with the closing supplication.GhuslWhen it is required and how to do it.TayammumWhen there is no water or it cannot be used.

2. Pray

Fajr2 rak‘ahs · aloud Dhuhr4 rak‘ahs · silent ‘Asr4 rak‘ahs · silent Maghrib3 rak‘ahs · 2 aloud, then silent ‘Isha4 rak‘ahs · 2 aloud, then silent Witr1 or 3 rak‘ahs to close the night, and the qunut.

One rak‘ah at a glance

Every prayer is a series of rak‘ahs: standing with recitation, bowing, rising, two prostrations with a sitting in between.

1. Standing, recitation
2. Bowing
3. Rising
4. Prostration
5. Sitting
6. Prostration

The five daily prayers

17 obligatory rak‘ahs a day. Tap a prayer to follow it step by step.

Fajr2 rak‘ahs

From dawn until sunrise · aloud

Related sunnah : 2 rak‘ahs before: the voluntary prayer the Prophet ﷺ was most regular in.

Dhuhr4 rak‘ahs

From when the sun passes its zenith until the time of ‘Asr · silent

Related sunnah : 2 or 4 rak‘ahs before, 2 after.

‘Asr4 rak‘ahs

Until the sun turns yellow · silent

Related sunnah : No regular voluntary prayer is attached to it in the hadiths of Ibn ‘Umar and Umm Habibah.

Maghrib3 rak‘ahs

From sunset until the twilight disappears · 2 aloud, then silent

Related sunnah : 2 rak‘ahs after.

‘Isha4 rak‘ahs

From the end of twilight until the middle of the night · 2 aloud, then silent

Related sunnah : 2 rak‘ahs after, then witr to close the night.

You do not know Al-Fatiha yet?

The Prophet ﷺ taught someone who did not yet know any Qur’an to say these words instead, while learning it:

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ

Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.

Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might nor power except with Allah.

What differs for women

Dress: a woman covers her whole body except the face and hands, according to the most widespread view.
- Abu Dawud 641, at-Tirmidhi 377 — authentic
During menstruation one does not pray, and those prayers are not made up.
- Muslim 335 — authentic
Bowing and prostration: al-Shafi‘i and the Maliki school recommend that a woman keep herself more gathered; other scholars describe the same posture for everyone.
- a woman’s bowing and prostration (al-Umm, al-Dardir) (islamweb, fatwa 186649)
Behind an imam who makes a mistake, men say “Subhanallah” and women clap.
- al-Bukhari 1203, Muslim 422 — authentic
Al-Shafi‘i recommends that a woman lower her voice in prayer.
- a woman’s bowing and prostration (al-Umm, al-Dardir) (islamweb, fatwa 186649)

If you forget or doubt: the prostration of forgetfulness

You are unsure how many rak‘ahs you prayed: go by the number you are sure of, complete the prayer, then make two prostrations before the salam.
- Muslim 571 — authentic
You forgot the first tashahhud and are already standing: carry on, then make two prostrations before the salam.
- al-Bukhari 1224, Muslim 570 — authentic
You gave the salam too early: complete what is missing, give the salam, then make two prostrations.
- al-Bukhari 1229, Muslim 573 — authentic
You added an extra rak‘ah: make two prostrations after the salam.
- al-Bukhari 401, Muslim 572 — authentic

How: say “Allahu akbar”, prostrate, sit, then prostrate a second time, as in the prayer.

According to the schools : The Hanafi school makes them after the salam in every case, the Shafi‘i school before; the Maliki school before for an omission, after for an addition; the Hanbali school follows the hadiths case by case.

prostration of forgetfulness: before or after salam (islamweb, fatwa 43213)
Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni (Imam Ahmad’s position)

Why our diagrams have no head or face

Many Muslims avoid depicting living beings. Our diagrams are only posture outlines, with no head or face. In a hadith, the angel Jibril asks for the head of a statue to be cut off so that it becomes “like a tree”; many scholars concluded that a figure without a head is no longer the image of a living being. You can also hide all illustrations.